The functional family revolution in D.C.
I loved reading about Senator-Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden's impending move to Washington, D.C. in today's New York Times. What struck me first was that, though he's been working in the Senate for 36 years, he's never become a "fixture" in the Washington social scene: mostly because he's been rushing home to his wife and kids in Delaware. This has seriously impacted his political career, probably leading to failure in his own presidential campaigns.
What's more, he's certainly going to bring his 91-year-old mother to Washington, meaning that both the presidential and vice-presidential families will have three generations living together (President-elect Obama's mother-in-law is planning to move to the White House, too).
Many things about these family dynamics thrill me; one, that Biden's choices (to let career come after family) are more attractive examples for American managers and workers than those of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Two, in light of our recent conversation about multi-generational living, it demonstrates uncommonly functional family relationships on the part of both Biden and Obama. I admit that, at first, my opinions of Biden were mostly those of the guy who made a bunch of awkward, minorly offensive statements; and now I'm starting to believe that he was chosen for his unusual values -- values best illuminated by the many quiet choices he's made as a father/husband/son. Having these ethics in the executive branch gives me hope (even if "hope" is becoming a cliche) and makes me feel more secure about our future. What do you think?
The White House is a pretty big place. If our home were a similar size (not to mention as well staffed), I'd have no problem living with any number of my relatives. As we have it now...
But seriously, I think our leaders are good people and demonstrate solid (watch out) family values.
And while I'm taking back phrases, I think that hope is too powerful to be a cliche. It's right up there with love.
Posted by: Kristin | November 23, 2008 at 03:48 PM
Another interesting note on the story of Biden rushing home to his family every night is how he got there… on Amtrak. As we discuss all the infrastructure needs in the country and the need to provide people with choices and expand beyond an auto centric focus, I also find this aspect of our VP elect very exciting.
Posted by: Lynn LS of WPC | November 23, 2008 at 06:58 PM
Also, don't forget that Joe Biden helped to make the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) possible. Joe Biden is an all-around good egg, gaffes and all.
Posted by: LeeAnn | November 23, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Amen, sisters! I couldn't be more excited about our new administration and the possibilities it brings. I can't wait to share a new hope with my baby son.
Posted by: Kim | November 24, 2008 at 07:21 AM
My 3 year old looked at a little boy the other day and informed me that he looked like Barack Obama. My work here is done.
Posted by: Debby | November 24, 2008 at 12:16 PM
I am also excited about the new dynamics in the White House. When I was a child, there was lots of periods of multigenerational living in small living quarters.
For me, one of the most exciting things to to have a family of color in the White House. I have heard my girls, who are brown-toned Filipina Americans, make comments to one another like: "you can't be Cinderella, you're not white". I love that my girls, similar in age to the Obama girls, can see positive images of a family of color in mainstream media.
It paints a different picture for me and, yes, it give me hope for change.
Posted by: olivia | November 24, 2008 at 01:15 PM
I love the idea that we have a president with 2 young children in the white house and that until the presidency both parents worked outside the home. And I am so happy to have a president that has experience growing up in a non-traditional family who is familiar with the challenges Single moms face.
Posted by: elizabeth | November 24, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Personally, I'm really excited to see a President and First Lady who had to take out huge student loans for their education. My understanding is that they only paid them off recently. I'm pretty sure they are the first "First Couple" who didn't get into a good college thanks to a rich Daddy who paid their way. I think that they will be able to relate to a lot of couples who are raising children, paying a mortage and paying off massive student loans simultaneously. Here's hoping they do something about the crazy cost of tuition in this country.
Posted by: cc | November 24, 2008 at 06:13 PM
Joe Biden is a decent person, and he has served many years in the Senate. BUT--if we are going to point fingers at Sarah Palin's choices in work/family balance, we can point just as many at him. Mr. Biden's choice to take his Senator oath just WEEKS after his wife and child died, leaving a 2 and 3 year old in critical care is a controversial one. I certainly couldn't do that, and as a woman I would be vilified if I had made that choice. Let's face it, single dads are given a lot more leeway than married working women. Just look at the comments that were posted about Sarah Palin on our supposedly tolerant/enlightened Urbanmamas site! Mrs. Palin has a basically stay-at-home-dad husband and tons of family help (grandparents and aunt)--but that's not good enough for us. Mr. Biden chose to live a 3-hr. commute (90 minutes each way) from his young, splintered family to pursue his career. Yay. Some of us might ask why he didn't move his young children to Washington 36 years ago so he could spend more time with them. That seems more admirable to me than rushing home to see them for, what, 20 minutes before their bedtime? "Family values" (as we have seen before) are all in the eyes of the beholder--and we see what we want to see, I guess.
Posted by: chambu | November 28, 2008 at 09:24 AM