BlogHer - Politics, Women and a Powerful Online Community - Comments

Yes, I am following you...

Wisconsin Mommy — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:41:57 -0600

I never was really into politics until I moved to NH before the '96 election. Getting up close and personal with the candidates made the whole process much more REAL to me and I got very interested in the whole thing. Living just outside Manchester, I often had the opportunity to meet and actually talk to many of the politicians on both sides of the aisle before the primary and was just fascinated by the process (and again in 2000). I've been a junkie ever since!

Maybe since WI seems to be a factor this time around, we'll actually get some attention from the canditates - if it ever stops snowing, that is.

Keep writing..I love reading your opinions!!

WI Mommy

I already said this, but...

lauriewrites — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:17:54 -0600

Dana, I've been really impressed with your willingness to consider some of your most deeply-held beliefs in an open forum. I know from what you write how important your family and community are to you, and I think it's pretty cool that you've opened up so much. You write and respond very differently than I remember from way back then, as you say here.

BlogHer has made a very powerful difference in my life as well. Some of that has been from how I've been reintroduced to the practice of sharing my own voice, but mostly it's from the voices I've heard, whether I respond or not. Whenever people complain about how technology separates people, I just have to point them here, because that's been the opposite of my experience.

Laurie
LaurieWrites

I went home crying in 8th

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:52:39 -0600

I went home crying in 8th grade after a lesson about the Holocaust. We watched Schindler's List and later, I had nightmares for days. Then my grandmother told me about her relatives that died in Auschwitz and I was devastated.

But there were valuable lessons to be learned from the unforgivable things Hitler did. It sickens me to think that prior to becoming a murderous dictator, Hitler wanted to be a priest.

Alyssa, your daughter is lucky to have you to teach her. I can't wait for my son to go to school to learn...even if I do cry the first day of kindergarten. Kids sure grow up fast!

Yes, politics and history

alyssaroyse — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:42:15 -0600

It's a GREAT time to teach kids about politics - and their lives (indeed all of ours) really do depend on it. Interestingly, she came home from school yesterday with a book about the Holocaust. So we've got a house full of history and politics, but it's especially timely now. She can so clearly look at both past and future and see clearly why progress and understanding and knowledge are essential to creating a future we can all thrive in. I am sooooooo psyched to get to be a parent right now.
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

Thank you, Lisa....very,

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:10:02 -0600

Thank you, Lisa....very, very much.

But you know...there's so much more I have to say and write and do.

The number of ideas and visions swirling in my head is intoxicating. I can't keep the thoughts in my brain long enough to write them all down. I may need to invest in a tape recorder.

I can't remember my "political life" before BlogHer, and I don't want to. I have to thank You, Elisa and Jory for allowing me to participate in this forum.

I have to stop typing, I'm flooding the keyboard with happy tears.

Someone pass the kleenex!

I think it's wonderful that

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:04:46 -0600

I think it's wonderful that you voted for the first female (I almost wrote "former first lady") presidential candidate. I hope for more women of the future to run for president.

In fact, I'd love to see all female candidates someday. Wouldn't that be an amazing event? It's almost too difficult to imagine -- just because it would be so intense!

Alyssa, your daughter is at

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:01:49 -0600

Alyssa, your daughter is at the perfect age to learn about politics. My father began teaching me about "Reaganomics" in third grade. I didn't understand it, I didn't really put my heart into it, but I have never forgotten the look on my dad's face. It was a look of urgency, as though my life depended on knowing about the Cold War and the state of our economy. He loved discussing politics with me.

My son is still too young to "get" politics, but he likes to watch CNN with me (and he loves to say the name "Limbaugh" for no good reason, but that's another story.)

Today's children....tomorrow's politicians!

Dana, you are wonderful!

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:35:40 -0600

I've enjoyed your contributions on Blogher so much.

