In this article: Dating in your party Cellphones help with SATs

NEWS & VIEWS

The politics of love
Democrats and Republicans flirt in separate dating Web sites.

Choosing different sides in a presidential race can test even the strongest relationship. That's just what the matchmakers behind some politically focused online dating sites hope to alleviate. Maintaining a romance is hard work, so why not start off with one less disagreement? "If you're looking for common ground, politics is something you definitely want to establish," says Jason Hoblin, co-founder of republicansingles.com and democraticsingles.com, sites he launched this spring with business partner Tony Sandoval. In their online dating world, the GOP has the lead. As of press time, the Republicans had 3,000 members to the Democrats' 1,000 or so. An interesting distinction: Men outnumber women 3 to 1 on the Republican site; the Democrats are 50-50. Why do political sites -- some of which charge fees -- stand out in an overcrowded online-dating crowd? "We have been through the period of playing the field; we know the essential qualities we want," says Rodelinde Albrecht, director of the liberal-leaning Web site concernedsingles.com. And that is? "A sense of humor and smarts." Politics, it seems, is a good place to gauge that. Conservative Tom Swanson agrees. The St. Louis Web designer created singlerepublican.com last November after spending several years in the online dating world unable to find women who shared his political views. His site's 5,000 members hope it will help them find "the One." Non-political sites "are more superficial," says Byron Gale, a retired social worker in Spokane, Wash., who tried eharmony.com and match.com before going to democraticsingles.com. "I've spent more time getting to know people. It helps that I'm a passionate Democrat."

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Now your teen's cellphone can prep her for the SAT

Reason No. 99 for getting your teen a cellphone: "So I can study for the SAT, Mom." Call it mobile learning. This fall, the Princeton Review, which helps students prepare for the college entrance exam, and Vocel, a developer of wireless applications, offer a phone-accessible study aid that helps teens build math and English skills.

How it works: Users download software from the Web the same way they download a phone ringer -- in this case, material covered by the SAT. "You can program your cellphone to call you at 3 p.m. every day, when you're waiting for the bus, with questions," says the Princeton Review's Robin Raskin. Ask your wireless carrier if it offers the software (it costs about $7 a month); teens enrolled in a Princeton Review SAT prep course get four months free. Phones display scores instantly; teenagers (and their parents!) can track progress at princetonreview.com, and via text messages and e-mail.

Studying isn't the only add-on: This spring, the Ad Council and the Federal Voting Assistance Program launched a text-message campaign to encourage 18- to 24-year-olds to register to vote and to learn about politics. Getting them to answer the call is another matter.

Contributing: Judy Mandell, Robin Reid