Political Bloggers Get Around!

What better time for a bunch of MOMocrats to start a radio talk show than Mother's Day weekend??

Check out MOMocrats on BlogTalk Radio Saturday at 12N Pacific/3 p.m. Eastern time or listen later in the archives. We'll be looking at this week's political events and giving you the unvarnished political MOMocrat lowdown!

As for political bloggers in general? It seems that Jon Stewart of The Daily Show is starting to get interested in the topic! He interviewed a professor from my law school alma mater last night (Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!) about his new book, Blog Wars: The New Political Battleground.



Today, The Daily Show, tomorrow the world! BWAH-ha-ha!

And as for social justice, see what's been going on over at MOMocrat Jen's place, one plus two.

She's handing out a lot of these little beauties today:

There's a lot of good rainy, weekend reading there!

Women's Voices, Women Vote -- Fraud or Innocent Mistake?

Does it make sense that a group dedicated to registering women voters would purposely seek to disenfranchise them and keep them from the polls?

That seems a bit Orwellian to me. But that's the allegation that the group Women's Voices, Women Vote found itself confronted with in the weeks leading up to the recent North Carolina Democratic primary. For many months, Women's Voices, Women Vote has been working on a campaign called "20 Million Reasons" -- an effort to register 20 million single women who are eligible to vote, but not registered, because they are seen as a key demographic to winning the 2008 presidential race.

But some bad planning and a loose connection to the Clintons have cast a bad light on what ought to be seen as a great effort.

In North Carolina, even after the voter registration deadline had passed to allow voters to cast ballots in the just-ended May 5 North Carolina primary, WVWV continued to send out registration packets by mail and sposnored robo-calls to get more voters registered.

Would you call that an innocent attempt to keep registering people so they could vote next time around or a purposeful attempt to confuse voters and give the upper hand to Hillary Clinton? It depends on who you ask.

Perhaps in its zeal to register as many women as possible now, regardless of whether they would be able to vote in this round of presidential primaries, WVWV overlooked a law school basic -- even if you're not doing anything wrong, even the appearance of impropriety can get you into trouble.

According to an article in Wired Magazine by Sarah Lai Stirland, WVWV spent the months preceding the North Carolina primary registering about 26,000 women in that state to vote, raising the question -- if Women's Voices, Women Vote spent all that time and effort to get them registered, why would WVWV be trying to discourage them to actually vote?

But Arlene Fenton at Black Women Vote blog doesn't seem convinced that this was an innocuous slip-up:

There were problems with timing and delivery of the messages. Lately, WVWV concentrated on registering Black unmarried females, by crafting messages that are tailor-made for our demographic, with some unfortunate results.

The brouhaha can be summed up by the NAACP's talking points:

Calls made to white women were as follows: "Hi. Just a reminder. Your voter registration form is in the mail to you. Your voice counts and your vote [indecipherable]. Sign it, date it and send it in. Thanks!"

But the calls that went to African American women and men went something like this:

"Hello. This is Lamont Williams. In the next few days, you will receive a voter-registration packet in the mail. All you need to do is fill it out, sign it, date and return your application. Then, you will be able to vote and make your voice heard. Please return your registration form when it arrives. Thank you."

If this is true, the disparity is definitely a cause for concern. But it still doesn't make any sense to me that a group would make a massive effort to register tens of thousands of people, and then try to wave them off. If the WVWV efforts were tailored to disenfranchise African-American voters, wouldn't it just not make the effort to register them in the first place?

Open Left blog quotes an E-mail it received from Becky Bond of Credo Mobile about it's past experiences with WVWV:

[T]here is always a spike in voter registration around primaries AFTER the registration deadline has passed. [T]his is the best time to register voters. [R]esearch confirms this. [A]round primaries people are reminded that they need to register in time for the general. WVWV has done a lot of research in this area. [T]hey know when people are most likely to register. [U]nfortunately, what makes sense in registering the largest aggregate number of voters for the general election at the lowest cost is having a confusing effect in the N.C. primary which is hotly contested and very charged.

Jenny at Fabulously Jinxed, however, is not giving the Clinton campaign the benefit of the doubt:

Well, well, well. What’s this? Clinton’s people are behind Women’s Voices Women’s Vote? Could it be that it’s the Clinton Campaign that is adopting Bush election strategies?

OF COURSE IT IS!

So who's right? I'll let the North Carolina Attorney General's office work on that one. They say the robo-calls were illegal because they didn't identify the sponsoring group, but haven't ruled on whether there was any intent to suppress voter turnout.

For me, the more important question is what efforts are going on that we know traditionally do suppress votes -- like the recent ruling by the Supreme Court on requiring voter ID's at the polls or the failure of the government to do anything to address faulty voting systems since the 2000 Bush/Gore debacle.

