Don't Dislike Obama-Endorsing Maria Shriver Just Because She's Married To Arnold

Over the weekend, I tuned in to the Barack Obama rally at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus.

Among the speakers: California's First Lady, Maria Shriver. Accompanying her cousin Caroline Kennedy as well as Oprah Winfrey, Shriver announced her support for Sen. Obama.

Watching the crowd, I noticed that while most attendees enthusiastically applauded Maria's endorsement-delivering speech, at least a few women in attendance chose not to emote at all.

I realize that I'm at a disadvantage because I wasn't there. But still, if my observations were and are correct, I have to think the lack of unanimous acclamation for Maria Shriver was driven in part by the fact that her husband happens to be California's Republican Governor, the McCain-endorsing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Among the progressive California women voters I know, what I have just described is not a unique sentiment.

To be sure, some of these voters admire Maria Shriver for being "her own woman." Others, including some with that sentiment, also feel that a loving marriage is quite possible across political divides.

But I have to tell you. Those who seem to have sat on their hands when Maria spoke yesterday remind me of some women I know who think that any true progressive female dare not marry a Republican. Especially one with the public persona of Arnold.

In this type of thinking, any accomodation of that type is surrender to the enemy.

Going along with that line of thinking, there's the argument that any progressive that falls in love with someone from the enemy camp should at best be pitied.

Well, I have something to say to those progressive, Obama-loving women at yesterday's rally.

You have the perfect right to sit on your hands when wives of Republicans speak. But if your blood is so boiling with "us against them" that you cannot embrace Maria Shriver's honest intent, then please understand that your attitude is unrepresentative of the uniting force Barack Obama hopes to before this nation.

Comments

[Karoli]

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool forever Democrat. I have been married to a staunch Republican for nearly 20 years. We manage to keep our political integrity and our marriage intact by simply having a little bit of respect for each other. No doubt Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger have managed a similar truce.

Sometimes I think the folks we elect to office should consider trying it. They might be more effective.

[BBackSoon]

I am unimpressed.

Who was the other couple that just last week is split over whom they are backing?

I see this as the new way of riding the fence. Instead of riding the fence each of you walk on one side and you hold hands, and then when you see who wins, the jump is much easier with a partner that was right all along.

This is all show and CYA.

[Gabrielle]

I SAW IT ON C-SPAN, IT IS A GREAT ENDORSMENT­...IT PROVES THAT BARACK IS A UNITER...
A LOT OF "INTELLIGENT" REPUBLICANS WILL VOTE FOR OBAMA...
SHRIVER IS THE REASON ARNOLD OFTEN DOES THE RIGHT THING!!!!

YOU GO GIRL

OBAMA 08

[cktirumalai]

I had heard of a wife supporting Hillary Clinton and a husband favoring Barack Obama, but this development-- wife supporting Obama and husband endorsing the Republican McCain-- was new to me, but, given Maria Shriver's political antecedents, not surprising.

[RationalDem]

I thought it was very powerful for the wife of a sitting Republican governor to come out to publicly endorse a Democratic candidate.

Let's face it, Arnold is not as right wing as some GOP'ers.