Is It Over Already? The Debate About Women and Work Lasted Less Than a Week

I wish that we had people in both presidential campaigns who were forcing our country to confront the hard issues of how we raise our children and support our families at a time of growing single-parent households and growing childhood poverty. 

Case in point:  The inane media debate over who works harder—stay-at-home mothers or mothers who work outside the home—and the fact that less than a week later, it seems to be over.

Remember how this started: Mitt Romney deferred a question from the audience about women struggling in this economy, saying that his wife, Ann, has been hearing more from women than he has, creating the impression that as the Republican’s likely presidential nominee, he didn’t have an independent thought on the matter.

Hilary Rosen then stepped in and threw gasoline on the long-smoldering debate about the value of stay-at-home moms versus “working” mothers, by suggesting Ann Romney was hardly an expert on the issue.  President Obama’s response?  All mothers should be respected and Presidential spouses should be off limits (even when they are out there campaigning).

So, does this mean Romney and Obama are now debating what we should do to enable more women to stay at home?  Are they debating how to better support women who must, or choose to, enter the workforce? Are they debating what we should do to provide greater economic security for women who still face a pay gap in our country?

No, no, and no.

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