Kerry, Bush, and Stroller Pushers

I'm still limping along here without proper access to the outside world. Still no internet hookup in the office, cable, or subscription to the Times. And my New Yorker still hasn't come, yet. I'm off the grid.

My last contact with the outside world was watching the Democratic Convention until the cable guy took our box, and then we listened to it on the radio as we stuffed our junk into boxes. I'm sure that most bloggers have long finished with the topic, but I'm catching up.

Quick impressions. Interesting how the Democrats played up the issue of security and how they hammered at the Bush deficit. Also, that young future Senator from IL was very good. But still have a very fuzzy impression of who John Kerry is. I'm hoping the debates will give us more information.

I was also watching the convention to monitor any discussion on issues related to families, poor and middle class mothers, and children. The Kerry camp seems very much committed to raising taxes for the wealthiest and using that money to provide services for working families, including more childcare. OK. But I want more. I wanted more discussion about the vast debt that American families have encurred to achieve a good life for their kids. Housing costs, schools of uneven quality, growing demands of the workplace, the lack of support from extended family or community are a tightening tourniquet on average Americans.

A few weeks ago, I called the Kerry campaign to get more information on his proposal to assist parents. The first volunteer who answered the phone was unfamiliar with his proposal. The second volunteer who called back a week later was also clueless; she later sent me irrelevent press releases. Clearly, this issue is not central to their campaign.

On the other hand, it's not like W. understands what it is like to wake up at 6:00AM, feed and dress a baby, pack a diaper bag, shower and dress yourself while the toddler watches Barney, drive 40 minutes to a childcare center, drive another 30 minutes to your job, work for 8 hours, pick up the toddler who is now cranky and needy, feed and bathe and read to the babe, make dinner for self and hubby, clean up dishes, and fall into bed.

The lack of populism in the Kerry camp disappoints me. But, as I said, I'll wait to see what he has to say during the debates.

I'm running out of steam here, but I've been comparing Reagan and W today. One thing that Reagan did very well was to make average Americans feel that he was in their corner. Even with his trickle down economics, working class and middle class Americans switched parties in vast numbers because of the Reagan populism. W. has never been able to convey that same empathy.

Comments

[Jimbo]

--What? Dubya's a real workin' man. Don't ya watch the tube and see him clearin' all that there brush. I mean, really. He's great at cleanin' brush. Wudya see ol' John Kerry rollin' up his sleaves to do manly work like that? Don't think so. What we need leadin' this here country is a man who really knows how to clean brush.

No, I agree that W has difficulty connecting with the working and middle classes. He's certainly no Reagan. Yet it is really astounding that he's doing reasonably well in the polls despite that lack of connection.

That's why I was only being slightly facetious above. I really do think that's what all those images of W working his ranch are about: ramming the image into our head that W is not a well-heeled political insider but a man who likes nothing better than working his ranch.

--See, he's not one of them; he may not be exactly like you and me, but he's not a man who is afraid to get his hands dirty working.

[Wendy]

I wanted more discussion about the vast debt that American families have encurred to achieve a good life for their kids. Housing costs, schools of uneven quality, growing demands of the workplace, the lack of support from extended family or community are a tightening tourniquet on average Americans.

Those things aren't sound-bitey enough, and the policy proposals don't lend themselves to discussion in front of crowfs of 10K+, which Kerry has been speaking in front of.

Apparently his plan is here: http://www.johnkerry.com/plan . His education plan is here: http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/education/
and includes "School's Open 'Til 6" (which doesn't really address the issue of our long working hours)

[Kathie]

I agree totally with your assessment of Bush (and Kerry too.)But I find myself unsure what Kerry could say to make me feel more "recognized" if you will.
Yes, I do the "wake up at 6, get 2 kids ready for daycare, .......do the dishes and fall into bed thing" and I'm not sure honestly what policies would significantly change my life.
Do you have ideas?
I guess health care is a biggie as if my hubby loses his job and with it the health benefits we are sunk. I believe Kerry proposes to use some of that money he gets from raising taxes on the wealthy to provide better and more affordable helath care for those without. That seems like a good proposal.
What else could he do to help families?

[Kathie]

Sorry Wendy, you posted while i was writing my post and you answered a lot of the questions I posed in my post.I'll check out the sites you noted.

[Another Damned Medievalist]

Actually, I don't think it's the Kerry campaign, per se I blogged about my own experiences canvassing a couple of weeks ago. If my state's Democratic Party is the norm, it's the Dems who are the screw-ups, not the campaign people. Most volunteers really do want to help, and are volunteering to the party. But where they want to be able to talk issues, they are left pretty much to the mercy of organizers whose job it is to win, not to educate.
Since I teach, I think people should learn what's at stake and make educated choices. What I see instead is that the party hacks like Carville, McAuliffe, Rove, and Matalin (I so can't stand her) don't believe that the great American public can be trusted. Bastards.

[Another Damned Medievalist]

sorry -- I put html in that last post, but it didn't seem to work.