Sometimes Real Feminists Wear Ties

And I'm not talking about those horrid 1980s floppy bow ties us poor women had to wear so we could be imitation males in the workplace. Thank G*d those days are gone.

What I am talking about is that 4th person in the mix in Campaign 2008 who, for liking to talk, isn't getting much attention, Joe Biden. Many people hope he lets That Woman do most of the talking in the debate tomorrow night. Including me. Many hope he refuses to pile on about who he knows and what he's done in his 35 years in the Senate lest he seem condescending. Others hope he treats That Woman exactly like he would another man because fair is fair if she is going to accept being John McCain's running mate and enter the bigtime. And everyone is saying women could make the difference between us having a President Obama or a President McCain (I'm choking as I type those last two words, yuck).

With that in mind, here's advice I have heard touched on here and there but only indirectly. This year, the running mate more interested in women, who's done more for them is not the woman, it's the man. Also, the nominee who's been a single parent is yep, the guy, not the woman. "Doc" stays home with our kids and I am eternally grateful. But even though he does, it's hard enough finding that work/family balance. Sometimes my girls want Mommy. Only Mommy. So I can only imagine how hard it must have been to commute 2 hours each way from a new job with huge responsibilities back home to his two kids under the age of 5. After having lost his wife in that car accident. In his book "Promises to Keep" Joe says he had a lot of help from his sister Valerie and his mother but again, there had to be lots of times the boys wanted and needed their Dad. He also said in the book that he asked his staffers to put his kids through to him when they called regardless of where he was or who he was meeting with. He gets it. I hope tomorrow night he lets everyone who is watching know that he gets it. He need not discuss That Woman returning to work three days after having a child with Down's syndrome (I'll do that and bash away because to me it's not bringing her family into the spotlight, it's bringing her callousness and judgment into the spotlight).

I know damn near every woman watching who's wrestled with work/family balance will nod their heads knowingly if Joe discusses this. And I wonder what That Woman will be able to say in response. It might be another deer in headlights moment.