Responsible parenting

[muck_a_luck]

AG33 this morning asked me for permission to gloat.

I said he was not allowed to gloat.

I pointed out to him that although the electoral vote looks like a "landslide" it is important to remember that the popular vote almost always splits nearly 50/50. I think this time, Obama won by 2,000,000. That is not very much. So even though he is happy and relieved and excited, he should remember and respect the fact that possibly half the people in the country woke up disappointed and unhappy today. Gloating is not appropriate.

I did tell him he could gloat to his friends that HE got to stay up and watch election returns even though THEY had to go to bed.

But on the political thing, I told him to be gracious in victory. Maybe just a tad smug. Enough that they could notice but not enough to smack him for.

I related this story to my mother (in NC). She and Dad are reserving the right to smack down anybody who makes any kind of racist comment. But of course, that's different - racism not politics.

Another gloating exception I allow... If your family has been insufferable, then by all means, gloat til they disown you/throw you out/commit acts of domestic violence! :)

Comments

[melayneseahawk.livejournal.com]

Tell AG33 that I wasn't even allowed to stay up to watch the results! (That is, everyone else had gone to bed, so I couldn't access a TV.)

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

But surely you were glued to cnn.com or whatever?!?! *is scandalized* :)

[melayneseahawk.livejournal.com]

Heh, I totally was.

(You don't have to tell him that I was having a bad night because we just changed my meds, so I went to bed before Obama had the clear majority of electoral college votes.)

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Boogers. :(

[charlietudor.livejournal.com]

*GLOAT*GLOAT*GLOAT*

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

*shakes finger at your sternly*

*giggles behind hand*

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Actually--unlike the past few elections where final votes would be something like 49.8%/48.9%--the current popular vote, minus NC, is 52%/46%, and the gap is over 7 million. (VA is 52%/47%.) There are red states where McCain won 60s vs. 30s for Obama, but then there are blue states that are far more populous where it was the same in reverse.

Still, AG33 oughtn't be unseemly. :-D

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

NC will be tight. Obama's only up by 12,000 or so there, and they still have provisional ballots to count.

I think grace in victory is an important lesson to learn, no matter how much you feel you deserve a good gloat.

EDIT: I see your Teal'c in shades and raise you a Boromir in shades. :D

[lucky-sometimes.livejournal.com]

Good Mom~

My parents aren't happy, but they haven't been insufferable - just very concerned for their future.

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

I think so many people are these days. I hope Mr. Obama can help them. :(

[zats-clear.livejournal.com]

sadly, as we have discussed, it will only further hurt my parents.

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

*grins*

I'm right there with you. My husband is an oldfashioned (IE not a Christian Neoconservative) kind of Goldwater Republican with strong Libertarian leanings, and he is devastated. He's threatening to crawl under the bed I've been under for eight years. This morning we had to agree to observe radio silence for about a week. And I know I have to stay away from his family.

When the Clintons were in the White House, I had to leave the room when his dad would get rolling about Hillary. The names he called her! It was awful.

So yeah. No gloating. And my kids got the same lecture; for some reason, probably because I'm more verbal about my position, both my kids say they are Obama supporters and Democrats. But because we are kind of a Matalin/Carvey household, we are serious about the No Gloating rule.

Hang in there.

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Your poor husband. He and his kind need to take that party back.

hmm

[katiedidnt.livejournal.com]

maybe my wife could meet this goldwater-republican-libertarian-leaning person and they could start their own party? it only takes two right? :)

Re: hmm

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Hey, stranger! There would be worse associations than the consort of Her Royal Highness, I'm sure!:D

Re: hmm

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

*cheers*

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

one can only hope.

i see him reverting and getting defensive out of fear. i just have to leave him alone and let him breathe. we agree on so many things. but not politics.