6/23/12

This blog belongs to Lucy Jones-Bricker, the main character of Campaign Promises, which is free on Amazon. Here you can read her thoughts about the current presidential election, and how it all relates to her personal life. For her thoughts on past elections and other stories about Lucy, look for the e-book November Surprise, available on Amazon, August 2012.

6/23/12

Yesterday I took Abby to pre-school. Usually it’s Monty’s job to drop her off, and I pick her up. But he had an early morning meeting, so it was on me. When I got there, expecting to see Miss Kelly, the usual morning teacher, I was surprised to be greeted by a stranger.

“Hello,” she said. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Miss Angela.”

I introduced myself, and tried to make a hasty departure, because I was running late. Abby clung to my leg and didn’t want me to go. But she’s shy, like me, so it probably had nothing to do with Miss Angela. Nevertheless, when I got home I asked Monty why he hadn’t mentioned the new teacher.

He replied, “I don’t know. I thought you knew already.”

I didn’t. The teachers in the morning are different than in the afternoon. “So who is this Miss Angela?” I drilled him. “What’s her background? Does she seem good with the kids? Can we trust her with Abby?”

Monty told me to calm down and relax. “She’s great,” he said. And he left it at that. Annoying.

So I pressed him some more, and he listed off dozens of reasons for why she’s wonderful enough to entrust her with our child.

“You’d better not be making all this up, just to keep me quiet,” I said.

He laughed like I had said something funny.

It’s not that I’m normally a distrustful person. But this is my child. Any mother can understand. You don’t leave your child with just anyone.

Which brings me to another point. In an AP-GfK poll released on Friday, Americans were found to favor Obama to Romney on social issues, 52% to 36%.

Social issues. That’s the personal stuff, the deep issues that strike you at the heart of who you are. These are life and death issues, like health care, education, poverty, and equal rights. Yet Democrats are clinging to this hope that it will be enough for Obama to have an edge in social issues, since people are still faulting him for the economy.

I just don’t get it. How can money be the most important thing? I wouldn’t want a venture capitalist caring for my child, and I also don’t want one running my country. I’m not saying the handling of the economy isn’t important. But to me, it’s never been the most important thing.

I want someone whom I can trust.

I told Monty this, and he asked, “Does that mean you’d rather have Miss Angela as president than Mitt Romney?”

Maybe. But I’d need to know her views on the social issues first.