Ann Romey, SAHM, has "never worked a day in her life."

[Glass Cowcatcher]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ ... story.html

April 12 (Bloomberg) -- Ann Romney, wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and mother of five sons, is fighting a claim that she “never worked a day in her life.â€

“I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys,†she wrote in a Twitter message -- a social-media debut prompted by a Democrat’s challenge of her knowledge about the economy. “Believe me,†Romney wrote. “It was hard work.â€

Hillary Rosen, a Democratic strategist, started the exchange during an interview on CNN yesterday in which she said of Mitt Romney: “Guess what, his wife has actually never worked a day in her life.†Rosen said: “She’s never dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of women in this country are facing

Throwing this out there to the hive of hooters. I didn't see it before.

I am currently a SAHM myself, so I know exactly how much work it is, but I have to say that I agree with Ms. Rosen to a point here.

Almost every woman has children to care for at some point in her life. I don't think having children and staying at home with them gives me or anyone else any special brownie points. And, being able to be a SAHM takes a certain financial stability, which does remove a person, and definitely Ann Romney, from certain economic realities.

To be clear I'm not shitting on SAHM, just Ann Romney's statements that strike me as rather elitist.

[emmiedahl]

I think it is elitist as well.

When I was a SAHM, life really sucked. But I had already been a working single mom, so I had a little perspective and knew how lucky I was. Now I am working from home and really, really floundering. In all of these situations, I had to work hard to be economical.

Being a mom is hard. Being a mom with limited income is super dooper hard. Having solid finances definitely would make it easier. I would argue that Ms. Romney's privilege comes from her status as a woman who does not need to worry about finances, not as a SAHM. I am not picking on her for having money, good for her. But she is a little divorced from the reality of most American women.

[fluttershies]

I agree. Most women throughout history have had to earn a living AND take care of the children - granted, kids worked alongside their parents and childhood was shorter anyway, but the middle-class SAHM who doesn't have to earn a living is a relatively recent invention. When people talk about women being able to work in WW2 and having to go back afterwards, it really grates on me - working-class women have always had to work to make ends meet!

Also, manual labour is hard, so most wives were at much higher risk of widowhood than they are now. Single mothers are not a recent invention of teh ebil libruls, but have always existed, albeit for different reasons. Being a SAHM and not bringing in any money is a luxury. That doesn't mean motherhood isn't hard, but motherhood when you don't have to worry about money is certainly easier than it is for a woman who has to work several low-paid jobs just to keep body and soul together.

[mirele]

Ann Romney may have never worked a day in her life (my sister, who has been a SAHM and now works outside the home as the primary breadwinner would beg to differ with Hilary Rosen on that, btw), but I will say that she likely didn't have a choice of whether or not to work or stay home. That's not what she would have heard in church. At church she would have heard and would still hear to this very day that the absolutely best thing a woman can do is to get married, stay at home and raise children. In fact, that is the woman's primary role.

It's also so very, very, very middle class. Those of us whose parents and grandparents come from humbler stock have to laugh, because our grands and great-grands, both male and female, worked from before sunup to after sundown. Being just a stay at home mom would have been an unaffordable luxury.

But to get back to Ann Romney, it needs to be repeated over and over again that she did not have a choice, but it's not the choice you would think she would make. She would have been told over and over and over again that her place was at home, raising her children, not working. That's the discussion we should be having, which is that women are pressured into these decisions by their religions, not because they want to be SAHMs.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

But to get back to Ann Romney, it needs to be repeated over and over again that she did not have a choice, but it's not the choice you would think she would make. She would have been told over and over and over again that her place was at home, raising her children, not working. That's the discussion we should be having, which is that women are pressured into these decisions by their religions, not because they want to be SAHMs.

Agree 100%.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

Being a mom is hard. Being a mom with limited income is super dooper hard. Having solid finances definitely would make it easier. I would argue that Ms. Romney's privilege comes from her status as a woman who does not need to worry about finances, not as a SAHM. I am not picking on her for having money, good for her. But she is a little divorced from the reality of most American women.

I agree, I think she knew darned well what the lady was asking, and if she had done any work work, she would have said so.

[Beeks]

Eh, I agree that she probably doesn't have standing to talk about the economic issues that many of us are dealing with these days BUT I do think the line "never worked a day in her life" is hugely insulting. I've worked in an office, I've worked from home and I currently take care of my kids full time. THE HARDEST thing I've ever done is stay home and take care of my children. To say she has "never worked a day in her life" is just disrespectful. "Never held a job outside the home" would be more accurate and less insulting.

[Witsec7]

Ann's status as a stay at home spouse raising children is not at issue within this dialog. What is at issue is her spouse, who she submits to, has elevated her to an authority with regards to working women. She hasn't a clue about women's pay issues, or issues surrounding workplace equality and she does a complete disservice to parents who choose to stay at home and raise their children. First of all she presumes all stay at home parents are female, giving no consideration for the millions of fathers who choose to rear their children at home while their partners work outside the home.