I don't know who I'll vote for in the final election, but on Tuesday when I went to vote I decided I just could not pass up the chance to vote for a woman for president for the first time in my lifetime. It was such an emotional experience, and I had tears in my eyes many times that day telling friends how it had affected me. Now I'm all teary-eyed again reading your post and the comments here!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

As a parent....

alyssaroyse — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:13:32 -0600

My daughter is somewhere between 9 and 10. This is the first presidential election that she is aware of, and she is VERY aware of it. (She declared allegiance to Obama long before I decided my stand, that i'll keep to myself for now.) But what's amazing to me is that she will never, NEVER, know a time when a black man and a woman couldn't really run for president. There are blissful moments when I decide that that is all that matters. This election has changed the world, nevermind the results. An entire generation now takes it as a GIVEN that a black man OR a woman could be president. Wow. That's a little huge.
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

Dana, it's so terrific to have you blogging here

Lisa Stone — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:06:59 -0600

Thank you for everything you've done for this community. You have given voice to an opinion that many women who visit this site share (I know, I hear from them). Here's to raising women's voices from all over the political spectrum. And talking politics like the junkies we are.

Prediction: We won't stop yakking about this in early November. This conversation about the future of the United States is juuuuust getting started...

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

And Cheryl, how much begging

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:40:25 -0600

And Cheryl, how much begging and pleading will I have to do to get you to come to the BlogHer conference this year? I think you'll loooove it. ;)

Hopefully we won't cancel

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:39:12 -0600

Hopefully we won't cancel out each other's votes. As a Republican, and a conservative, and someone who is pro-life -- it's very difficult for me to vote Democrat. In fact, I've never voted Democrat ever before.

This time, I'm in a battle over who I feel will do the best to lead this country. I'm trying to take into account all the issues that are important to me instead of just the one.

But my conscience is nagging me about that one deal-breaking issue.

So...we'll see what happens!

Pillow Political Talk

Mammacheryl — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:50:24 -0600

I told my husband last night that I've decided to vote for Barack Obama because I think this country needs someone with a new vision and someone who is willing to tear down some walls. He admitted that he hadn't thought about who he was going to vote for. I told him to get online and read their platforms; I wasn't going to spoon feed him the information.

I wonder if I would know as much as I do about the candidates if it wasn't for being a part of the bloggy world. One thing that's nice about our upcoming primary, Dana, is that our votes won't be canceling each other out this time.

Cheryl
http://redpens-diapers.blogspot.com
http://skinnymeals.blogspot.com

You must read this post.

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:31:51 -0600

You must read this post by Jaelithe of The State of Discontent. Brilliant.

A lot of people have compared Senator Barack Obama to JFK and Dr. King because he seems to possess a similar ability to inspire and motivate people with his words.

A lot of other people argue that Barack Obama is not entitled to these great men's mantles, because he has not yet proven to us that his actions will match his words.

And I think that second group of people are right about one thing: Barack Obama has not yet proven himself to be an epic leader. We do not yet have proof that his actions will speak even louder than his words.

But I also think we should not discount the power of his inspirational words.

and,

So I say, if Barack Obama's words inspire people to come together across racial and class lines and even across party divides, if those words inspire people who have never voted in their lives to come out and participate in the political process-- if those words make some people who have lost all hope in their government begin to feel hope again-- then those words are not empty promises. Those words are already accomplishing the most important part of what they have to do.

Those words are moving people. Together.

And if his words can do that in a primary, I have hope his words can also do that in a presidency.

Sue, I appreciate your

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:46:30 -0600

Sue, I appreciate your comment and feedback so much. And the remark about hair pulling brought back an elementary school memory. Good times. But being an adult is so much more fun, now!

Politics, Women and a Powerful Online Community

Dana J. Tuszke — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:13:17 -0600

A little over a year ago, I joined the BlogHer team as a contributing editor for Politics and News, highlighting views from "The Right".

My first post was published here in 2006, just before the 2006 Senate and House elections. The topic was embryonic stem cell research and the campaign ads that featured actor Michael J. Fox.

Sixty-two comments were posted in response. Some reactions were good, others were tough to swallow, but I was so proud of my first attempt at writing about politics.

It wasn't easy to put my views out there for all to read. I was shy. I was nervous. I was worried about sparking controversy. I wanted readers to like me, regardless of my political affiliation and I wasn't sure I had the thick skin needed to overcome the remarks from those who didn't agree with me.

Over time, my writing became more reserved. I cared too much about what others thought and I started taking the safer route, hoping to avoid conflict, always opting for peaceful conversations in place of heated debate -- and sometimes my emotions led me into discussions I wasn't prepared for.

