Top 10 Midterm Election Stories

     Just in case you didn't know, there was an election yesterday. Yes, that's why people were wearing "I Voted" stickers. No, Obama was not up for reelection. In the event that you had no idea what happened, here are some of the highlights so you can dazzle your friends with your knowledge:

Is "Do You Know Who Snooki Is?" the Defining Political Question of Our Time?

     New York based blog Gawker called "Do you know who Snooki is?" the defining political question of our time yesterday.  For someone who is famous for being famous, the Jersey Shore star sure has caused quiet a commotion on America's political scene.  It all began this June Snookie revealed her preference for Republican presidential candidate John McCain over President Obama.

     "I don't go tanning anymore because Obama put a 10% tax on tanning," Snooki said. "And I feel like he did that intentionally for us.  McCain would never put a 10% tax on tanning because he's pale and he'd probably want to be tan."

      "@Sn00ki u r right, I would never tax your tanning bed!" McCain posted on Twitter.  "Pres Obama's tax/spend policy is quite The Situation. but I do rec wearing sunscreen!"

     President Obama apparently took Snooki's public remarks seriously because he vowed to give her and the entire Jersey Shore cast an exemption to the tax provision of the health bill.

     "The following individuals shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill: Snooki, JWOWW, The Situation and House minority leader John Boehner," Obama joked at White House Press Correspondents Dinner.

     Only two months later however, the president claimed he didn't know who Snooki was during his appearance on The View.  This is flip-flopping at its worst.

See the video after the jump.

So Much for Anti-Establishment: McCain Defeats Hayworth in AZ GOP Primary

     Last night, Senator John McCain handily defeated former Congressman J.D. Hayworth in Arizona's highly publicized Republican primary election.

     In a year full of "anti-establishment" feelings and rhetoric, McCain, who turns 74 on Sunday, was originally seen as vulnerable to Hayworth, 52,  who branded himself as a true conservative in comparison to McCain's "mavericky" ways.  Hayworth attempts to appeal to Tea Party activists however wasn't enough to overcome McCain's vigorous campaigning. 

     The former presidential candidate didn't take his reelection for granted, spending $20 million according to the Arizona Republic, unprecedented in an Arizona U.S. Senate race.  McCain also got help from his former vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin, Massachusetts Senator and Tea Party poster boy Scott Brown, and former Massachusetts governor and Latter-day Saint Mitt Romney who spoke at an event in Mormon heavy Mesa.

Animated Taiwanese Guide to the 2010 Election

     Too busy studying statistics and working your dead end job at a fast food joint to be up to speed on the 2010 mid-term elections?  Take a moment to watch this animated Taiwanese guide to the election, and you too can sound educated when discussing politics with your friends.

Hail to the Chief: Best and Worst Presidents in American History Ranked

     Over 200 presidential historians were polled to find out who they thought the best and worst U.S. Presidents were.  The poll, conducted by Siena College research institute, found Franklin D. Roosevelt as the most popular president among scholars, followed by FDR's fifth cousin, Teddy Roosevelt.  Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson rounded out the top five respectively.

     The liberal bias among academics is verified by the poll which ranks Barack Obama at No. 15 after only a year and a half in office while it places conservative sweetheart Ronald Reagan at No. 18.  Bill Clinton, one of only two impeached presidents, finished at No. 13.  The other, Andrew Johnson, finished last.  George W. Bush, touted by Rolling Stone magazine as the worst president in history, landed a more modest No. 39 (out of 43).

     For the complete list, read after the jump.

Harry Reid: The Tea Party's Newest Fan

     Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was predicted to face an uphill re-election battle this year.  The Nevada Democrat had critics on the left who viewed him as spineless and too conciliatory towards Republicans while the right demonized him for carrying out Obama's plan to bring full fledged socialism to America.  Considering the country's anti-incumbent attitude, it's no surprise that the four-term Mormon Senator faces dismal approval ratings as low as 38 percent.

     Some are saying that Reid's chances for a fifth term are improving however, and ironically, his odds are better thanks to the people who want him out the most - the Tea Party movement.

     Reid's GOP challengers included Tea Party approved Sharron Angle and the more moderate Sue Lowden.  Polls showed Lowden ahead of Reid, but when he was pitted against Angle, he was up 3 points.  In yesterday's Republican primaries, the Tea Party walked away with a victory as Sharron Angle was selected to be the party's nominee.  Among Angle's more radical statements are that she supports eliminating the Department of Education, outlawing alcohol (Something tells me that will never fly in a state that is home to Sin City), as well as a program that includes massages and saunas for prison drug rehabilitation participants.  Sure, the Tea Party likes Angle, but the middle of the road voters, the swing ones who decide elections, aren't as sure.  They might dislike Reid, but come election day, they might dislike him less than they do Angle.