A strange thing happens in election years if you’re at all political.
Suddenly the woman you’ve been laughing with on your message board about Paris Hilton blurts something about “whoo! the death penalty!” and you start avoiding her. The nice newsstand owner around the corner makes an offhanded remark about supporting Obama and you are now thinking hm, he does put the NY Times in front of the Wall Street Journals, doesn’t he. The cool mom in your playgroup shows up with a Ron Paul pin on her bag and you don’t look at her nearly the same way. Similarly, the cool mom in your playgroup shows up with your own candidate’s pin on her bag forever solidifying your friendship.
Or maybe the chick who just writes the funny blog about funny mom stuff shows that more than a parent, she’s a hopeless partisan with a President Poopyhead shirt in her baby’s wardrobe and her heart and soul in the outcome of this election. Sometimes she gets snarky. Sometimes she’s not above a good scandal.
I think that what unites us as parents is stronger than what divides us politically. I think that essentially we all want the same things for our children, even if we disagree on the best means to get there. Or how to talk about it. And that’s always what I’ve loved so much about this place specifically, and this here blogosphere or whatever it’s cool to call it these days. (I’m always like 6 months behind on the vernacular.)
Here I’ve found friends who have voted Republican their whole lives, friends who admit to voting Nader registering Green (sorry BD!), friends who swing both ways, friends who believe better dead than red state, and connecting us all, an entire site full of friends who put me to shame with their ability to conduct political discourse at a level of maturity and respectfulness that I only dream of being capable of.
Every four years, I fear for some of my diverse relationships as elections roll around and things get heated.
I once broke up with a guy because his goal to was to be “The next Rush Limbaugh.” I don’t regret it. But now I guess always wonder who wants to break up with me.
Phew, I’m conspiracy theoried out for the week.
I would very much like to discuss Gossip Girl. Or Project Runway. Or How that Subway ad with the people throwing soda on each other totally makes me never want to eat there. Or why I spent my first day home alone folding laundry instead of going to a movie or getting a lap dance or something.
61 shards of brilliance… read them below or add one
Well said. Gossip Girl rules.
Well, um, your last post really didn’t contribute a lot to the “Can’t we all just get along?” thing. That was as far out there as the right-wing “Obama is a closet Muslim”stuff.
True, but Bossy can’t laugh. Things are too heated.
i love you.i missed all the brouhaha – barely recovered from being out of town, just now peeking at blogs for the first time in almost a week – but dude, people have to calm down and embrace the idea that someone having a different point of view isn’t something worth getting hysterical about. i know this election is EXTREMELY emotional, but when people demonize others for having a different opinion it just makes THEM look like an ass, and does nothing to support their POV. my 2cents. most of all though i just want to say <>LIZ YOU ROCK!<>
Please don’t stop being political. I think it is a Mommying issue that Sarah Palin is anti-choice, pro-creationism, and for abstinence-only-education despite the clear evidence that that doesn’t work in general and didn’t work in her own family. There’s a petition over at momsrising.org that asks Sarah Palin to let the public know where she stands on other mothering issues, like parental leave and healthcare for kids. It’s here: http://www.momsrising.org/
Any time you want to discuss Gossip Girl, call me. But Penn Badgley’s off limits; he’s all mine.
I’m totally with you. I want to talk about nail polish and also about what is with Katie Holmes rolling up her jeans left and right.
Some people are really affected by the political views of others. I try to be mindful of that when I blog about politics — but I guess I don’t appreciate ideology as much as I’m fascinated by people’s varying thought processes and how those combine with their experiences and cause them to draw what I might consider an insane conclusion — so I don’t hold it against anyone.
I’d have to add that Subway’s five-dollar-foot-long jingle is equally as repulsive. Oh, and you’re right on with the rest of your post, too;)
I think I’ve had enough politics this week (and it’s tuesday. huh.)so I’ll say that those fucking (excuse my language)subway commercials make me want to throw things at my tv! (so, yeah, that happens a lot, but that’s beside the point.)The POINT is, anyone who has ever been covered in soft drink, beer, or whatever knows that there is NO WAY they would be smiling and pleased to go about their day. STUPID SUBWAY!!
Great post Liz. As an undecided voter, I find myself at a loss for what to say to people. Usually when I mention I am undecided, people act as if I said something like “I gave my toddler crack for breakfast this morning” or “I just killed and buried a family of four under my porch”. You made me feel better and not as much of a freak-a-zoid. And of course I love my shallow TV shows. Gossip Girl, Greek, name it and it’s on my Tivo.