Oh, Ann Romney

On paper, it would seem like I would love Ann Romney and that she would love me. I'm a stay-at-home mom who genuinely loves to do domestic things like cook and clean and chase after a baby all day long. I am a member of the stay-at-home moms club that seems to be the defining factor of her persona. But I think if she and I talked for more than five seconds, things would reveal themselves as different than they first appear. Last night, Ann Romney gave her speech at the Republican Convention. I am the furthest thing from a Republican (I'm more of a Green party-esque person), but I was intrigued by what she might have to say. And,well...I have some thoughts. Here are some highlights (read the full transcript of the speech here):

I'm not sure if men really understand this, but I don't think there's a woman in America who really expects her life to be easy. In our own ways, we all know better!
And that's fine. We don't want easy.

Okay, I get that she's giving women and mothers credit for all the work we do, both at home and in the workplace. But I'm not feeling the whole "and that's fine. We don't want easy" thing. No, we don't expect life to be easy, but we also don't want the whole second shift (" You're the ones who always have to do a little more [. . .]You know what it's like to work a little harder during the day to earn the respect you deserve at work and then come home to help with that book report which just has to be done") bull that suggests that everything's on you and the solution is to deal with it rather than share the responsibilities of childcare equally with your spouse.

[. . .]And the working moms who love their jobs but would like to work just a little less to spend more time with the kids, but that's just out of the question with this economy.

Well, yes, the economy sucks. But what sucks more is ridiculously expensive, mediocre childcare that forces mom into an endless cycle of working to pay childcare and having to put the kids in childcare because she's working. Republicans and Democrats are guilty of not working to provide affordable, quality childcare in this country. Our schools and businesses are still set up like it's the 1950's where one parent is always home and available, where the breadwinner is endlessly available to his bosses because someone is at home with the children and where school can end at 3:00 because someone will be there to pick them up. If she really wants to talk about motherhood and sacrifice why not address the huge problem of quality care for children?

Okay, okay. I'm totally using Ann Romney as an excuse to unload all of my problems with the Republican party and our government in general. I mean, she did seem likeable in a nervous Stepford wife kind of way. But I still think Mitt Romney is a robot.