It’s was such a thrill to see Hillary win last night after her defeat in Iowa. My daughter and I slapped a high five and talked about how a woman might actually be the next Commander in Chief.

Whether it was her teary moment that made her seem more vulnerable or her tough stances on real issues – I am so proud of her and so proud of those in New Hampshire that kept her so relevant.

I heard one male voter on NPR say, The country needs to be mothered right now, so I voted for the mother figure.

That’s as good a reason as any to vote for her. I hadn’t thought of that reason personally. But, really who doesn’t know the mother runs the house and has the most influence at home?

We’re forever talking about the Founding Fathers. Duh, why wouldn’t we try mothering the country?

Here’s to you Hillary and God Bless New Hampshire for keeping the woman in the race in a vital way!

Click on So Sioux Me, where I talk about the kind of positive impact Hillary’s New Hampshire win will have on American girls.

Democratic results were Hillary Clinton (39%), Barack Obama ( 36%), John Edwards (17%).

Republican results were John McCain (37% ), Mitt Romney (32% ) and Mike Huckabee (11% ).

Next primary stops: Michigan (Jan. 15), South Carolina (Republicans, Jan. 19; Democrats Jan. 26), Nevada (Jan. 19) and Florida (Jan. 29). Two dozen states vote on Super Tuesday (where 22 states will host primaries), Feb. 5.

Post from: Blisstree

Hillary Wins New Hampshire

My favorite part of the whole thing was when white, male John Edwards and Barack Obama were calling Hillary Clinton – the only woman ever to run for President – The Status Quo!

Doesn’t that just beat all? Yeah, somebody in this picture represents the status quo . . . but it ain’t the only woman ever to run!

Barack . . . well, he’s half the status quo.

Post from: Blisstree

Face of . . . Status Quo?

The Iowa Caucus is today and I, for one, am experiencing an anxious anticipation in the pit of my gut.

The Iowa Caucus, in the simplest terms, is the first state presidential primary election.

Today, in 48 states, individuals participate in primaries or caucuses to elect delegates who support their presidential candidate of choice. At national party conventions, the presidential contender with the most state delegate votes wins the party nomination. Our far-reaching American news media ensures that state delegate vote counts (and the apparent nominees) are well known before national conventions begin, according to the Library of Congress Learning Page.

My anticipation is over which Democratic candidate will lead: I want Hillary Clinton, I’d be very happy with Barack Obama and I’d okay if I had to live with John Edwards. (Though disappointed that a woman or minority did not win.) Things look groovy to me on the Democratic front. I get the warm and fuzzies when I think of one of these candidates winning.

My anxiety is over the Republican candidates. As a woman, and mother of a daughter, certain candidates induce pure FEAR and LOATHING in me.

Mike Huckabee is a Southern Baptist Minister and frankly, a man who preaches wives, graciously submit to your husbandsfrom the pulpit as the President of the United States would infuriate me. I could see myself becoming far more militant in that type of political atmosphere. I would honestly consider it a misogynistic act of violence against women if America were to elect him. I’ve been in churches in the South and ladies, I’m here to tell you misogyny is alive and well and supposedly blessed by G-O-D.

Another candidate I can not live with is Ron Paul, an OB/GYN who said in a recent debate that in 35 years of practice he has “never seen anywoman have a medical need for an abortion.” Now, I personally know some very conservative Christians who have been forced to make that very excruciating decision for themselves and I must say I find his statements morally offensive, blatantly false and excessively rigid.

He stated in a recent debate that Abortion and reversing Roe v. Wade was the Number One issue of importance. Which shows an extreme lack of insight about America’s true challenges and obstacles. He would focus more on something that effects a very small percentage of the population, than real issues that effect ALL of us – like health care, a war and exploding gas prices. Hello? A president on Planet Earth, please.

But, back to the Iowa Caucus’s. We should pay attention and respond accordingly: like, maybe throw some money at our favorite candidates and get more vocal about the issues and what we, as women and families, need from our candidates.

Iowa is a thermometer of the political climate in America. It’s our first opportunity to test the water. After this, the sharks come out.

But, remember it ain’t over until the chads are counted in Florida.  

By the way: You can get very hip custom-designed bumper stickers over on So Sioux Me for $5.

Post from: Blisstree

Iowa Caucus Today

Not that I think that’s a bad place to find yourself at certain times in your life.

But, all women are not the same. My place is where I decide it is.

People just see things differently and it’s maturity that allows us to see that and respect it.

What I don’t like to see is women doing something they don’t want to be doing.

According to Pew Research Center Survey more than one-half of women are doing something they don’t want to be doing.

• 60% of women who work full-time wish they worked part-time (19% wanted to not work at all).
• 50% of women who stay-at-home wished they worked, (33% part-time, 16% full-time).

The feminist revolution held lots of assumptions that well, they just didn’t pan out quite like we thought.

The child-care situation isn’t as rosy as we predicted and maybe we underestimated our own mother-love.

Whatever our personal assumptions were or our economic realities turned out to be – we don’t have to hate the past to change our present.

What we do have to do is get proactive about making what we want our reality.

• Paid family leave so no mother has to go back to work days after giving birth,
• Public universal pre-school,
• Major investments in child care so having a child is no longer the top reason American families have “a poverty spell”,
• After school programs for all kids who need them,
• Health care for all children,
• Benefits for part-time workers, and
• Telecommuting incentives so parents have more flexible work options.

Women are a special interest group that makes of half the population. We need to get serious about voting for our own interests.

Interestingly,73% of men are happy working full-time (and doing only 25% of the housework and childcare). But, most likely they are sick of hearing us complain about our unhappiness with our work-home balance, so this is in their best interests too.

Momsrising is telling every candidate that women want a family-friendly America.

I’m ordering the Motherhood Manifesto DVD for my book-club right now.

Post from: Blisstree

A Woman’s Place . . .

Hillary Clinton’s Annoucement:

I’m in. And I’m in to win.

Today I am announcing that I will form an exploratory committee to run for president.

I don’t get it…has she announced that she’s in or she announcing that she will announce whether or not she’s in.

I guess it depends on what you mean by “In”.

But whatever…the gloves are off between Hillary and Obama…I smell a 3 ring-circus leading up to the 2008 elections…just throw Guiliani into the mix and we’ve got 2 more years of:

Platitudes and background checks and accusations...oh my!

Even though on the surface it seems like a special political season, and we’re all excited about the possibility of the 1st woman or the 1st black man or the 1st Italian-American…

…it all sounds like politics as usual to me.

Post from: Blisstree

Hillary and Obama: The White House or The Fun House?