Artful Dodger:

Oh, don't get me wrong. You will notice in my post I never said anything bad about Mr. Huckabee. If anything, he has a valid point. Single parents do have a much harder time making ends meet, as well as issues such as child care while they work, etc. It is also true that Hollywood gives an unrealistic view of parenting. Not everybody is rich and can afford to hire someone to help.

At the same time, V is right. This is not a one-dimensional problem. While money is a central issue, there are also issues such as culture, religion, government support systems (or lack thereof), extended families, legal implications (such as divorce, alimony, women's rights), etc. I think that nobody can pin it down to a single issue.

I don't know if people like Natalie Portman or Angelina Jolie are openly portraying themselves as a role models for other women. People do look up to famous people. It does not necessarily mean that those people represent wider social values.

I think that rather than finger pointing, our famous people and politicians should engage in a more constructive dialogue. If single-parent families are having a harder time raising their children, what can we do for them?

I think that Mr. Huckabee will make another run for the presidency. When that time comes, I am sure in his platform he will touch on the subject and present his own view of a constructive approach to the problem. At least one hopes that from a candidate that one would support when election time comes. Sadly, issues such as this are always lost to bigger issues that get all the media attention. Somehow terrorism, national defense and tax cuts always seem to take precedence over things such as helping those in need have a better life, or finding a better approach to prevent teenage pregnancy and our society's increasing problem of divorce and single-parenthood. Most likely by the next election this issue will not be at the forefront of Mr. Huckabee's mind because issues like dismantling the new health care legislation will probably be more on people's minds. I would not blame or criticize Mr. Huckabee (or any other politician) for that. Politicians do respond to what the public wants to see and hear.