I’m still limping along here without proper access to the outside world. Still no internet hookup in the office, cable, or subscription to the Times. And my New Yorker still hasn’t come, yet. I’m off the grid.

My last contact with the outside world was watching the Democratic Convention until the cable guy took our box, and then we listened to it on the radio as we stuffed our junk into boxes. I’m sure that most bloggers have long finished with the topic, but I’m catching up.

Quick impressions. Interesting how the Democrats played up the issue of security and how they hammered at the Bush deficit. Also, that young future Senator from IL was very good. But still have a very fuzzy impression of who John Kerry is. I’m hoping the debates will give us more information.

I was also watching the convention to monitor any discussion on issues related to families, poor and middle class mothers, and children. The Kerry camp seems very much committed to raising taxes for the wealthiest and using that money to provide services for working families, including more childcare. OK. But I want more. I wanted more discussion about the vast debt that American families have encurred to achieve a good life for their kids. Housing costs, schools of uneven quality, growing demands of the workplace, the lack of support from extended family or community are a tightening tourniquet on average Americans.

A few weeks ago, I called the Kerry campaign to get more information on his proposal to assist parents. The first volunteer who answered the phone was unfamiliar with his proposal. The second volunteer who called back a week later was also clueless; she later sent me irrelevent press releases. Clearly, this issue is not central to their campaign.

On the other hand, it’s not like W. understands what it is like to wake up at 6:00AM, feed and dress a baby, pack a diaper bag, shower and dress yourself while the toddler watches Barney, drive 40 minutes to a childcare center, drive another 30 minutes to your job, work for 8 hours, pick up the toddler who is now cranky and needy, feed and bathe and read to the babe, make dinner for self and hubby, clean up dishes, and fall into bed.

The lack of populism in the Kerry camp disappoints me. But, as I said, I’ll wait to see what he has to say during the debates.

I’m running out of steam here, but I’ve been comparing Reagan and W today. One thing that Reagan did very well was to make average Americans feel that he was in their corner. Even with his trickle down economics, working class and middle class Americans switched parties in vast numbers because of the Reagan populism. W. has never been able to convey that same empathy.