The Elephant in the Room

(alternately titled:  Dear God, I think I'm raising a republican!)

On Friday night, I got home from work and surveyed the damage in the kitchen.  As usual, there were school papers all over the place, and I looked through them to see what came home from school that afternoon.  On the kitchen table, I saw this ...

Just in case you can't see it clearly, let me zoom in on the important information ...

It wasn't just this one poster on the table either.  There were at least 8.  Others had this to say ...

The spelling might not be perfect, but the point is loud and clear!

Curious, I asked Mark if he knew why our daughter had taken a sudden interest in politics?  I knew that she had recently asked me about the names on campaign posters around the town, but didn't think she had given it any more thought.  Mark guessed that she had gotten the message from school, and we both assumed that there must be some kid in her class with very Republican parents.  Very vocal Republican parents that have already rubbed off on their children.  I made a mental note to have a little talk with Jenna this weekend.

On Sunday, I came home to find more posters, and the little campaign manager Jenna herself busy at work at the campaign office kitchen table. 

I began to launch into my speech about how each and every person gets to decide for themselves which candidates they believe in, and you shouldn't form your opinion strictly off of the opinions of others.  To start, I asked her how she had decided that she didn't like Pat Quinn and that she was throwing her support behind Bill Brady.  I figured it was just the local hometown connection.  Or that Republican bully at school.

I was wrong.

Jenna informed me that she had decided after she "read an article online that talked about all of the things that Pat Quinn hasn't done well since becoming governor of Illinois". 

I asked her where / when she was doing this online research.

"One day when I went online to play on Barbie.com, I noticed the link to the articles on Yahoo! so I clicked on it and read it."

Oh.

"So I just think that Pat Quinn has had his turn, and now it's time to let someone else have a turn being governor."

Oh.

"Can you help me hang these signs up around our neighborhood?"

Um, no.

"Mom!  It's important!  I need 8 more people to join my group!"

What group?  2nd grade republican children of Illinois?

"Jenna, we're not going to hang up signs in the neighborhood.  Especially not signs with our phone number on them.  If you want, we can stop by Bill Brady's campaign office and get a campaign sign to put in your room."

"But MOM!"

(CUE TEARS, STOMPING ACROSS THE FLOOR, RUNNING UP THE STAIRS TO BEDROOM, SCREAMING "YOU'RE MEAN!", SLAMMING BEDROOM DOOR)

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20 MINUTES LATER:

I have Republican campaign propaganda stapled to me tree.  I think Mark did it just to spite me.

And I can't help but wonder if this is how my Republican parents felt when I decided that I was a Democrat.

And I'm trying to imagine how hard it will be to love my daughter if she turns out like Elizabeth Hasselbeck.

I just can't ignore the elephant in the room.