A Mom's Perspective on the Political Process

People who don't know me should know one thing; I hate the entire political environment. It is not that I think it is unimportant nor do I think that the outcomes in no way effect the lives of my children and myself or that being actively involved is not a prerequisite to citizenship.

Unfortunately (for all of us) politics is primarily ruled not by those who truly aspire to a better life for you and me but who crave power and influence and I find little in everything surrounding the process, from talk radio and political advertising to the constant shift away from issues to focus on candidates personal lives, to have much honesty and integrity with a focus toward resolving issues for the good of the average person and the progression of the process as a whole.

For these reasons you will not see me talking politics, arguing the benefits of one candidate over the other or commenting on anything brought to light in the current political environment with this one exception:
Why is it when any man is in trouble or unsure of what might happen with so much at stake he often turns to a woman to help him out?

Regardless of her qualifications or experience, all men at some point turn to the women in their lives or near their inner circle for salvation. Whether it is the unknown realm of parenting, finances, public opinion or national security (can you say Condoleezza Rice), at some point men all need a woman's perspective to make sure they are on the right track and that they will be received well. The more dire the situation, the more reliant they become on women. Even publicly humiliated figures look to their wives for support when everything starts to crumble (think Ted Haggard, Eliot Spitzer and the like).

It has often been political fodder when powerful men looked to their wives for guidance from Lady Bird Johnson and Nancy Reagan to Hillary Clinton, and each time she was maligned for her influence.

Why is it men seek the presence of women to help them when things get rough? I would offer this; when all things seem out of balance and when there is doubt and uncertainty we all (men and woman alike) seek that which feels safe and secure for us. For most people, this is the truth and judgment of the women in their lives who both ruled and offered guidance and compassion. Good or bad, we all base our values and sense of self on the example of the women who raised us and although the men in our lives had much to offer as well, it was the women who gave us our day to day perspectives and we have learned over the years that the lessons they taught us serve us better in the long run than any other example to date.

These are turbulent times and as a nation we are seeking something different and that difference on either side consist of men in power and women with strength no longer behind them, but standing right next to them.