Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen recently unleashed a torrent of debate and criticism when she claimed that Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife Ann "has never worked a day in her life." This has drawn major backlash from both Republicans and Democrats. There are so many aspects to this "issue" that I have been thinking about over the past several days and I've decided to use my blog as a way to sort out my thoughts. First, Rosen's comment was out of line. It was harsh, insensitive, and a direct personal attack where none was needed. Second, if looked at in context, I can see where she was going with it. While I don't agree with the way it was brought up and conveyed, Rosen's assertion has made me think a little.
I don't know Ann Romney. I haven't researched her, I don't know her educational background, if she's involved in any charitable organizations... I don't even think I know what she looks like. I have to use my own experiences to put myself somewhat in her shoes. She chose to be a stay-at-home mom. She chose to have five--count them, FIVE--children. (When I say "she," I mean Mitt and she).
I also have chosen to be a SAH mom to tend to my soon-to-be brood of two. It's not an easy job. I often envy my husband that he's able to to get away and out of the house every day. My work of being a mom and housekeeper is never-ending. I don't get breaks, there's always something that needs to be fixed or cleaned, a bum that always needs to be wiped, or a temper tantrum that needs to be dealt with. Not to mention the psychological stresses that come from being completely burned out on mommy-ing and the inevitable guilt that comes from feeling like I'm not contributing because I'm not contributing to the bank account. Or how I feel like I'm being lazy if I choose to sit for half an hour to read a book or look at superfluous articles online. Or how I don't have the time to exercise like I want or have "me time" so my attitude adjusts towards the positive. Or the fact that I would need to be working 40+ hours per week just to cover daycare and transportation expenses and maybe then have an extra hundred bucks to use towards other bills. (A lot of times it doesn't pay to work when you have kids, and that has been something incredibly frustrating for me.) So, yes, being a stay-at-home parent is hard. There are probably a lot of people that would blast me for saying so. It's all relative. I can't relate to a single mom who works full-time because I've never been in that position. I have no doubt that other parents are in more stressful situations than I.
HOWEVER!!! However, I have not worked outside my home for career experience or a salary in three and a half years. My cover letter's looking a little sparse nowadays. The point that Rosen was so distastefully trying to make was that Mrs. Romney doesn't have much on her resume to attest to her being a tried and true political adviser or consultant to Mitt's campaign. She is somewhat removed from what most female voters are experiencing today because most mothers work outside the home.
True. I agree that her lack of holding an official capacity will draw working mothers away from her.
But this is where I found myself floundering on this so-called issue again. As my husband's partner, I am informed about the issues just by association. We discuss things, we problem solve together, we brainstorm. I'm sure Ann is intimately involved with Mitt's campaign because they have been married for so many years and have built their business together. They have gotten where they are together. How can she not have experience, even if it's not been made official on W-2 statements? While I don't think that she necessarily qualifies for an official "adviser" title, I don't think she should be written off as inexperienced. Nor should anyone claim that she has "never worked a day in her life."
Why do I care? I don't really know. I've given up on politics because it's all petty bickering that doesn't seem to help me, the taxpayer, at all. Democrats are going to spit at Republicans just because they sit on different sides of the floor, and vice versa. Everyone's just going to keep yelling at each other and starting fires. Maybe it's because I can relate to the SAH mom thing. I know it's not easy and I would not want someone asserting to the public that I didn't know what it was like to have to work. Whatever. It's a non-issue that has been dragged into the spotlight and maybe I'll stop thinking about it now that I've written some of my thoughts down. Move on!
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