Could we accept a presidential candidate...

I'm afraid I'm not keeping up with the news much....but my understanding is that Heinz Kerry inherited that money from her husband (Heinz). What did she do before that? Does she have a career history? Just curious -- if any knows.

As most people know, I'm no Democrat but I don't have a bone to pick with Teresa Heinz or any other rich white person, even if they're running for office. I don't have a problem with other people being more well off than me or 99.9% of the population. I think it's wrong to cast people in a negative light because of their money or lack thereof. Whether or not they earned it or their great, great, great grandfather on their cousin's side earned it. I don't care. It's not about the money to me. It's just as wrong to think badly about a rich person because some relative gave it to them as it is to think badly about a poor person that many people think is lazy or stupid.

What I care about is their character. It's hard to determine if someone in the public eye is honorable because most people give their best facade but in time, it catches up with them. You can only fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all of the time, as they say.

So it doesn't matter to me that Kerry's wife was born into money or married into it, or won it through the lottery. She's not the one I'm voting for or not voting for.

But I'd have to say, if Bush can't be defeated in this election with as many people who despise him, regardless of what Kerry's wife does, then that says a bad thing about the Democratic party.

[Sheherezade]

As far as I can tell from brief bios, she worked at the Un and met John Heinz in graduate school. Then they skip through her life with "After 25 years of marriage...." to when John Heinz died in a plane crash. She took over the foundation then. She is involved in many many charity and environmental causes now in that capacity. That's all I can tell.

Angie

That's about what I found out too. Also that she was born and raised in Mozambique. I'm sure that foundation endowment is huge and that running it is a lot of work -- what a cool job.
Here's the website for one of the foundations:
http://www.hfp.heinz.org/aboutus/philanthropies.html

[PrincessFiona]

But I'd have to say, if Bush can't be defeated in this election with as many people who despise him, regardless of what Kerry's wife does, then that says a bad thing about the Democratic party.

Or the media manipulation, or the purging of the voter lists, or the fear being created about more terrorist attacks, or the Kerry smear campaign

Yea, but I hear there's a "documentary" out there that's debunking/dispeling all those lies, right?

[PrincessFiona]

Well, ThuVan..it might also be Kerry's non-existant personality doing him in

Two thumbs up for the documentary...

And btw...have you heard about the new Fox news Documentary out? I think it is called faux news....I can't wait to see it!!

kris

Yea, I don't get it with Kerry's personality and the criticism about his lack of one. I've heard him referred to as "Al Gore without the charisma." That can't be a good thing. I guess Clinton just raised the bar way too high for charming Democrats.

As far as the Fox documentary, I think I did hear something about it. I think it's rather interesting that politics has turn into a Hollywood movie making thing and not just celebrities spouting off. I'm not just talking about "West Wing" or that movie with Dustin Hoffman about the president waging war to distract his own, um, screw ups. I've also heard there's a conservative "documentary" in the making too. I think in some ways it's good and bad. Good in that it's out there but at the same time, it's like all most people will get in terms of "news." I remember an article that said that Jay Leno's monologue was how most people find out what's going on in the world. That's really sad!

What feminism wrought...

Of course, my father-in-law recently said something along the lines of, "Oh, well after you have your first child you could always go back and get a REAL job." As if the choice to be everything to my kids, from cook and housekeeper to educator and transportation, isn't a real job. Grr.

I've heard that too!! Who knew my Evil, Nasty, Neo-Nazi-Republican Father-In-Law was such a budding feminist! That's always been one of my problems with what feminism wrought. In theory it was supposed to level the field so we didn't "have to" be just wives and mothers (and stewardesses and teachers and secretaries and nurses if we didn't find a husband and children). Of course it went exactly the other way and now women are looked down on if they don't have some sort of high-powered career. It's that old "being free of things we don't like in order to be enslaved by things we approve of" notion...

[spotty_dog]

Elizabeth-

You got it! The incredible thing is that all traditionally feminine pursuits are considered *below* women now. Like it's *bad* to do something womanly! You're to brag that you can't clean house and have no interest in cooking, never to take pride in your skills to the contrary. And knitting? Perish the thought! To me the point of feminism is recognizing that gender shouldn't be a barrier to *any* pursuit, whether it's men or women being homemakers and whether it's men or women being career-driven powerhouses. The important thing is the *right* to have all those options available to you.

Did you see or read Teresa Heinz Kerry's speech to the DNC? "My only hope is that, one day soon, women—who have all earned the right to their opinions—instead of being labeled opinionated, will be called smart or well-informed, just as men are."

I absolutely agree with her. (You can find a transcript of the whole thing at democrats.org. She's really quite inspirational, a wonderful role model for women in this country.)

-Alison

[PrincessFiona]

Re: What feminism wrought...

Of course, my father-in-law recently said something along the lines of, "Oh, well after you have your first child you could always go back and get a REAL job." As if the choice to be everything to my kids, from cook and housekeeper to educator and transportation, isn't a real job. Grr.

When I got pregnant with my first child, my dad actually said to me "great, now you'll never be anything" He complains bitterly now about his stepson's wife...she was a successful attorney and became a sahm when her first child was born. She thought she was going to go back to work, but just 'couldn't do it' after having him. She was the one that made the money...her husband is in the army. Their lifestyle has changed dramatically and my dad thinks she's just selfish and lazy for staying home.

Anyone care to guess where my issues come from on the whole sahm/working mom issue

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Theresa Heinz...I think her speech the other day also went a long way towards humanizing her. I saw the tape of her 'shove it' interaction and I have to admit she seemed a bit nuts the way that she did it. I have no problem with the fact that she told a reporter to shove it....after all, it is certainly more civil than Cheney's F*&# you comment

It just seemed that the way she darted across the room shaking and agitated was kind of out there...I didn't have a problem with what she said.

In any case, her speech at the convention was also quite good, but I'm still on the fence about her. Maybe I haven't evolved enough to accept a woman in the office who doesn't 'stand by her man'.

kris

Re: Could we accept a presidential candidate...

Are we ok with electing a president with a wife who continues to do her own thing or is it still a requirement for men in power that the woman stand behind him?

What if a wife's "own thing" is being a wife and mother?

Sheesh, you make it sound like being a wife and mother is somehow not in charge of her life!

This is a question that betrays a highly negative attitude towards women who choose NOT to enter the workforce.

Actually, yoadriennegirl, I think you couldn't be more wrong about Kris (the person who posed this question).

Many of the members of this board are stay-at-home moms and dads. Maybe you should take some time to read through previous posts to find out a little more about this group before you make such statements....

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Could we accept a presidential candidate...

Are we ok with electing a president with a wife who continues to do her own thing or is it still a requirement for men in power that the woman stand behind him?

What if a wife's "own thing" is being a wife and mother?

Sheesh, you make it sound like being a wife and mother is somehow not in charge of her life!

This is a question that betrays a highly negative attitude towards women who choose NOT to enter the workforce.

Not at all, Jennifer....a woman who is a wife and mother most certainly can be in charge of her life. The greater question though was whether or not we are ready to look at a first lady who works 'gasp' outside of the home and takes charge of her life by doing something besides mothering/wifing. I, personally feel that the calling to be a wife and mother is an honorable one....

If you're going to come back, come back as Rapunzel..I liked that username much better!