A house divided: Primary fuels family politics

Sue Nauert, 50, of Sunset Hills, really wanted to share her son’s political passion. She even attended a house party for Barack Obama.
“My son is such an Obama fan, I just had to hear his side of it,” she said. But when she had an absentee ballot in her hand, she couldn’t help herself. She voted for Hillary.
“I live in a house divided,” she admitted.
Her son, Paul, a junior at Harvard University, has considered taking a semester off to campaign Obama if he gets the nomination. His mom, not so keen on that idea, wants to a see a woman in the White House in her lifetime.
It’s the first political disagreement they’ve ever had.
Pat Jones, 52, of Grantwood Village, can relate. She hosted the party Nauert attended — the first time she’s ever had a party for candidate — and has been proselytizing the Obama message. Weeks earlier, her college-aged son, Matt Jones, voted absentee in the Missouri primary. But not for her candidate.
“I can’t believe I drove you to the election board!” she said to him, when she found out. Matt, a freshman at the University of Chicago, could tell she was upset.
“You raised me to think independently,” he responded. His mom eventually admitted that she respected his decision, although she sends him teasing emails about how Matt’s candidate, John Edwards, is lagging far behind her own.
Many generations have used a political separation from their parent’s ideology to define themselves. But in this turbulent election cycle, the debates around the kitchen table maybe just as passionate among those within party lines.
But many parents are thrilled to see their young adult children engaged and excited about the political process. It hasn’t happened at this level for some time.
The Nauert family also has a tradition of lengthy political dinner conversations. The key to keeping things civil is mutual respect, she said. This primary season gave her a chance to talk to her children about how male-dominated her workplace was when she started as a chemist nearly 30 years ago. She’s tried to explain about how she relates Hillary as a woman who has fought to get where she is.
Her son, however, has stars in his eyes for Obama. He says this is his chance to participate in the civil rights movement he’s only read about. This is his chance to help transform American politics.
“He wants to change the world, and I hope he does,” Sue Nauert said. And, then the mom in her adds: “I hope he doesn’t get crushed.”
Jones, who wore a black T-shirt with ‘obamamama’ written across it, was thrilled with the turnout at her party and discussion that ran for hours. Moms don’t usually talk politics in playgroups, she said.
The women chaffed at being pigeonholed by identity politics.
“We’re not lemmings,” said Mary Long, 53, of south St. Louis county.
The same could be said of their offspring.