Hewlett s own research shows more than 80 percent of parents support the concept of paid leave. It s an issue that s got great stats, no traction, to quote one of Bill Clinton s former speechwriters, Hewlett says. There is no history of parents being organized in this country. It s a very fractured group, and what we ve done is set parents against each other, working moms against at-home moms. It s a private problem, she explains.
Parents think they are just supposed to shove their issues under the rug.
It may help to explain the current state of affairs, with many parents feeling the election has little relevance to their lives, and candidates convinced that would-be voters with young children are worth little more than political platitudes. Certainly not real promises.