Ann has never addressed any issues about pay equality, or parental benefits. Nor has she addressed the republican rights war on women. It is my opinion that her silence makes her complicit and an active supporter in this war against women's reproductive rights.

Oh and she can go fuck herself, real hard.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

I love you guys. Here I was trying to word my intro delicately and you guys say all the things I held back.

[PokaDot]

I think when people say that someone has never worked a day in their life, they mean paid labor....

Ann, to me, seems like someone who was pampered her entire life, and has a very holier then thou attitude.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

Ann's status as a stay at home spouse raising children is not at issue within this dialog. What is at issue is her spouse, who she submits to, has elevated her to an authority with regards to working women. She hasn't a clue about women's pay issues, or issues surrounding workplace equality and she does a complete disservice to parents who choose to stay at home and raise their children. First of all she presumes all stay at home parents are female, giving no consideration for the millions of fathers who choose to rear their children at home while their partners work outside the home.

Very true. I bet you wouldn't hear all of the "no economic sense" stuff if she was talking about a father.

[hathorlive]

My favorite line in this non-issue is where Mrs. Romney stated that she believes women have a choice to be mothers or work.

It's nice we have a choice in SOMETHING, because it's rapidly becoming a reality where we'll all be pregnant stay at home moms.

After the Republics ban birth control and abortion that is.

I'm happy that the Repubs are fighting hard for women's choices.

[emmiedahl]

Eh, I agree that she probably doesn't have standing to talk about the economic issues that many of us are dealing with these days BUT I do think the line "never worked a day in her life" is hugely insulting. I've worked in an office, I've worked from home and I currently take care of my kids full time. THE HARDEST thing I've ever done is stay home and take care of my children. To say she has "never worked a day in her life" is just disrespectful. "Never held a job outside the home" would be more accurate and less insulting.

To be fair, I am sure your existence is very different from Ann Romney's. They have a level of wealth that almost always includes nannies, personal assistants, housekeepers, cooks, regular dinners out. I think the wording was poor, but possibly accurate.

[Witsec7]

Very true. I bet you wouldn't hear all of the "no economic sense" stuff if she was talking about a father.

I worked, had a great career as a suit carrying a briefcase. I could never have comfortably assumed that role if it were not for my daughters incredible father, who stayed home and raised her for 10 years. It was worth every dollar of alimony I paid him :lol:

[muffynbear]

Omg, Ann Romney really said this shit?

..some of us prioritize family over a fantasy that we could one day be as successful as a man. I stand by my decision to be a stay-at-home mom.

Yes, women CAN be as successful as a man. Hillary Clinton is a prime example of this. Since when is it wrong for a woman to be as successful as a man in her chosen profession? I will never understand this. SMDH. :snooty:

[FloraDoraDolly]

Ann Romney was not raised in the Mormon faith. She converted as a young adult when she was engaged to Mittens.

[EmmieJ]

I look at the person who made the "never worked a day in her life" remark. I see that this woman has adopted children, so she is both a mother and a woman who works to earn an income. I take her words in that context and believe that Rosen knows that it is work to be a mom and raise children. She knows this because she does this. So, it follows to me that she meant Ann Romney does not understand the economic realities that most mothers today face -- that most of us do not have the luxury of staying home and having only one fulltime job, but that most of us have at least two full-time jobs. Mom (24/7, 365) and income earner, with all the demands and stresses that come along with it.

I would never denigrate any mother who lovingly raised her children, whether she had the luxury and desire to "stay home" full time or not. But I am offended by Ann Romney's phony attempts to pretend she understands anything about the lives of 99% of American women; and her "how dare she!" response to Rosen's pointing out her privileged life. She can STFU, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe if her husband buys her another Cadillac, she'll feel better.

[ChickeyMonkey]

Ann Romney may have never worked a day in her life (my sister, who has been a SAHM and now works outside the home as the primary breadwinner would beg to differ with Hilary Rosen on that, btw), but I will say that she likely didn't have a choice of whether or not to work or stay home. That's not what she would have heard in church. At church she would have heard and would still hear to this very day that the absolutely best thing a woman can do is to get married, stay at home and raise children. In fact, that is the woman's primary role.

It's also so very, very, very middle class. Those of us whose parents and grandparents come from humbler stock have to laugh, because our grands and great-grands, both male and female, worked from before sunup to after sundown. Being just a stay at home mom would have been an unaffordable luxury.

But to get back to Ann Romney, it needs to be repeated over and over again that she did not have a choice, but it's not the choice you would think she would make. She would have been told over and over and over again that her place was at home, raising her children, not working. That's the discussion we should be having, which is that women are pressured into these decisions by their religions, not because they want to be SAHMs.

