Related Content: jobs

Voice of the Voters: Maine

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With Maine's GOP Caucus winding up, how are people getting their information to judge the candidates? Washington Week partnered with the University of Maine to find out. Student reporter Kylie Keene looks at how voters get their news and the generational difference in the age of new media. Plus, the issues that are important in this presidential election year to voters in Maine.

Election 2012 – Managing Alternatives

Gwen's Take

Updated:  Friday, Feb 10-4pm

One of the things we tell our children is that life is all about choices.

We celebrate this idea, because it is an essential part of the kind of ambition we want them to have. We want them to consider all the options, and then aspire to the best one.

In politics, the language of choice often comes loaded. School choice. Abortion rights. Public option. Proponents embrace these descriptions to put the best possible face on otherwise contentious issues.

Clint Eastwood Gives America a Pep Talk

On The Radar

Did the first Obama re-election ad run during the Super Bowl? You might have missed it since the president wasn't even mentioned. It was a Chrysler ad, although even that wasn’t obvious. Instead, more than 111 million viewers were greeted by that tough-talking American icon Clint Eastwood as he delivered what amounted to a locker room speech to the country.
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Voice of the Voters: Colorado Youth

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Washington Week partnered with Colorado Mesa University ahead of the Colorado caucus to find out what issues young voters are focusing on as they evaluate the candidates hoping to become president. Student Tess Matsukawa reports.

Happy New Year

On The Radar

Is the jobs recovery finally for real? It certainly feels that way. Before getting into the caveats, let's look at January's solid employment report. Non-farm employment jumped 243,000, or 0.2%, from December, the best in nine months. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3%, a three-year low, from 8.5%.
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Voice of the Voters: Nevada Youth

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Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country and a high rate of foreclosures. How is this affecting the youth vote heading into the upcoming GOP Caucus? Washington Week partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno to find out what problems students think should be at the forefront and what issues are unique to Nevada. Student Rebecca Kitchen reports.

Who Cares About the Poor?

On The Radar

Mitt Romney is now being protected by the Secret Service. Unfortunately for him, they were not in a position to jump in front of his comments Wednesday morning. The day after his Florida triumph, Romney told CNN: “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90 percent, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling.”

January 27, 2012

Weekly Show

Ahead of next week’s Florida Republican primary, the 4 remaining candidates squared off on the ground and in two debates. Plus, following his State of the Union Address, President Obama hit the road to push his economic and jobs plan.  Joining Gwen: Dan Balz, The Washington Post; John Dickerson, Slate Magazine & CBS News; Jackie Calmes, The New York Times; David Wessel, The Wall Street Journal.

Obama’s Brewer Encounter Sidetracks Message

On The Radar

President Barack Obama’s encounter with Arizona governor Jan Brewer yesterday on an airport tarmac in Phoenix sidetracked the administration’s effort to keep the media focused on the president’s message.
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The True State of Our Union: Introduction

On The Radar

Listening to Barack Obama’s lengthy State of the Union address in the same week the Republican presidential candidates held more debates in their incessant series was to visit two parallel universes. The economy is getting better. Nope, the economy is a disaster. We need to change the tax code so the rich pay “their fair share.” Oh, no: We need to change the tax code to starve Washington and put more money in all Americans' pockets. Business needs to be regulated. Business needs to be unfettered.