Tag Archives: hillary clinton

Are You Too Nice To Your Kids?

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The other day, I was reading about D.L. Hughley hosting the first-ever comedy show on CNN. He said his dad never told him “I’m proud of you,” but that his dad just acknowledging that he was a first on CNN was like a pep talk.

2008.10.26 - Caution! Slip hazard!
Creative Commons License photo credit: a.drian

That got me thinking of something I have often thought about: I think my parents were too nice to me. When I was doing a traffic report at 1 a.m. in Northern California (yes, I did that), my parents acted like I was Hillary Swank winning the Oscar. “Your Aunt Arlene can get KGO in San Diego and listens to you!”  

When I hosted my first (and only) network show, “Playing It Straight,” they paid for me to have a debut party which coincided with my birthday. (The local news came and it was really cool. The show tanked, but that’s another story.)

Perhaps if they had been the kind of parents that withheld praise, I would have strived beyond my G-list status. Maybe I would have had that hunger to succeed I see in others,as opposed to my philosophy, which is: “I’m shooting for the middle.”

Am I making the same mistake with my daughter? When she draws outside the lines, should I continue to find something something to praise, like ,”Love that you used the whole page!” Or should start laying down some expectations?: “Try to get it within the lines.”

I was thinking of that HIllary Clinton story, of when she was a girl. She came home and told her mom some girl had slugged her. Her mom said to go back out there and face the girl, that “we don’t have cowards in this house.” She did, and clearly Hillary grew up tough and able to take a punch.

My mom would have said, “The girl who slugged you is a sick girl; I know her parents and they aren’t well. Forgive her.”

What have others done that seems to work?

Pay Off At The Polls: Results Are In!

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Hey, last week I laid out a Presidential poll and then never told you who won the “election.” And I thought the Supreme Court of 2000 was irresponsible!

So here are the results:

Now, of course you can’t have a more unscientific and biased poll than one on a website. I have espoused my pro-choice Democratic leanings here, so I can assume a majority of Cool Mom readers share this opinion – skew #1. What is interesting is that when I looked at the poll at about 4pm the day we posted it, McCain was in the lead by about 10 to 15 percentage points. So there was a late liberal surge, which does reflect the larger electoral trend that conservatives, older people, married people, and working people are more reliable voters.

The only way Obama can win is if he does get people who have never voted, or who rarely vote, to the polls. He has to get what Kerry got and more. That would mean his new registered younguns and every single African American, not to mention every latte-swilling lefty, has to show up, especially since he is losing some of his lead over McCain with women. The voting block that has the ability to push Democrats over the finish line has to be on Obama’s side.

Also, I’m always intrigued by undecideds. If any undecideds want to share why they haven’t decided, or what they still need to see, or if they are sitting this out, I would love to hear that. I understand if there is a lack of enthusiasm since my candidate of choice is no longer in the running. I am still voting, but not in a “whooppee!!! kind of way. But my distaste for the last few years is a huge factor… oh, and there’s that pro-choice thing.

Love train

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The song they were playing after Hillary Clinton made her dramatic entrance, asked to stop the roll call, and move for acclamation to nominate Barack Obama was the definition of great dramatic stagecraft. And I am not ashamed to say I am a sucker for it. Not to mention my other love, history. This marks the first time EVER an African American-or any person of color has been nominated by a major party for the President of the United States. I don’t care who you are, that’s got to choke you up a bit. Not to mention this African American has a funky name. America is a great place.

It was also a love train for me personally because my niece was with me for the day. As a result I could watch every state and their provincial self-serving introductions, which I always love. Hmm if I were a state what would my roll call intro sound like?

“Madame Secretary, Daphne Brogdon, home of sarcasm and great legs. A place where improvisation is always appreciated, and a good sharp cheddar cheese is celebrated. A loving mother and mostly loving wife, friend to her step-children, a woman who cuts her salad with a knife and fork, much to the chagrin of her husband. Political junkie extraordinaire proudly casts her vote for the GOP to be punished for the 8 years of George W. Bush and for the (hopefully) next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama.”

What would your intro be?

Hillary Hits It Out Of The Park (Bonus!)

