this woman’s work

Did you cry during his acceptance speech? 

I think about how our international standing has just improved and I feel so hopeful.

The popular vote was still pretty close; we have a lot of work to do to bring this country together. (So Brett said no gloating around McCain supporters; he said we have to be good winners.)

Madison loves to see Obama with his little girls. She likes to see when he holds their hands and picks them up. I told her that because the president of the United States is a little bit like our king as elected by us, this means his little girls are now like the princesses of the United States. “And they are beautiful brown-skinned girls just like you.” 

She may not get the historical import yet but she gets the princess comparison. She’s pretty happy about it.

Pennie tried to call when he took Ohio but didn’t think to call our cell (I was at Abby’s with Kristen and Lynne) then we called her when CNN officially announced it. 

Pennie and I bonded about politics four years ago. It’s hard to remember but at the beginning we were excessively careful with each other and we didn’t talk politics. But then when Kerry was running she called me up and asked if I was voting “for Frankenstein or the chimp” and I said, “Frankenstein all the way.” And happily it turns out that we share our liberal politics. She was happy that the kids have been such a part of this election process and liked hearing that Madison helped hang flyers on doors the other day. 

I’m glad and grateful that Madison got to talk to her first mom on that historic night. I’m glad that we both thought to call each other. 

Abby had a great evening planned. The kids had an electoral map to fill out and Kristen and Lynne brought apple pie (raw and cooked respectively). I brought sparkling juice so the kids could toast the winner, which meant that Madison came up every ten minutes to see if we could do some toasting yet. 

I haven’t looked at any of the ballot measures yet so I’m going to make the kids pancakes (we slept way in) and then spend some time trolling the internet. Then it’s off to skating, home to work and later tonight I get to hook up with Andrew to talk politics (probably) and writing (definitely).

Instead of electing McCain and then praying for his death so their gal Friday can get into office, shouldn’t they just elect Obama (seeing as how they think he’s the anti-christ*) and rush the rapture? Kinda like some extreme evangelicals are pro-Israel because they want to hurry along the end times?

I mean if God decreed it, why not just go with the flow? If they’re so sure he’s the anti-christ, why fight it? Don’t they want it all to come to its inevitable climax?

Like I said, I don’t get it.

These are weird times to be alive though. No doubt about it. (Then again, is there ever un-weird times? I’ve read my history; I think likely it’s all pretty wacky for the folks there for it.)

*A note here about this link. I chose to link to a TIME magazine article about a McCain ad instead of any of the numerous crazy web sites that spout this ideas ‘cuz I’d rather not up their google page rank.

Didja hear his firm stance on talking about Bristol? 

“The media should respect Bristol’s privacy. That’s always been the tradition and practice when it comes to the children of candidates.”

And his campaign reiterates, “The children of candidates do not choose to run for office and be thrust into the spotlight.”

(source)

Yeah, McCain! Good on you! Gee, I wonder what changed in ten years? Oh yeah, he’s talking about candidates! Not politicians currently holding office! Those kids are free game! That’s why McCain thought this joke was so hilarious:

“Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? 
Because her father is Janet Reno.”

(source)

But he’s learned his lesson!! You don’t trash kids! In fact — don’t even talk about them! Leave their personal crises alone! Certainly don’t exploit them by, say, bringing on the father of Bristol’s baby to the convention or anything. That might draw attention to her private matter.

(What do you bet they get her married for a photo op.)

McCain needs the pro-life, evangelical vote and he’s willing to exploit chldren to get it.

My rules (not your rules — my rules):

1. I only write about something for as long as it’s fun/interesting to write about. I reserve the right to stop at any time and ignore certain issues for the sake of my sanity.

2. Generally I don’t debate with folks on the other side of the aisle. It’s one thing to get into a friendly if heated discussion with someone who’s values are mostly mine but it’s quite another to get into it with someone who lives on another planet. It’s not worth the raised blood pressure for either of us so I reserve the right to skip it.

3. On this blog, I’m personally blogging. I’m not trying to share a level-headed, reasonable view of the issues — I’m writing what I think in a way that I wouldn’t if this were an official op-ed column or I was a talking head on television. My standards are lower; I reserve the right to go there.

