Party Lines Read Online Free

from
across the table. Lindsay’s heart was beating even faster now.
    “Hello
caller, you’re on the air with Hugh Graham.”
    “Hello
Hugh. Love your show.”
    “Thank
you,” the host said.
    “I
just want to tell Mr. Sharp that I was going to vote for Bradford Hpkins until
I saw Clara Faircloth’s ad. And just so you know, I’m a church-going ,
Bible-believing Independent. That ad he ran struck true at first but then when
Clara’s ad came out it made me want to go look at her Web site and I was
surprised to see that she isn’t as left-wing as you guys are trying to make her
out to be.”
    Ron
Sharp fidgeted with his tie and then motioned to the host. “Come on, Hugh,” he
said. “This is obviously a plant .. ”
    “So
now you’re assuming that any woman who disagrees with that ad is a liar?”
Lindsay rolled her eyes, and the caller on the line gasped in anger.
    “I’d
be more than happy to leave my full name with the operator so you can check out
who I am. I was actually doing some grassroots work for Hopkins until this
whole ad flap happened. And I’ll be happy to verify it. Now I’m really glad I’m
not. Mr. Sharp, that’s really insulting by the way. Really
insulting. And you and your candidate owe me and every other thinking
woman an apology.”
    Hugh
thanked the caller quickly and pushed the button that silenced her. Then he
turned to Ron, obviously upset over the tone and message of the call.
    “Well,
she’s rather upset, but perhaps if you’d elaborate people might get an idea of
where Hopkins stands since it appears there’s a rush to put words in his mouth.”
    “Yes,”
said Sharp, speaking up quickly before Lindsay could point out that it was
Hopkins’ words that had started the firestorm.
    “Bradford
Hopkins’ ad was not meant to speak for women, but to give voice to that silent,
important group of women out there who live or long to
live in a more traditional lifestyle. The truth is that women who value career
over family are heading up the opposing party.”
    He
shot a mean look at Lindsay. “And heading up Ms. Faircloth’s campaign.”
    Lindsay
could not let this go, especially not as a single woman. “So you’re saying that
a woman who is single or who chooses to wait for marriage and children for
whatever personal reasons she may have is a feminist, or is against family
values?”
    Before
Ron could answer, the host stepped in. “Maybe he’s saying that those women are
drowning out the good women who are doing the most important work in society by
staying home and taking care of what matters most – the children. In a
day and age where liberalism has taken hold what has it brought us? I think
Hopkins’ candidacy is pointing out that there are more important things than
the freedom of overused daycare and no-fault divorce.”
    “Exactly,”
Sharp said. “Of course, as career women without families it’s hard to relate –“
    “To
what?” Lindsay, who rarely allowed herself to fall
prey to her own anger and frustration, was dangerously close. “To the
importance of strong families? And since my marital status is obviously fair
game now, what of yours. And Mr. Hopkins? Aren’t you
both divorced? Rather than preaching to women about their perceived lack of
family values, perhaps you should stop and assess your own.”
    She
hadn’t meant for the debate to turn nasty, but suddenly it had. And Ron Sharp,
who wasn’t used to being challenged now faced a rare moment of not knowing what
to say.
    The
host, eager to cover, went to the phones and for the next ten minutes callers
offered their opinions on the matter with women – the group both Hopkins
and Faircloth were after – strongly voicing their opposition at being
characterized as uncaring if they worked or didn’t have children. One woman
tearfully admitted to giving up on motherhood after several failed IVF’s.
    “I’ve
put myself into my career as a nurse now,” she said. “And it’s brought me
comfort and