Why Politicians Love Kissing Babies

I always thought the whole baby-kissing thing that some candidates tend to do was hokey and just another political stunt, but that was before I got involved in political campaigns and had a baby.

I was offered a fantastic job opportunity on a statewide campaign the same day I found out I was pregnant.  It was a mixed bag - I was super excited about the job, but I wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it.  And I was suddenly thrust into the throes of the dilemma of all pregnant and working moms - when to stop, for how long, and how much to work in the mean time?

As it turned out, the pregnancy made the decision for me as I had to go onto bed rest, making it difficult for me to do much of anything, let alone work.  I helped via email as much as I could, but I didn't want to slow down the campaign momentum, so I decided to let go of that position.  In any other job, my boss wouldn't have understood, but part of the reason I took this job was because the candidate was a woman who I believe has great integrity and courage, who has two children of her own.  She understood, as did the other members of her team.  That made it all the harder to leave.

Fast forward to a year later and the campaign was in full force, I was recovering, and a campaign event was in my neighborhood.  I attended myself to show my support and say hello.  What I didn't expect was that everyone wanted to meet the baby!  So I called my husband and he brought her over at the end of the event.  Suddenly the candidate was no longer the star of the show - my baby was the center of the attention.

I had no idea this would occur, but I've since understood that politics is about making a difference, about caring, compassion and hope.  What better symbol of that than an innocent baby?

Here's the thing: negative campaigning and the media would lead us to believe in many cases that politicians are all slimy.  In my experience, it is the opposite.  The people who are willing to subject themselves to that kind of torment in order to serve their country are actually kind, committed, driven, compassionate individuals who really care about their city, state, country, world.  That's why they run for office - they really believe they can make a difference.  Sure, there are power-hungry people out there, but campaigning is hard work, serving in office is also hard work, and the pay doesn't compare to that in the private sector.

The other thing about politicians and baby kissing is that many people in politics are also parents.  And what parent or grandparent wouldn't want to hold a cute little bundle of joy?

My daughter has now been coddled and admired by 3 politicians, all on different occasions for different reasons, and during those few minutes, it was like all the world disappeared and it was just the two of them, sharing a private moment.  These are the times that those who really do believe they're making a difference by running for office can look in the eyes of a little one and remember why they want to make the world a better place for us all.