empowering!

candymike — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:41:44 -0600

http://notthatidontlovemykids.blogspot.com/

Not that I don't love my kids.....

tales of a two-time, tubes tied mom.

Yes! And it's awesome and inspiring and empowering and it's making me accountable and it's keeping me informed.

You are a pioneer. We look to you and then we look to ourselves. Thanks for leading the way....:)

It would be nice ...

PunditMom — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:50:56 -0600

.... if it wasn't worth nothing. The "usual" pundits needs a little shaking up so they notice that they are not the only ones with political opinions worthy of MSM attention!

Joanne
PunditMom

And isn't amazing

Jill Miller Zimon — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:38:27 -0600

that you/we even have to note this!? Because of COURSE moms (and so many other voters with common interests or issues) should be speaking up and have the right to speak up.

Thanks for making sure it's out there - and for leading the way. :)

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

Political Moms Are Here to Stay!

PunditMom — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:36:59 -0600

Politics aren't just for old white guys anymore! You know the ones I mean, the ones on the cable news talk shows. They don't have a lock on pithy political commentary anymore. (I guess some of them aren't so old, but you get my point!)

Don't get me wrong -- many of those guys are good at what they do, and the cable shows are letting some women into the pundit club these days, but the networks are missing out on a significant and growing political voice -- moms!

Increasing numbers of mothers are getting in on the political pundit act and I'm not surprised. Even the ones who have claimed that they "don't know anything about politics" are getting their wonk on as the post-election political buzz grows. And you know my PunditMom persona hopes all those women, mothers or not, keep it up!

But I am fascinated by the fact that more and more mothers are tapping into their inner activists and analysts. Over the last year, there has been an amazing increase in political writing by women at BlogHer and all around the web. And it doesn't look like that's going to change just because the 2008 Presidential election is over.

To paraphrase an old one, how are you going to keep them down on their mommy blogs, now that they've discovered their political voices?

For example, I love Jen Lemen (who doesn't?), but she doesn't usually get all political, but she's already starting to reach across the aisle to John McCain supporters. Some mom's inner politicos are being brought out by things other than the election of a president. Many have been writing about the passage of California's Proposition 8, banning same sex marriage, including Rebecca at Girl's Gone Child:

Obama made history ... but as he stepped forward into the light, monsters were still lurking in the darkness. As we came together to rejoice the change in the direction of America, a different kind of change was being decided upon -- a change in the state constitution to remove the right for same-sex couples to marry. Good people. My friends.

Tracee at Blog Fabulous wrote about her political emotions and her political contributions:

I’m going to soak it in ... . Optimism and hope taste a hell of a lot better than fear and anger as an American Sentiment.
...
I was thrilled to see that four [of] the Emily’s List candidates I sent money to won their races. Democrats have a clear majority and [hopefully] Republicans like Kay Bailey [Hutchison will] act in a spirit of compromise rather than fear (or fear of not being reelected in 2 years - either way is fine).

And Jen's political emotions are on her sleeve at one plus two:

I can't stop crying ..., seeing the clips from around the world, hearing others talk about what this means to them, seeing it in writing for the first time "President-Elect Obama." This election process, an event that came after 8 long years of deceit and war, of crumbling economics and ridiculous behavior that has left our country broken did not come without a price. The divisiveness of the politics, the ever-widening divide, the fear and hatred and everything else left many of us weary and fearful. We Americans are tired. We are tired and we are skeptical and we are most of all hungry. We don't want to live like this and we don't want our leaders making these mistakes anymore.

Of course, it's important to be careful how entrenched we get in our politics so we don't go so far as to lose our humanity and not be able to see the other side of things, even when we have our pundit hats on.

So if there are so many of us out here with expertise and opinions, why is it that editors, who decide who gets to put their thoughts and analyses in the op-ed pages or on the pundit-y talk shows, aren't noticing that there is a political mom revolution going on out here?

We've gotten a taste of how it feels to take part in the political process, not just with voting or grassroots organizing, but also by making our political opinions known and available for everyone to read, discuss and digest.

Attention MSM!! Mothers have found and embraced their inner pundits and we're ready for our close-ups now!

BlogHer Politics and News Contributing Editor Joanne Bamberger embraces her inner wonky pundit self at her blog, PunditMom. She's gotten a taste this political season of actually making it onto a couple of those pundit shows, and she's ready for more!

BlogHer - Political Moms Are Here to Stay! - Comments

empowering!

It would be nice ...

And isn't amazing

Political Moms Are Here to Stay!