I’m nervous/excited/terrified/hopeful about this election. My emotions are running pretty high so I’m going to try to not let my blog run away without me. I want Obama to win so bad I can taste it. I’m scared about the supreme court. I’m scared about losing my reproductive rights.

And this is why I think Bristol Palin’s personal life has become a part of the discussion and why I have issue with her mother riding on her back in her effort to get to the white house. It’s one thing for McCain to sell out a teenager; it’s another thing for that teenager’s parents to do it.

Compare the candidates’ positions on sexual education (ganked from Momocrats):

It is simple, Sarah Palin and John Mc Cain support only “abstinence based sex education programs”, while Barack Obama and Joe Biden support “sensible, community-driven education for children because, among other things, he believes it could help protect them from pedophiles. A child’s knowledge of the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching is crucial to keeping them safe from predators.” Get that folks, age appropriate science based information that keeps kids safe. Materials that have been created by public health educators are used all over the country and have been proven to work. When more than half of the STDs and HIV in this country is contracted by people under the age of 25, comprehensive sex education is a must…. More over, most sex education programs have opt-out options. If a parent is opposed, then they can pull their child from the program.

Conservative defined “morality” (i.e., sexual politics and not morality like I define it, which would be about helping the less fortunate) is a central issue of this election. If a 17-year old Chelsea Clinton showed up pregnant during her mom’s run or her dad’s run, the religious right would have eviscerated her even though she would also be living her parents’ “right to choose” values (as we can argue Bristol is living her parents’ “right to life” values). And I’d have just as many bad feelings about the Clintons if they ran knowing their daughter would be ripped apart by the public. It’s wrong to make Bristol live her private crisis publicly but it’s even more wrong to make her a martyr/hero for the cause.

I think that they chose Sarah Palin in part because of her son Trig and her daughter’s pregnancy. I think this is part of the campaign strategy. They are making them the poster family for anti-choice rhetoric. Look — they have right there in their family two of the pro-choice arguments in Trig’s presence and Bristol’s decision to marry her boyfriend and raise the baby. I’m glad the women both had choices. Contrary to popular belief, the pro-choice mindset isn’t that every “imperfect” pregnancy is a failure but that every woman has a right to consider her options and make the decision that best suits her values and her circumstances. I’m glad Trig is here. I congratulate Bristol and am happy she has her family’s support and that they haven’t shipped her off to the Crittenton home. I am angry that the Republican candidates don’t support my right to make different choices.

But the biggest issue for me is that there’s no way Sarah Palin is prepared to step into office if anything should happen to John McCain. NO WAY. And having her step away from the presidency scares the hell out of me.

I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the next sixty-something days. My head may explode.

Now I’m off to all day meetings with no email breaks! (What?! No email breaks? My head really MAY explode!)

The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said on Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

source

To reiterate:

1. Sarah Palin showed gross negligence in flying while in early labor with son Trig.

2. Abstinence-only education doesn’t work.

3. Palin also shows poor judgment in running now when it will foist her oldest daughter to the spotlight during what has to be a pretty difficult time of her life. (Hey, Palin’s young — if she’s that ambitious she could’ve waited four to eight years.)

Then there’s this line in the story that made me snort:

The despicable rumors that have been spread by liberal blogs, some even with Barack Obama’s name in them, is a real anchor around the Democratic ticket, pulling them down in the mud in a way that certainly juxtaposes themselves against their ‘campaign of change,’” a senior aide said.

That’s like saying Madonna endorses my blog because I’ve invoked her name in this space. And let’s remember that the left-leaning Huffington Post dismissed this rumor as ugly and unworthy of the campaign.

I think all politicians are nuts for running when it comes to what it does to their families but I sure wouldn’t run on an abstinence-only platform with a 17-year old pregnant and unmarried daughter who is going to bear the brunt of the judgment. (I felt the same way for poor Jamie Lynn Spears.)

Edited to add: Twittering Drublood points out that if this were a liberal woman running on a major ticket, McCain would be all over it saying that it proves that working women raise screwed up kids.

From the Huffington Post (thanks to Marley for the heads up!): Mark Nickolas: The Anatomy of a Deception: How The McCains Changed Their Baby Adoption Story Just Before 2008 Campaign Began

From Shanamadele: