New Yorker: Those Romney Brothers Are Funny!

The Talk of the Town was about the five brothers blog, with the New Yorker describing the Romney brothers' virtual campaign for their dad as "a public extension of the five-man e-mail distribution list through which they have long kept in touch."

The article sums up a few of the brothers' jokes, and actually gives them a compliment:

"Corny pranks aside, the Romney boys can be genuinely funny. “Here I am on the Extra Terrestrial Highway,” Josh writes home, from Nevada. “I think we saw Dennis Kucinich driving the other direction.”

Sadly, none of the five bros came to a Wellesley Booksmith book launch party for the second novel featuring me (book teaser in sidebar), although they were invited, along with Cate Edwards.

Cate's probably still recuperating from the end of her Dad's campaign, but the good news is that she still has a chance to be a Veep Kid. Number One Observatory Circle, the house she'd get to visit on vacations, might not compare to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but it's still sweet.

Photo Source: albinoflea, via creative commons

Vote For My Parental Unit!

Why The Candidates’ Kids Matter

First Kid wannabes have been in the public eye like never before. Josh Romney drove through all 99 counties of Iowa in an RV to stump for his Dad. His brother Craig used fluent Spanish to voiceover a campaign ad about “papa.” Cate Edwards hit the trail diligently even though she was a busy second year Harvard Law student. Meghan McCain blogs and vlogs to connect the younger generation to her seventy-something father. And even the famously private Chelsea Clinton is taking a break from her hedge fund job to stump for Mom.

Americans are fascinated with the offspring of candidates for several reasons. First, nobody knows a person better than his or her kids. We listen when Chelsea gets choked up over how proud she is of her Mom, or when Sarah Huckabee remembers those Friday morning breakfast dates with her Dad during high school. A heartfelt endorsement from an adult child isn’t something you can buy. It’s something you earn after years of loving service and commitment.

Second, this campaign is turning out to be more cyber intense than even the geekiest pundit could have predicted. The twenty-something children of candidates have managed to connect and engage a web-savvy generation of voters. We tuned into Romney’s five sons’ updates, watched videos of Sarah Huckabee bragging about her father at Youtube, tracked Chelsea’s visits to college campuses, and read Meghan McCain’s posts about the campaign whirlwind -- along with her makeup tips.

Third, we want a President who can laugh. Nothing reveals a candidate’s sense of humor better than the good-natured banter that goes on between the generations. When Cate Edwards, responding to a question about her father’s good looks, joked about how dorky he is, we got that John Edwards didn't take himself too seriously. Even Emma Claire teased her father at an event by slyly saying she was going to vote for another candidate. And when Matt Romney staged a call to his father from the governor of California, Americans watched the video and laughed along.

Did this yen for connection with a candidate’s children hinder Rudy Giuliani, whose kids played it cool? Will it affect those with children too young to stump, like Barack Obama? Judging from the buzz and hype surrounding the more vocal young adult First Kid wannabes, a public cheer -- or some friendly teasing -- from a son or daughter can give any candidate’s campaign a boost.

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Mitali Perkins (mitaliperkins.com) is the author of two novels for teens about a candidate’s daughter, First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover and First Daughter: White House Rules (Dutton). Her main character, Sameera Righton, described by Publishers Weekly as “an intelligent, witty and prepossessed heroine,” is keeping track of the hype around the REAL First Kid wannabes at www.sparrowblog.com. To learn more about the books, visit firstdaughterbooks.com.

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Au Revoir, John Edwards and Family!

As John Edwards pulls out of the race today in New Orleans, Sparrowblog gives Cate, Emma Grace, and Jack a HUGE standing ovation for the fabulous job they did on the campaign trail.

We also send an especially loving farewell to Elizabeth Edwards, who took the time to comment on this blog, and is the epitome of courage and grace as she battles cancer. Peace be with you, Mrs. Edwards.

Photo Source: John Edwards 2008

Jack Edwards in 2048!

MTV caught up with Cate Edwards in South Carolina, and asked if she had political ambitions. Turns out she might want to be a wonk someday but thinks her brother Jack might have inherited the cool candidate vibe from their Dad. Check out the video here.

Cate Edwards: Pancakes in Animal Shapes

Cate on being a First Daughter: "You're a spokesperson on what kind of a Dad he is." Including growing up with pancakes on Sunday morning.

She also fields tough questions about why her father is the candidate to choose over Senators Clinton and Obama, her Mom's battle with cancer, missing her brother Wade, Jack and Emma Claire's energy level, and her differences with her father over gay marriage.

Cate's Fine, But Still

Cate Edwards' car was hit from behind by another Chapel Hill driver, but can you imagine her parents getting that phone call? Thank goodness nothing happened -- that family's already endured plenty of suffering. Here she is on the campaign trail with a couple of adorable voters.

Photo Source: John Edwards 2008

Where Were Sarah and the Romneys?

During the back-to-back Republican and Democrats debates on ABC tonight, the cameras found Meghan, Cate, and Chelsea, but where was Miss Sarah Huckabee? Not to mention Tagg, Josh, Ben, Craig, or Matt?