I don't know... I think we all have choices in our lives, some harder than others. You can say that if she'd been raised Mormon from birth that she'd been told her only choice in life is to be a SAH wife and mother, but I don't believe that we never have a choice. We have to decide what's worth more to us: our happiness and finding out what we are capable of in this world, or conforming to what others say we should do and how we should be. This world has changed a great deal for both men and women because someone realized that there were more than just the options presented to him or her and pursued option C, D, E, or Z. Maybe I'm idealistic or naive, but many times societal pressures and expectations seem so silly and ridiculous to me. I don't always understand when people say, "I have no choice!" Many time, I think what they mean is that the alternative is just too much for them to handle or deal with, and the payoff (for lack of a better word right now) isn't big enough to make it worth it to them.

I hope that made sense. I'm sure there's someone else (experiencedd comes to mind) who can say it better than I can.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Ann Romney did mention stay-at-home dads when she addressed Hilary Rosen's remarks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/1 ... 20710.html

And let's get real here. Does anyone honestly believe that Hilary Rosen is a representative of the 99 percent? You think she can't afford a Cadillac? You think she actually had to struggle to pay for daycare? Rosen might not have as much money as the Romneys, but her life is far removed from the average middle class family (with or without a stay-at-home parent). When I look at this incident, I see one wealthy woman criticizing another wealthy woman.

Here's a relevant clip from a recent article about Hillary Clinton:

As to whether you can be successful and have a passel of kids, she’s indignant. “But I just didn’t have any more children,†she says, “not that I didn’t want any more.†(She and Bill have said they had an appointment with a fertility specialist when Chelsea was conceived.) “Look at Nancy Pelosi! She had five children…. People—especially young women—need to rid their minds of this baggage that has been inherited. Because you can unfortunately caricature anybody: ‘Oh, she’s the woman who never wanted to get married and have children.’ Well, you don’t know what her life is like. Or, ‘She’s the woman who gave up her career and stayed home.’ Well, maybe that’s what she found most fulfilling. We have got to get beyond all of that pigeonholing.â€

http://www.elle.com/Life-Love/Society-C ... 6-ELLE.com

[NurseNell]

I think when people say that someone has never worked a day in their life, they mean paid labor....

Ann, to me, seems like someone who was pampered her entire life, and has a very holier then thou attitude.

She has dealt with breast cancer, and has MS, a chronic illness. I don't know about MS from personal experience but I do know about breast cancer. Pampered perhaps but neither diagnosis is a walk in the park.

[constantgardener]

Why does this even have to be an issue? I think that in some ways women have themselves to blame by continuing to perpetuate the argument that there is something wrong with being either a SAHM or a working mum. Women need to stop bitching about each other and realise that there is nothing wrong with either option (and that for many people working is not an option, it's a necessity). I mean, this filters right down to the gossip outside the school gates, about so-and-so who's never there to pick her kids up, or so-and-so who needs to to get off her arse and get a job. I personally stayed at home until my youngest was 3 (hardest work I have ever done!), and since then have worked part-time because I am lucky enough to have a fantastic mother who looks after my kids when I am at work. Denigrating either the working or staying at home option does not help women in the fight to become equal players in both the home and the workplace.

[MrsYoungie]

I think perhaps the statement was phrased incorrectly. Mitt Romney stated that he took financial/economic advice & opinions from his wife. Rosen then made her ill-advised "never worked" statement.

It would be more accurate to say that Mrs. Romney has "never had to worry about or earn her own money" for a day in her life. I don't think she has ever had to decide between food and electric for her family. She has had a husband who is unthinkably wealthy so that she could raise her children in comfort and luxury. She would most likely not understand the issues facing the average stay at home mother, let alone a working (outside the home) mother.

[Confused_by_religion]

I think it is elitist as well.

I agree. Staying at home and raising five boys is hard work, but probably a lot nicer than working for a living and raising five boys.

That said, has the United States ever had a president in the 20th and 21st century who was NOT from an elite background with an elite or at least very well-to-do family supporting him? Clinton and Obama come to mind, maybe Jimmy Carter, but apart from them? I have the impression that the Clintons and Obamas were very keenly aware of the problems of the poor and tried to honestly work on these issues during their presidency. I wonder whether the Romneys would do the same if they ran for president and won.

[Luvchild]

Ann Romney has had so much money she probably has had help raising those boys like nannies, babysitters, and personal drivers. She has no clue what it is like to have no money and have to work and raise kids. I get what the statement "never worked a day in her life" means and the lawmaker who said it is absolutely correct. Ann Romney doesn't have a clue about average moms and the issues we are dealing with, especially with the economy the way it has been. Oh, and don't forget the maid to clean her house and the caterers.

I'd like to thank President Clinton and Al Gore for their job saving FMLA back in the 1990's. That allowed me to take maternity leave and not worry about losing my job.

[Beeks]

To be fair, I am sure your existence is very different from Ann Romney's. They have a level of wealth that almost always includes nannies, personal assistants, housekeepers, cooks, regular dinners out. I think the wording was poor, but possibly accurate.

Good point. If I didn't have to cook or clean and I could take a break whenever I wanted, the "work" would be quite a bit less.