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May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
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May 23, 2012
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May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
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Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
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May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
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The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 27, 2010
/ 19 Mar-Cheshvan, 5771
No pandering to this mom
By Marybeth Hicks
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Ask any man, "Tell me about yourself," and he'll describe what he does for a living. Ask a woman, and she'll tell you about her relationships.
It's a little quirk in our hard-wiring that all women will acknowledge. To wit: Michelle Obama refers to herself as America's "Mom in Chief."
It's likely that the instinct that prompts women to define ourselves by our roles — wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend — actually was at the heart of what has become a controversial issue in the Oklahoma governor's race between a married mother and an unmarried professional woman.
Last week during a gubernatorial debate, Republican candidate and current U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin was asked to define the biggest difference between her and her opponent, Democrat and current Lt. Gov. Jari Askins.
Mrs. Fallin, who is twice married and the mother of two children by her first husband and stepmother to her current husband's four children, noted her experience as a mother raising a large family.
Miss Askins has never been married or had children. Ouch.
After the debate, during which her comment reportedly drew "groans" from audience members, Mrs. Fallin was quoted as saying, "I was just explaining that these things give me a good perspective on the challenges Oklahomans face, and hopefully voters can relate to that."
Miss Askins, meanwhile, said she never planned to stay single but that marriage and a family simply never happened for her. "Rather than sit back and worry about it, I devoted my life to trying to serve all the children of Oklahoma," she reportedly said.
This episode, as well as last week's efforts on the part of President Obama to woo women back to the voting booth in the midterm elections, reminds me how much I loathe identity politics.
Pandering to targeted demographic groups is such a poor substitute for statesmanship.
Rather than focus on the stark and legitimate differences between conservative and liberal solutions to Oklahoma's political and economic issues, Mrs. Fallin lobbed a softball question into foul territory by contrasting her marital and maternal status with that of her opponent, while transparently pressing the "vote for another mom" button.
Frankly, as any good mom will tell you, this strategy falls under the heading, "If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?" Conformity and critical thinking are not one and the same.
Resisting the instinct to define herself by her relationships, and better yet, eschewing the intellectually lazy habit of identity politics, Mrs. Fallin ought to have simply stated why Oklahomans would be better off if she is governor. She seeks smaller state government, a pro-business climate, school choice and strong enforcement of immigration laws, to name just a few reasons.
If I were voting in Oklahoma, I'd absolutely cast my ballot for Mary Fallin, but not because she's a mother.
I'd do so because of her understanding of the role of government that is best for all Oklahomans, whether or not they are married with children.
I'd do so not out of my own self-interested commonality with her, but out of my shared vision of a state that reflects my belief in liberty, personal freedom and responsible citizenship.
It's time politicians stop carving us into bite-sized chunks of self-interested voters, pitting the anxiety of one group against the fears of another.
On Election Day, we're much more than black or white, male or female, married, unmarried, gay, straight, Christian, Jew, parents or childless.
We're Americans who care about the strength and stability of the greatest nation on earth, and we're looking for leaders who define themselves by the principles that made us so.
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JWR contributor Marybeth Hicks, a wife of more than 20 years and mother of four children, lives in the Midwest. She uses her column to share her perspective on issues and experiences that shape families nationwide.
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© 2009, Marybeth Hicks
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