Especially if you are a parent, what issues matter most to you as the election approaches?

Who are you voting for in November of 2012?

Obama or Romney could employ a practical approach to abortion reduction as a way to attract swing voters, so why is it a taboo topic?

A few months ago, Parents Magazine and CNN hosted a joint luncheon with an array of moms in order to talk about the upcoming election. As a part of my new gig blogging about the election with parents.com, I had a chance to meet some awesome women and participate in a two-hour conversation with Soledad O'Brien as the moderator. The food was really good too.

What does the election of 2012 teach me, and my children, about economic productivity, hard work, and charitable giving?

Government policy alone will not change the number of mothers in the halls of power. But both parties have an opportunity to couple their rhetoric about moms with policy measures.

I don’t think much about tax policy, job creation, teachers unions, national defense, or public health. And I suspect that neither Romney nor Obama spends much time thinking about chores and report cards and rusty minivans. I certainly hope they don’t.

When it comes to civil government and common courtesy, it’s not Obama or Romney who need reminders. The people who need a reminder of putting the common good ahead of self-preservation, a reminder of compromise, a reminder of telling the truth and sharing, are our representatives serving in Congress.