Sparrowblog Stats Tell All

If you're wondering which First Daughters in the Running have been picking up buzz lately, here's what my stats show:

• 17.53% sarah huckabee
  
• 10.82% meghan mccain
  
• 3.61% jackie kucinich
  
• 3.09% bridget mccain
• 2.06% cate edwards
• 2.06% malia obama
  

See you in Iowa!

Sparrow's Script For A Cool Rock The Vote Video

(Meghan McCain saunters into an empty screen wearing a red t-shirt that pictures her Dad's face, jeans, and boots with stiletto heels. In the background, the Mission Impossible theme song is playing.)

Meghan: I could tell you to get out there and vote for my Dad in '08.

(Cate Edwards comes in and circles Meghan, ending up back to back with her, both of their hands on their hips. Lots of attitude. Cate's wearing a blue t-shirt that pictures her Dad's face, jeans, and high heels.)

Cate: Or I could tell you to get out there and vote for my Dad in '08.

(Both girls pivot slowly to face each other, eyes narrowed. After a minute, they shrug and fist-punch, and turn back to the camera. The background music changes to Alicia Keys, No One, instrumental only.)

Meghan: But we won't.

Cate: Nah. Not here. Not now.

(From off-screen someone tosses them purple hoodies. The girls catch them, put them on, and zip themselves up. Now both of them are wearing identical purple sweatshirts bearing the Rock the Vote logo.)

Meghan: So we'll just stop with ... (Turns to Cate and smiles)

Cate: (Smiles back) Get out there and vote.

Meghan: It's a free country, people.

Cate: Rock the Vote in '08.

Meghan: I'm Meghan McCain, and I approve this message.

Cate: I'm Cate Edwards, and I approve this message.

(They exit chatting side by side, like BFFs.)

Cate Edwards: Law School, Parties, and Peet's

Check out how the Boston Globe describes a day in the life of Ms. Cate Edwards and get vicariously exhausted:

After spending hours on campus or studying at Peet's Coffee & Tea in Harvard Square, Edwards retreats home to the first-floor apartment of a house near Harvard Square that she shares with her freshman roommate from Princeton, Sunjung Kim. Despite the breathless pace of her days, Edwards' nights are often spent with Kim, eating dinner while watching recorded episodes of the teen television drama "One Tree Hill." When she does party, Cate, who has a boyfriend in Washington, D.C., is often the one rallying her friends. She made it to at least two Halloween parties during the busy school week - first dressed as Meredith Grey, the whiny doctor from the hit TV series "Grey's Anatomy," and then as a schoolgirl. The next morning, Edwards was out the door by 8 on her way to court for a Legal Aid case.

Blog Commenting: Enable or Disable?

The Romney Five and Cate Edwards accept comments on their blog posts after some moderation, but Meghan Mccain and her buddies don't take any feedback at all. When you don't enable comments, doesn't a blog by definition morph into a column or a diary? Call it something else, I think, because the communal blogginess of a blog is sucked out when people can't respond to a post. (Fine for me to get all huffy about it 'cause I hardly get any comments at all ... sigh.)

Cate's Favorite Reads

25-year old (public) high school valedictorian, Princeton grad, Harvard Law School geek, Urbanista blogger, James Denton buddy (that's him in the photo to the right), and cover girl Cate Edwards has her own page on her father's site featuring a list of three fave reads:

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
A Widow for One Year by John Irving
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

And what's Cate listening to? "Collide" by Howie Day, "Forever Young"by Bob Dylan, and "Soulshine" by the Allman Brothers Band.

Photo Source: John Edwards 2008

Some Do And Some Don't

Jill Lawrence of USA Today notices that some adult kids of candidates are campaigning like crazy (Meghan, Sara, Tagg and Bros) while others (Chelsea, Andrew, Hunter) are keeping a low profile.

Cate On The Trail

Before things really got underway at Harvard, Cate Edwards was blogging for her father in New Hampshire. Here's an excerpt:

... We'd set up a pancake breakfast for the attendees, where Mom had thought we should try jam instead of syrup. Apparently, though the pancakes were gone by the time I got there, they were a "roaring success." When we pulled up, Jack decided that he'd like to announce Mom and Dad's arrival. He got on the mike and said, in his deepest 7-year-old voice, "Please welcome Elizabeth Edwards, and the next President of the United States, John Edwards!"

Elizabeth Edwards and Sara Teasdale

A sad article by Monica Langley in the Wall Street Journal by tells us how Mrs. Elizabeth Edwards, diagnosed with incurable cancer, is preparing her kids, Emma Claire, Jack, and Cate, for her death:

Between campaign stops and monitoring political blogs, she is working on a "dying letter" to her three children -- a "guide to life" she started before her diagnosis but which takes on more poignancy now. Her advice runs from balancing work and family to telling her children they should always wear solids instead of stripes or plaid -- otherwise, she warns, you'll look back at old photos and cringe at what you're wearing. She is sorting out her and her children's possessions -- clothes, papers, photographs -- and boxing them to save after her death ...

