Monday, September 10, 2007

They've Got Issues

A number of mom bloggers, myself included, have been reaching out to presidential candidates asking for time on their schedule to meet with them--to discuss the issues that are important to us as voters. As I mentioned in my invitation to the candidates, the concerns of our nation are OUR concerns. We care for our children. We care for our parents. We care for spouses. Anything that affects them affects us. It's as simple as that.

Now I have yet to receive any RSVPs, but one of my colleagues on the Chicago Moms Blog did receive a response to a similar invitation she issued to the Obamas.

Good Afternoon Veronica,
Thank you for your invitation for Michelle Obama to join a discussion with the Chicago Moms Blog. Issues of parenting are very important to Mrs. Obama; however, due to time constraints she will not be able to participate. As you can imagine, we receive many invitations and unfortunately cannot accommodate them all.
We hope that you will remain engaged in this campaign process and continue to discuss these important issues of parenting, health care, education and child care.
Thanks again for your interest and understanding.
(I'm keeping the name off this post)
Director of Scheduling for Michelle Obama

SERIOUSLY?!

Talking to mothers (mothers with blogs no less) is so unimportant to the Obama campaign that they can't find time for the wife of the candidate to meet with this group for one hour some time in the next 13 months? What's with the Women for Obama page on your site? We certainly seem important there.

And we're supposed to think that you'll listen to us once you get into office?!!!

Don't even get me started on my whole "it's mommies we can send the wife to cover this one" tirade.

I just wonder. Have any your consultants looked at the voter files lately? Have they missed the fact that women are more likely to vote on Election Day? That, as Mr. Obama put it just last Friday,

"Women have always made the difference in every election, and this year, your voice, your hope will be the deciding factors in forging a new future for America."

My offer still stands to all the rest of the candidates. My house, mom bloggers and snacks.

Just let me know when. I'll see if I can fit it in. Don't worry though, if I can't maybe my husband could stand in for me.

********************************************

Until the candidates figure out that we're worth talking to, I decided to go and see what they had to say about issues. This exercise alone was informative, entertaining and, in some cases, down right horrifying.

Some of them get it, and some of them don't.

I give you the Issues sections (or the closest thing I could find to it) from the Presidential candidates of each major political party currently registered with the Federal Election Commission.

Joe Biden (D)

Sam Brownback (R)

Hillary Clinton (D)

Chris Dodd (D)

John Edwards (D)

Mike Gravel (D)

Rudy Guiliani (R)

Mike Huckabee (R)

Duncan Hunter (R)

Dennis Kucinich (D)

John McCain (R)

Ron Paul (R)

Bill Richardson (D)

Mitt Romney (R)

Tom Tancredo (R)

Fred Thompson (R)

20 Deserve Mamma's Love:

BOSSY said...

Bossy can't think poorly of her beloved Barack O'Boyfriend.

PunditMom said...

You're rockin', Mamma. We need to join forces to battle the "ignore the mothers" campaign!

Kellyology said...

It's exhausting being ignored isn' it?

Amy said...

No matter how much they seem to be dedicated - and I do believe in Obama - the campaigns are meant to touch voters they can't count on. They think they can count on us, because we are mothers and writers and that equals liberals, don't you know?

I am so cynical about this two-party system - and I am a journalist who believes that voting is a duty and not just a privilege - that I may not vote.

Because in this system we have going, money talks and voters are secondary.

Scary.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the links. Now I have no excuse on making an inform decision come election day.

I have been so disappointed since I was able to vote in 1990.

Sue Doe-Nim said...

I don't know what you're thinking.

Of course if a woman sends an invitation to a candidate you're going to get a response from the wife.

I mean, duh, women totally keep all the luncheon schedules and really Mamma let's not get all crazy about things. Do you really think that Mr. Obama is going to lower the tariffs on Lipstick? That's what Mrs. Obama does.

Sheesh.

Sometimes you liberated women are so silly.

Ally said...

Wow, thanks for condensing all of these links for us. Making the research easy for the rest of us. And I'm looking forward to the day your invitation is answered; I'll be there.

Jennifer said...

Thanks for this post, Mamma. We wimmins should be heard. Too bad we're not taken more seriously. Is it because we're not the breadwinners? That pisses me off.

Ruth Dynamite said...

Thanks for the info, Mamma.

I'll be sure to give it to everyone I know with a penis since their voices carry so much louder than mine.

(not bitter. not bitter at all.)

Anonymous said...

Yes.. Thank you for the list. Geesh. I would hate being ignored like that. ...

Anonymous said...

You rock, girl! I am woman, hear me roar!

Kevin Charnas said...

Hey, thank you SO MUCH for these links. Fantastic. I'll be sure to check them all out in the next two days.

As for voicing your concerns for the candidates??? Go get 'em, Tiger. Persistence still pays off.

karrie said...

Sigh. If only Dennis Kucinich had a vagina......

Peg said...

Wow...it's amazing isn't it? I guess without the cha-ching, we can't get any candidate attention.

FYI, another website that I have found to compare the positions of the various candidates is On TheIssues.org. They've got a LOT of information, and offer supporting links for that info as well.

Cheers!
Peg

S said...

I'm with Bossy. I have a hard time processing anything negative about Obama, though reality keeps knocking at my door.

Sigh.

Lawyer Mama said...

I know, I'm getting peeved too. Ignoring BlogHer was just the first strike. It's never a good idea to piss off mouthy women who have no problem telling the internet exactly what they think!

OhTheJoys said...

Wow! Thanks for doing all that research!

Jen said...

You are amazing. Keep at it - maybe a time slot will miraculously open up for those silly moms to yap at the candidates. That must have been so frustrating!!

Jen said...

p.s. I think pundit mom's idea is great! They cannot ignore the moms!

Gunfighter said...

OK, help me out here. From my perspective I don't know what kind of "mother issues" are out there that are being ignored.

Generally speaking, Presidential campaigns spend most of their time talking about middle-class voter issues in the first place... because statistically, those are the people that vote in the greatest demographic percentages... that means you, right?

Enligten me.