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I could not be more proud of Hillary Clinton. Her speech Tuesday night was picture perfect. I had been waiting to see it for days.  As an HRC supporter I knew she’d be good, but she exceeded my expectations. And it did hurt a little knowing she came this close…

HARD FOR A MOM TO WATCH

I had trouble watching it since Vivien was in a cranky mood and I gave her chocolate cake just so I could watch the speech that I told her, “is really important to mommy, and you can watch Diego in the other room if you want.” She proceeded to make a mess–I didn’t care–but Mark did, so he took the cake away prompting her to flail her body on top of mine. I kept pausing the opening movie and saying, “I said this is important to me!!” After a body blow to my back I jumped up, “that’s it, I said this was important to me.” I then ran to my room, shut the door behind me, and watched the speech by myself.

My stepdaughter Vanessa was more fortunate than I. She saw the speech from the upper reaches of the floor of the convention, where she said Bill Clinton was crying as Hillary spoke. I am so excited (i.e. jealous) that she actually got to be there. She sent me the above picture from her vantage point.

ROLE MODEL

I am so proud of Hillary for her accomplishments they are considerable. She didn’t win the democratic nomination, but she is more than ever her own iconic political figure and has established a standard for future woman candidates. What a great role model for our daughters. A woman educated, well spoken, and has the guts to take on the boys. After having gone through being publicly humiliated by her husband (I wish Elizabeth Edwards could have a similar triumph), she did what she exhorted in her speech, “to keep going.” Using Harriet Tubman was genius.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE WAY TO THE NOMINATION…

And how about all the funny?  She had some great lines, “sisters of the traveling pantsuits,” Twin cities, “cause they are so much alike,” and how could you forget, “no how, no way, no McCain.” I spoke to a pro Hillary friend who said, “I can’t put an Obama sticker on my car, but I can put that line on my car, I’m going to make a bumper sticker out of the that.” The DNC should as well.

GET OFF HER BACK

She hit all the notes she needed to. Paying tribute to her campaign and her supporters, but so personally transitioning to the next phase, support for Obama. I loved it when she said, “were you in this campaign just for me?,” how magnanimous to take that tact. She rightfully placed the campaign in a larger context. (Hillary could have mentioned the Supreme Court as well, the only thing she did miss).

WALK IN THE PARK

Didn’t she look like she was having fun? Didn’t she make it look easy? If you watch like I do–on CSPAN– 90% of the speakers are not that great, the same old examples of sad people, no kicking up the crowd, or attacking the GOP. Hell the Democrats are going to get skinned next week!  Mark Warner, was okay, but no keynote, some good themes, but hardly going to fill the voter registration roles with that performance. The best opener and middle act for Hillary were Dennis Kucinich (congressman from Ohio, who I’ve always loved for speaking his mind and wanting to impeach Cheney), and Brian Schweitzer, Governor of Montana.

I don’t think anyone is going to top Hillary’s speech for me. One large factor is, none of them are going to be from the first EVER viable female candidate for President. I am looking forward to Bill and Biden tomorrow night. But, I might get a sitter and go to a friend’s house to watch that one.

Frustrated Pundit

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In all my years on TV I have only been able to do a few political segments, on a few shows. I use to be in talk radio and through that was fortunate to meet a few politicians: President Clinton (while he was in office), former president Carter, and almost president Hillary. But, my love of humor and improvisation steered me away from news. Yes, I did audition twice for the Daily show and didn’t even get a call back. Jerks!

Anyway, this is a set up to say, I watch political conventions like others watch football games. I don’t just watch the party I vote for. I like to see the stagecraft, the strategy, and the lack of strategy. Politics is human nature in action. Which is why when I hear “a new kind of politics,” I think, yeah right as soon as we get a new kind of human, we’ll get right on that.

I tried to watch MSNBC, CNN etc, but they keep yapping. I want to watch the C card speakers and the produced videos. The talking heads have been yapping enough. And unless I get to be one (oh please Lord, one day, please?), I’ve heard enough of them. Except for my favorite, Pat Buchanan. I know, might surprise you, but he is almost always right and doesn’t parrot party talking points. As my sister Carole says, “He’s almost an oracle.”