And, why are so many of us so willing to see a conspiracy theory here? Perhaps I'm naive and Bill and Hillary Clinton were really steering a non-profit group for their own nefarious scheme to take back the White House. But I don't think so.

Karl Rove on the other hand ....

Cross-posted from BlogHer, where PunditMom is a Contributing Editor for Politics & News.

If Obama Jumps the Gun, Does He Really Think That Will Play Well with Hillary Supporters?

I'm not going to dispute the fact that things are not looking good for Hillary Clinton, but until someone bows out or someone has the requisite number of delegates, there's no Democratic nominee.

Apparently Barack Obama doesn't care.

A variety of stories are reporting that regardless of where things stand on May 20, Obama is planning on proclaiming that he is the Democratic nominee. At that point, after the Oregon primary, most anticipate that Obama will have won the majority of PLEDGED delegates. But he will NOT have won the majority of ALL delegates -- odds are many super-delegates will still be uncommitted plus the Democratic National Committee doesn't meet until May 31 to start trying to unravel the mess that is Florida and Michigan.

Uh, dude, there's still a process in this country. Even if something looks or smells inevitable, you still have to wait until the everyone gets to vote and the process is finished, unless you can convince Hillary to drop out. And you'd have to be a tad delusional to think that's going to happen any time soon.

You can't be the winner just because you say so. That's why we have the process in the first place. John Adams and his pals fought a revolution so that no one could "proclaim" to be entitled to any office or political position.

As a country, we don't like people who just take things. You have to stand in line and wait your turn here in America. And do you really think that all the Hillary Clinton supporters you're going to need in the fall are really going to appreciate you just announcing that you've won, when the game ain't over?

We know from the media reports that you're not really a patient guy and that you're getting bored with the process.

In Ten Suggestions for Barack Obama, Point number 10 is, "Win This Thing. Just Win It. I Don't Care How." I am totally on board with that at this point. As a friend said the other day, I'd rather see a rock in the White House before I would vote for John McCain. But please don't piss off us Hillary supporters by planning your own coronation before the process is finished.

That's just bad form.

Cross-posted from MOMocrats.

Katie Couric Gets It. Kathie Lee, Mmmm, Not So Much.

"Mommy bloggers."

Yes, as far as the Today Show is concerned we're a group with quotes. Or air quotes anyway.

We're inscrutable. We have strange and mysterious ways! We're a bunch of ka-RAY-zee wimmins doing this new weird thing, all techy and Gen Y-like.

And, after watching the Today Show segment that sprang from what seemed like a thoughtful blogger "round table," it turns out that, at least in the journalistic words of new Today Show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford, we're just a bunch of moms who "yap" about diapers and preschools on the web instead of at the playground.

(Pssst. Kathie Lee. Don't call Arianna Huffington a mommy blogger. I'm pretty sure she can take you out).

So why am I venting about this? I wasn't involved in the show and no one talked about my record as an alleged duck thief, so why do I care what they said about Kristen and Mir and Jill and Dooce? Obviously, by implication it's not just about them -- it's about all of us and how, once again, women's efforts to be a part of the larger societal conversation get marginalized.

More proof that the MSM doesn't get it. Women who wield blogs and computers!? We're just SOOooo confusing to them!!!

There's at least one exception, though.

Former Today Show host and current CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, and her producers, get it. And that could be an ingredient that Katie can use to her benefit as more and more people talk about what she'll be doing for a living in a few months. She's figured out that there's something to be gained by trying to engage this new feminist act, rather than judge us by a particular topic we may write about on any given day.

It's not that hard, really. There are millions of us out here doing what corporate trainers would call networking and relationship building. And we're a demographic, but we're a lot more than that.

We're women who have been denied a voice in the main stream media for generations and we're finding a way around it. Don't want us on your op-ed pages? That's OK -- we'll start our own. And people will find us. And listen to us. Really.

Even though only a handful bloggers who happen to be mothers are making a living at this blogging thing, it will happen for more us soon enough because marketers and advertisers love demographics. If readers are here and not there, it will happen. So, producers at the Today Show, you might want to re-think how you describe us.

We've got blogs that are about a lot more than talking about our children, and we're not afraid to use them.

Plus, there's that whole world domination thing. ;)

Mothers of Intention -- The Biggest Winners in Indiana Don't Even Live There, by Gloria Feldt

Welcome to this week's installment of PunditMom's Mothers of Intention. This week I'm excited to welcome longtime women's political activist Gloria Feldt! Gloria, who blogs at HeartFeldt Politics, is one of the women I met and have gotten to know through the Progressive Women's Voices program and I am thrilled that she has agreed to be this week's Mother of Intention!

