Love and Politics: Singles Weigh in on the Tea Party, the Issues, and America's Most Dateable Politicians

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Midterm elections are fast approaching and Zoosk.com, the world's largest social dating community, wanted to know what single Americans think of the current state of political affairs. Zoosk randomly surveyed 1,000 singles on a series of questions about politics and love. Below is a breakdown of the findings.

To view the ZooskTV video segment on the findings, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgsqrY9UrPk.

When it comes to love, singles don't let politics get in the way.

• 87% of singles said they date outside of their political party.

In particular, being in the Tea Party may help you get a date—or ensure you don't.

• 27% of singles said they would date a member of the Tea Party.
• 51% of singles said they would consider dating a member of the Tea Party.
• 22% of singles said they would never date someone affiliated with the Tea Party.

Sarah Palin and Gavin Newsom are considered the most "dateable" U.S. politicians.

It goes without saying that a politician would never have an affair. Ahem. But hypothetically speaking, who's the most dateable politician?

• 32% of men selected Sarah Palin (R) as the most dateable female politician, followed by:
  • Christine O'Donnell (R, DE) with 22%
  • M. Teresa Ruiz (D, NJ) with 18%
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) with 6%
  • Condoleezza Rice (D) with 5%
• 33% of women think Gavin Newsom (D, CA) is the most dateable male politician, followed by:
  • Barack Obama (D) with 24%
  • Scott Brown (R, MA) with 15%
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger (R, CA) with 14%
  • John Edwards (D, NC) with 5%

The Reagans and the Obamas get the most votes for solid relationships.

Singles voted on which first couples from the Carter administration forward have or had the best relationship.

• Overwhelmingly, men said Ronald and Nancy Reagan had the strongest marriage, while most women believe Barack and Michelle Obama have the strongest marriage.
• Men and women agreed on one thing – George H. and Barbara Bush captured the least number of votes for best marriage, fewer even than Bill and Hillary Clinton.

For single men and women, nothing trumps their concern about the economy.

• 50% of singles surveyed said that the economy and unemployment are the most important political issues this year.
• Healthcare trailed with 13% of the vote, followed by national security and education, which each received 7% of the vote.

The Zoosk poll was conducted online in October 2010 and fielded 1,000 responses from singles in the United States who use Zoosk. The breakdown of political affiliation when male-to-female input was factored one-to-one: 32% Democrats; 23% Republicans; 18% no party, 16% Independent, 5% Tea Party, 6% Libertarians and 2% Socialists. Of the respondents, 69% were male and 31% were female; survey results were normalized for gender so that male and female answers carried equal sway.

About Zoosk

Zoosk is the world's largest social dating community, with millions of singles from around the globe using the service each month. Zoosk provides a safe and fun online dating experience that users can easily access from Zoosk's website, social networking applications, mobile services, and downloadable desktop application. Zoosk is available in more than 20 languages and has subscribers in more than 60 countries. The service enables users to join, browse, and send a limited number of messages for free. Zoosk users can upgrade to a premium subscription for full access or purchase virtual currency to buy select features and virtual gifts. Founded in 2007 by Shayan Zadeh and Alex Mehr, the company is based in San Francisco and backed by Canaan Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, and ATA Ventures.

SOURCE Zoosk