I’m just glad it will be over before Vivien watches “The Upside Down Show” before bedtime, or I’d be screwed!

Moving Forward: Clinton and Obama

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Okay, I’ve got to get into this. All this bad blood amongst Hillary supporters. I was a big HRC fan and gave her the max, traveling to Texas to help her campaign. The more I saw of her, the better I think she got. (Except for that sniper-fire thing, which I still can’t figure out.)

Hillary Clinton primaries

I was positively cross-eyed over the meanness of many liberal media types: Keith Olbermann, various pundits on CNN, most of Air America, Randi Rhodes (who broadcasts like she is in a bar fight), Stephanie Miller (whom I’ve worked with and liked, but had to stop listening to). I felt like, “Hey guys, I’m with you on most issues, so why are you trashing my girl and half of the Democratic party?”

Likewise, I felt totally abandoned by MoveOn.org , which decided to support Obama in the primary, and worst of all NARAL. I wrote letters to both asking them to take me off of any future contacts. NARAL totally disrespected Clinton by not waiting two freaking weeks to the end of the primary so they could endorse Obama. Why? Did they think he wouldn’t want their support in two weeks? As I said back then, for the general election, he would court women more than he had when he was single. And all the sexism in the media had me enraged, not only as a feminist but also as the mother of daughter.

I bring this all up because I understand the anger from the hardcore Hillary email group I am part of… I get it, but to a point. I agree the DNC is lame. That the caucus system disenfranchises poor, frail, older voters (saw that up close in Texas) and the frustration of the proportional delegates (if they had winner-takes-all, Hillary would have won). But that’s the game and Obama’s camp played it better.

I am all for reforming the rules. But I am not for voting for McCain or Nader. I understand people don’t want to be taken for granted, but it hints at a naivete I associated with some of the Obama supporters, i.e., the belief that he wasn’t a typical politician, etc. Well, he’s not typical – he’s a very good politician, which is why he is where he is. But he is playing the system, not changing it.

Look, Hillary is no saint, she’s a tough-ass politician, and so is he. He’s gotten tougher in this race, which is good. I don’t care squat about the lobbyist money nonsense because 1) they are not a monolithic group and 2) the system by necessity calls for pols to compromise. Try getting a majority of 300 million people to vote for you and see how far you’d get. They have to please everyone.

So look, disgruntled HRC fans, I get the rancor. But seriously, let’s move forward. She is. And I love not feeling guilty because I’m not cold-calling other states for votes. Relieved that is over. And let’s not forget the lady needs to get her debt down. I love that Obama wrote her a check for $4,600.

I was doing a bit in my stand up last fall and winter that the Dems could put up a bacteria that has no name and I would vote for it, because after what the Republicans have given us in the last seven years, they deserve to be punished. And the Supreme Court is too important to hold a grudge.

So can I vote for Obama? Dare I say it… Yes, I can.

Moving

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All weekend I was on a tear to get ready for our move on Monday. While I did the the physical act of preparing to move here were the three things running through my brain.

  1. Is it better to make a day of fun for Vivien during this transition or stick to a routine? As in we go to an amusement park so the move seems like a happy thing or keep it really regular in terms of schedule, oh, and 48 hours later we are somewhere new.
  2. Why, oh, why have I kept all this crap?! Have you ever done this? Find Post-Its with a barely readable scribble on it, or a phone number of someone you don’t know and you think “Why, oh, why did I save this?” It’s like mover/cleaner Daph thinks regular Daph is a messy, eccentric pack rat. Why does it take a move to make me decisive?
  3. I’m not helping Hillary. Tuesday is the Pennsylvania primary and I woke up Saturday saying to Mark, “I have to make calls.” I wasn’t in the mood. I did make one (you can go to www.hillaryclinton.com and they have a page set for people to call in the primary they are focusing on) and the lady said, “I’m voting for her, but thinking of not cause I’m tired of all these calls.” I decided to be easily discouraged. Maybe I would only hurt her cause. But, I still want her to win and did read a few articles that got my girl defender dander up. Obama is acting as if he is not a regular pol while acting like a regular pol. In the past few months such emotion would have translated into action on my part. Now, I really need to organize.