********************************************************

Who are these women? Read on...

Sometimes when you win, you lose.

That’s the lesson of the Indiana primary.

What is winning? In the latest polls, Hillary Clinton is currently besting John McCain by more than Barack Obama in a general election hypothetical match-up.

Yet there’s Obama making a victory speech in North Carolina, sounding for all the world like he’s accepting the Democratic party nomination. I’m struck that the first part of his speech, which focused on middle class economic hardships, sounded as though he was channeling Hillary Clinton.

To date, Clinton has won the big states necessary to Democratic victory in November. Obama’s lead in the popular vote—not counting the currently uncountable Michigan and Florida which went for Hillary—only matches the 500,000-vote margin he pulled out of his home turf of Chicago, and the delegate count remains close.

Conventional wisdom had Obama winning Indiana just a few weeks ago. He himself predicted she’d win Pennsylvania, he’d win North Carolina, and Indiana would be the tiebreaker.

Turns out Indiana wasn’t a tiebreaker; it was more like, well, a tie.

At the beginning of the evening, the press seemed in complete blood lust watching this battle of titans, despite having led the chant for Hillary to withdraw in recent weeks, as Media Matters’ analysis documents stunningly. But politics being their favorite contact sport, they’d have to find somebody else to pick on tomorrow if Hillary bowed out. So they appeared a little sad as the Indiana race tightened.

Her crisp blue suit looked optimistic as springtime as Hillary Clinton began to speak to her cheering crowd: “We’ve come from behind, we’ve broken the tie and thanks to you it’s full speed on to the White House.”

“Hillary, Hillaree!”

Her smile is broad, upbeat, genuine. But something about her tone of voice doesn’t sound sure.

She was ahead by just four points with 86% of the vote in; the votes still unreported were from heavily African American precincts. At best, it would be a squeaker and, coming on the heels of Obama’s 14% victory margin in North Carolina, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the quintessential political realist, knew the definition of winning and losing was shifting under her feet.

“For all of those not in the headlines but who have written America’s story, tonight is your victory right here,” she threw out one of her most effective populist lines.

“Obama and I have been on much the same journey to perfect America.”

“Yes she will”, chants the crowd.

“Never stop believing in the promise of America,” she responds. “I will never stop fighting for you.”

Then she slips into the litany of policy issues that so comfortably roll off her tongue: Time to make sure all Americans have health care. Time to take care of the mortgage crisis and ensure that soldiers who have been in harm’s way can come home and resume their lives with dignity. Better futures for you and your children, solving the problems that affect us….

CNN and MSNBC pundits who have declared Clinton’s campaign dead so many times, once again begin to pontificate about how this is the end, the numbers can’t work out in her favor, Obama gets his hot waffle and Hillary is cold toast.

“No matter what happens, I will work for the nominee of the Democratic party because we must win in November,” she says, sounding conciliatory, then adds she’s looking forward to the remaining primaries in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Montana, South Dakota, Puerto Rico.

“I am running to be the president of all America; that’s why it is so important that we count the votes of Florida and Michigan.” She surely must have those votes to win, but the commentators decide she’s taking up this cause not because it will give her the nomination but because she must, must, must find a noble fight to close out her campaign on.

About midnight, Chris Matthews and Tim Russert declare the race "over." NBC's Chuck Todd calculates how the delegate count can’t work out in her favor. Of course we all know these guys want to be the true deciders of the political fate of our nation.

At 1:10 am, NBC declares Clinton the winner in Indiana, by a razor thin 2%.
Todd runs the delegate numbers again, and now he says it’s still a long shot for her, but not impossible.

Quick, somebody go wake up Russert.

Remind him that especially in politics, even when you lose, you often win.

The first truly viable woman candidate for president didn’t score that knockout punch she so badly needed in Indiana.

But by running this race with such tenacity, courage, and strength, Hillary Clinton has scored a critically important victory for women.

The evidence is in that photo above. The women I’m seated among are from Emerge Arizona, a relatively new organization that recruits, trains, and helps elect Democratic women. This is just one of a burgeoning number of programs dedicated to righting the gender imbalance in American politics.

All of these women, even the Obama supporters, said they had been inspired by Clinton’s candidacy. Those who ran in the last election didn’t win, yet they plan to run again, and meanwhile they’ve gotten themselves elected delegates to the Democratic National Convention and are positioning themselves with the party to be the next generation of power brokers.

In the end, Hillary’s biggest win may well be a billowing wave of women emerging at last to equal participation in our nation’s politics.

Thank you, Gloria for this amazing and inspiring post! You can find more of Gloria's political commentary at HeartFeldt Politics. And come back next week, when my guest Mother of Intention will be Surrender, Dorothy!

