Hillary Town Hall: Mom to Moms

Hillary Town Hall: Mom to Moms

Monday, May 5, 2008

ML's Rabbi Sherre Hirsch saw the real Mom in Hillary when she co-hosted our town hall meeting in North Carolina Saturday.

At one moment, I looked over and I thought, "This is not happening. I am sitting with Senator Hillary Clinton chatting about how Chelsea ordered pizza to the White House and almost caused a national security alert." Let's be honest. I expected a formal presidential candidate giving polished canned responses. Instead, I met a mother just like me talking about the challenges of raising children.

Senator Clinton was relaxed, funny and most of all, real. She was so personable that I almost forgot we were in an auditorium filled with people. At one moment I thought to myself I am having "coffee talk" with possibly the next president of the United States. I was trying to take in every second. When my daughter Eden is old enough to understand, I want to be able to tell her every detail of this historical moment.

Before she left, she made sure to sign autographs. As I was watching her navigate this excited crowd, I looked up and there was a girl about 11 years old with tears in her eyes holding her signed paper high into the air. We smiled at each other. We both got it. This was an unforgettable, transformative, spiritual moment. Our lives would never be the same.

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What does a full blown career mother, and wife of politics know about rearing children. Hillary has been in the eyes of the public eons ago with one child who was practically raise with a dozen of nannies and spoon fed with wealth? She speaks of everything she missed out with her one child. So sad for Hillary attempting to advocate she knows a thing or too about motherhood. Give me a break!

- eascogal

Posted 05/05/08 08:45 AM

This was a great event and Hillary was so down to earth and funny. She really showed a great sense of humor and it truly was like having coffee with a great friend. We did find that the lack of introduction of Hillary or any of the panel members was in poor taste. It would have been nice to have either Mary Easley or the head moderator introduce Hillary rather than just have her walk out on the stage that way. Had to go to the website to find out who those on the panel were and after viewing the different parts, still unaware of the panel member on the left. Other than that, Hillary made the event such a pleasure.

- gohillary

Posted 05/05/08 09:01 AM

What does a full blown career mother know? Quite a lot. I myself had a 20 year active military career and reared 2 children. I’m now retired and they are both productive 24 & 26 year olds. But, the important thing I stress is they say (Not me) how proud they are and were of me and they are both close to me AS their MOTHER now and then. I did not have extra help with the daily grind of child-rearing as Senator Clinton may have, but I guarantee you no nanny or other person filled the Mother role with Chelsea. Do you really think Chelsea is being forced into supporting her mother now as an ADULT? Of all the unfair and foolish negatives I’ve seen so far this race, this is the most ridiculous, to me. I cannot believe even her opponents would question her motherhood! Do you believe Michelle Obama having 2 children now very young means she’s totally turned them over to nannies?? But then, look at the child abuse of taking them to hear Rev Wright on Sundays and Sen Obama saying his mother wasn’t religious & did not bring him up in a religion. I suspect you are the unknowledgeable one. Both stay-at-home & career women are successful mothers and overexended mothers. Perhaps you are not aware that the current economy, for quite a while, requires working parents—2, some who would prefer not to. “Spoon fed with wealth”??? That indicts all public service jobs high in the government, and one can see by Chelsea now,she had a decent rearing. She’s no Paris Hilton and hasn’t been shown to be “dysfunctional” publicly. Give me a break! You sound like a “keep them barefoot and pregnant” who is either bitter with your experience or lack thereof—or, a male who cannot relate.

- rosered1

Posted 05/05/08 09:20 AM

I can’t fathom all you women here being so goo-goo-eyed over Hillary Rodham Clinton…She is fooling all of you. She is totally dysfunctional…how many times does a husband have to cheat on you before you get up, had enough and leave him~!! And you rosered1..how dare you accuse Michelle Obama of child abuse because they went to Trinity United Church of Christ…that is an outrage to say that…….when that church has over 8,000 members and has done wonderful work caring for the underprivileged in the community. I suppose given your standards that you would say the same about a mother taking her children to the Catholic Church, knowing how many child molestors are priests…….isn’t that child abuse according to you?

- Luieanne

Posted 05/05/08 03:52 PM

Luieanne, You said a lot. I go to the Church of Christ, was raised this way. I have never known of any of our ministers hurting or molesting a child. I appreciate things you say. Most women work today because they want too much, they do not want to wait like the women in my day. I still have my scrub board and my husband was a large man, but a good Christian man, he was an Elvis, I was so lucky. The Lord was always so good to me. I have my children, grand children and 15 great grand children. I have had a wonderful life.

- Mary Priddy

Posted 05/08/08 06:20 PM