Inside the house, she goes through piles of books, including many given to her by her mother, first editions of poetry by Sara Teasdale and Edna St Vincent Millay and the first American edition of "Ulysses." She has told her husband and children they need to keep them at least 10 years before they can be discarded -- in the hope her family will treasure them as much as she does. "I love my books," she says.

I love Teasdale's poetry, too, and was reminded of this poem when I read about Mrs. Edwards trying to speak now to her kids in a future without her voice:

After Death
by Sara Teasdale

Now while my lips are living
Their words must stay unsaid,
And will my soul remember
To speak when I am dead?

Yet if my soul remembered
You would not heed it, dear,
For now you must not listen,
And then you could not hear.

Poem Source: The New Poetry: An Anthology, edited by Harriet Monroe, 1917
Photo Source: Michael Millhollin

School: Public or Private?

During yesterday's debate, one of the YouTubers asked the candidates whether they put their kids in private or public schools:



If you're tired of watching YouTube videos, the Chicago Tribune sums up some of their answers:

Edwards said his children have all attended public schools. Clinton said her daughter, Chelsea, went to public school through 8th grade, when the family's move to Washington required sending her to a private school because it offered more protection from the media.

"My kids have gone to the University of Chicago Lab School, a private school, because I taught there," Obama responded. "It was five minutes from our house. So it was the best option for our kids."

"Cate Edwards Picks Hillary!"

No, it's not true. But hordes of people are searching on that phrase and finding their way to Sparrowblog this morning. Does anybody know what's up?

UPDATE (thanks to the comments): It was actually Emma Claire, age 9, who made the comment, and she was teasing her Dad.

Does A Name Make The Girl?

My name (Sameera) fits me to a T, because it means "companion of the night" in Arabic. Did my birth mother know I'd turn out to be a blogging night owl? Or did she just think the name sounded pretty? I guess the orphanage could have changed my name, but somebody looked at my face and thought that "Sameera" seemed like a good fit. And somebody else did the same for you, and chose your name.

Here are Sparrow's Awards and Honorable Mentions for the names given to some of the candidates' daughters:

Best Fit For A First Daughter Wannabe On Nov. 4, 2008:
Abigail (Brownback) means "father in rejoicing" in Hebrew.

Works Great When Your Middle Name Is Joy:
Catharine (Edwards) means "pure" in Greek.

Really Shows What Her Father Wants To Do To President Bush:
Jacqueline (Kucinich) means "supplanter" in Hebrew and French.

Best Fit Right Now Since She Just Graduated From High School:
Caroline (Giuliani) comes from the word for "free man" in French and German.

Hardest To Live Up To:
Bridget (McCain) is "the exalted one" in Gaelic.

Most Poetic in 2 Languages:
Meghan (McCain) means "pearl" in Greek, and Meghana means "thunder" in Sanskrit.

Hardest To Fulfill Unless A Teacher Gets Mad While At The Board:
Chelsea (Clinton) means "chalk landing place" in Olde English.

We Want A White House Wedding!

Hey, I just realized that the odds are looking good for a wedding at the White House during the next five or six years. If the First Twins don't get engaged soon, maybe Cate or Chelsea or Meghan or Jackie will serve up the glam and glitz of a presidential wedding.

Here's the scoop on weddings in the past (the photo, courtesy of Miss Shari, is of a garbage can covered with clippings describing Tricia's wedding that was sent to the Nixon family and is now in the Nixon Museum ... nice gift, eh?):

There have been 17 weddings at the White House. Although three presidents were married while in office, only one -- Grover Cleveland -- was married at the White House, June 2, 1886, in the Blue Room.

Eight daughters had White House weddings -- Maria Monroe (1820), Elizabeth Tyler (1842), Nellie Grant (1874), Alice Roosevelt (1906), Jessie Wilson (1913), Eleanor Wilson (1914), Lynda Bird Johnson (1967), and Tricia Nixon (1971) -- but one only son -- John Adams, son of President and Mrs. John Quincy Adams (1828).

Four weddings for members of the families of first ladies -- one sister, one brother, and two nieces. One presidential niece, one daughter of a presidential friend and one presidential assistant make up the final three weddings.

Cate Edwards in Harper's Bazaar

The June issue of Harper's Bazaar releases today and features an interview with Cate Edwards. After talking about her mother's cancer, Cate chats about Trevor Upham, her Princeton grad boyfriend, who's the great-grandson of President Woodrow Wilson's confidential secretary. Check out a photo of Cate's sweetie here (the elegant woman in the pic is not Cate). John Edwards' daughter also describes Upham's first meeting with her father, and wonders why middle-aged ladies actually think that her Dad's hot:

Meeting her boyfriend, Georgetown University medical student Trevor Upham, for the first time, her dad said, "I hear you're a registered Republican." And Upham responded, "Yes, sir, but in my family we don't take politics that seriously," and daddy responded, "Well, son, in this family we take politics very seriously."

On her father being rated "sexy," she calls it "ridiculous. He "cannot dance," he's "pretty dorky." Not "many daughters would say their dad is sexy, but my dad definitely is not."