Watch the Indiana and North Carolina Election Returns LIVE with MOMocrats!!

You KNOW we MOMocrats will have some things to say about tonight's returns!

So join us here!!

PunditMom's Raison d'etre

What's wrong with this picture?

It's highlighted at Feminist Law Professors blog -- these are supposedly the top ten political pundits in America.

Anything missing? Maybe more than one thing?

That's one of the reasons I started PunditMom. The more women's voices we put out there, the more the MSM are going to have to start taking us seriously.

At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Political mom world domination by 2012. Or maybe sooner!

Tax Credits & Gas Holidays & Stimulus Checks -- Oh My!

Barack Obama says the way to help out the average American is with tax cuts and credits.

Hillary Clinton says we should have a happy gasoline tax holiday this summer!

Don't even get me started on the "stimulus" package.

All the presidential candidates, including John McCain, want us to believe that they're just like us -- regular folks who have to worry about how to afford filling up the tank and whether clipping coupons makes sense.

Yup, just ordinary people.

They all want us to believe they understand our budgets and our lives, but none of them really do. When was the last time any of them had to stop by the Giant with just a $5 bill in their wallet and realize they couldn't afford bread AND milk?

Don't get me wrong -- I'm glad my parents are going to be getting a few hundred dollars from the feds. But they're not going to be taking advantage of all the deals egging consumers on to spend their checks on big screen TVs.

My mom and dad will be buying groceries for the Memorial Day picnic they're having. I'm not talking anything fancy -- hot dogs, BBQ and potato salad will pretty much be it.

I'm going to use an unpopular word here -- they don't get it, because they are all elite.

And that's OK. Given the last few years, I'd like my next president to be "elite" -- "the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons," according to dictionary.com.

But while they're busy trying to convince us that they have our best interests at heart, I have an idea for them. Barack, Hillary, John -- if you really want to find a way to help give families a tax break, close all the tax loopholes for huge corporations and make them pay their fair share.

If the feds would spend their time going after corporate taxpayers, think of the real tax cuts the government could make. The government could lower everyone's taxes across the board, rather than creating a $500 tax cut here or a $400 tax credit there. Now THAT would spell r-e-l-i-e-f.

Of course, such a proposal before getting into the White House would damage a candidates' efforts to raise campaign contributions from the fat cats running those very corporations, so I get it -- you're not going to hear anyone come out and actually say that we should look more to large corporations to fund our government than to individual taxpayers.

The answer is that easy. But obviously the easy thing is too difficult.

Because She's Too Cute and I'm Too Proud!

PunditGirl's first ice skating recital.

Good thing I had a lot of tissues with me!

Photo by PunditMom.

PunditMom Visits XM Radio Again!

I'm excited that I'm going to have another chance to talk with Scott Walterman Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on The Morning Briefing, on XM Radio Channel 130 -- P.O.T.U.S. '08!

I'll be chatting with Scott about the MOMocrats recent exclusive Q&A with Barack Obama, the Wall Street Journal and "mommybloggers" and lots of other presidential campaign goodness!

I hope you'll join me!

Up, Up and Away!

It made me smile. What else can I say?

Photo by PunditMom

PunditMom's Blogoversary!!

It sort of snuck up on me. I've been a little overwhelmed here and here and here and here and here. And you get the idea. Still trying to deny this one here.

And desperately trying to ignore this!

But today, May 2, is my second anniversary blogging as PunditMom.

Like the new button? Laurie from Upside Up came up with this for me, as well as the banners for Mothers of Intention (insert waving at Laurie here!).

It's been a crazy ride. I never thought things would turn out the way they are now -- hanging out with political moms and having people actually read all the wonky things I have to say. And trying to find ways to talk about mothering and PunditGirl without sounding too whiny or self-indulgent. But the best part has been all the wonderful new friends I've made.

Yes, friends. Actual friends. Talk about unintended consequences. While blogging seems in many ways to be a solitary pursuit, sitting here at the PC in my third-floor home office (read: spare bedroom with a computer), I've connected with so many wonderful people, that my life is much more full of friends who care about me than when I started out.

If I started naming names and putting in links, it would take me hours and hours. And, hey, PunditGirl only has a half-day of school today, so I need to get going! I think most of you know who you are and I can't begin to tell you how much your friendship, support, encouragement, kind words, and the occasional kick in the butt, have meant to me. I know you've got my back and that gives me more strength on some days than I can describe.

I have many friends from my "real" life. But I never imagined when I started down this bloggy path that I would make so many wonderful gal (and a few guy!) pals who I know will be part of my life for many, many more years, no matter what happens to the virtual PunditMom.

Kisses & hugs to all,

PunditMom

Now, where's that cake?!