Then something changed. The more time I spent immersing myself in politics, news and the political blogs of others, I realized that being myself is more important than accolades and praise. Expressing myself and discussing the political views that are meaningful to me is more important than shielding myself from differing opinions.

I went back to my roots. What did I know about politics? How could I engage others like me to share their views?

I discovered that there are many conservatives and Republicans who are terrified of engaging in political discussion. They experienced many of the reservations I did in the beginning of my tenure here at BlogHer.

I decided it was my responsibility, my obligation to motivate and encourage others and help them gain the confidence to speak up. Their voices can and will be heard. Everyone is welcome to this exciting discussion.

My goal to empower others to get involved has been an inspiration to me, and a guiding factor in my role as a contributing editor at BlogHer. The road I have traveled since my first post has been long and rocky, but with every bump a lesson has been learned and new discoveries have been made

I realized that my political views have evolved and changed. I've embraced opposing ideas and learned to keep an open mind. I've sparked political interest in my friends, family and colleagues. That in itself is worth more than any praising mark I could ever receive.

Super Tuesday has passed, but the excitement of this political race continues to grow. I find myself looking forward to the news every night, devouring every newspaper, magazine and online media source I can find, and I am overjoyed to participate in the many open thread discussions here at BlogHer.

The knowledge that every vote counts is so powerful, even captivating, and I began to wonder if my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had ever experienced an election process so compelling and intellectually stimulating. Had they ever had felt the anticipation of the outcome? Had they ever been so eager to participate in changing the direction of this country?

My own mother confessed she hadn't always voted in every election. In her early adult years she voted, but after having children she didn't always make it to the polls. She considered voting to be a man's game, but my father convinced her that her vote is just as important as his.

I'm very grateful to my father because he taught me everything he knew about politics and always encouraged me to read and learn more. I didn't always have this passion, however. As a young girl, I cared more about which Barbie doll had the best clothes than I did about the Trickle Down Theory or the Social Security Collapse.

When I got to high school and enrolled in civics and social studies classes, I craved the knowledge about legislature, the judicial system, the government, the House and Senate, and the Democratic process. My teachers couldn't feed my impressionable mind fast enough. Even now, 11 years later, there is still so much to learn.

Looking back, it disappoints me that every political science teacher I've had in my educational years are men. I cherish my political education, but my male educators often conveyed male-dominated political messages and I wonder if this was the reason my own mother didn't feel compelled to vote all the time. Was she indifferent because she felt women were not welcome on the political scene?

If more women were involved in the political process today, I can bet that women of the future, our daughters and granddaughters, will have no doubts in their minds that they can make a difference and that their votes matter.

Watching the Super Tuesday coverage on various news stations prompted me to re-evaluate everything I know about the election process.

For the first time in history, a woman is running for president. A woman. I always dreamed this day would come, but for so long it seemed like a distant opportunity -- something that could happen "someday".

Someday is here. Right now. I may not agree with Hillary Clinton, but the magnitude of what she represents in this election is almost surreal. She is a wife, a mother, and a symbol of success. She proves that little girls can grow up to be anything, even President. She has demonstrated that politics is not a man's game, that women can play, too -- and win.

Hillary is running against Barack Obama, potentially the first African American President of the United States. The significance of his campaign is equally as important as Hillary Clinton's. This is a man that represents cultural diversity, proving to Americans that a minority has the strength, determination and the perseverance to lead this country to change. Barack Obama's campaign is a testament that the color of one's skin is not a factor in determining the next president.

Even now, two days past Super Tuesday, when I read and re-read the Open Thread moderated by Lisa Stone, I choke up. It brings tears to my eyes to see so many amazing, intelligent women coming together to support the cause. Despite our political affiliations, we have learned to embrace the power we have been given. Even Ann Coulter can't stop us from executing our right to vote.

Regardless of whether Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain or ~~Mitt Romney~~ (Ron Paul! I forgot Ron Paul! and Huckabee, forgot Huckabee, too!) enters the White House in 2009, I'll look back on the long journey of this election and appreciate the unity of this community.

This is what it's all about, empowering ourselves to make a difference in the world. Give yourselves a pat on the back. You deserve it! BlogHers Unite!