Warren Campaign Volunteers Will Watch Your Kid While You Caucus, But Will They Watch Them While You Eat Potato Skins?

I don’t have a kid. And, as I’ve said before, given the current state of the world and the frequency with which it appears Mother Nature is giving us the big ol’ middle finger for how we’re treating her, I don’t really love the idea of raising one only to have to explain to them that there was a point in time at which we could have fixed this whole thing but by and large no one cared enough to really try.

Also, I’m gay. So, even outside of the fact that the government is trying to make it as difficult as possible for me to adopt a kid, the chances of me accidentally creating one on my own are slim to none. Honestly, I feel good about saying they’re actually probably just none.

However! If I did have a kid, as some of my friends have chosen to, I would really really appreciate Elizabeth Warren’s campaign’s offer to watch the little rugrat while I participated in the Iowa caucuses.

The Warren campaign is, it appears, activating a very micro trial-run of Warren’s promised universal childcare plan, which she unveiled last February. Caucusgoers in Iowa are invited to fill out a short signup sheet and then drop their little one off while they head out to participate in the great American tradition of democracy.

Those dropping their babes off are also being asked to fill out a waiver form that has some very Warren-esque conditions including signing off that their child is allowed to watch a “movie or video, rated G or PG or equivalent” and of course asking that after picking them up they “Talk to your child(ren) about the importance of democracy and why we love Elizabeth Warren!”

Personally, if I were a parent, which as we’ve covered I’m clearly not, I’d circle back and ask if it was possible to extend my childcare hours just a bit after caucusing so that I could maybe grab a drink or two and some loaded potato skins before coming to pick up my little bundle of joy. The waiver already asks for permission to keep the kid up past their bedtime, so what’s the difference between one more hour to grab a marg and an app anyway?

Having myself been responsible for babysitting several times, I do not envy whoever the Warren campaign has watching those kids, but I do think it’s a great example of her campaign’s values in action. And although I don’t see us solving the climate crisis anytime soon, this offer on behalf of Warren’s campaign, and her promise of universal childcare, does make having a kid in the future seem like, albeit just slightly, less of a total and complete nightmare.