So PunditMom asks a great question over at HuffPo today: Does Lifetime’s Every Woman Counts poll–which is geared toward increasing the participation of women in the political process by encouraging more women to vote and to increase the national spotlight on issues that are important to women–take women seriously? The poll’s questions include:

1. Which candidate would you rather receive a gift from?
2. Which candidate would you be most comfortable leaving your children with?
3. Which candidate would you most like to have dinner with over the holiday season?

PunditMom writes,

What do questions like this add to the “political dialogue” other than making politicians think that we care more about popularity contests than health care or the environment?…If we really want to count and be counted, let’s not provide any more ammunition for the politicians to think that we’re not serious voters.

And I’m with her. But I also wonder this: Since the pollsters are constantly asking men which candidate they’d rather have a beer with, aren’t questions 2 and 3 above really just the equal opportunity equivalent for women? To be sure, I’ve always thought the beer question was a stupid way to choose a President. I’m not sure the babysitter test is any better.