Hockey moms a splintered voting block

The Snickers bars are in the bag with the Gatorade and pads, and the skates and sticks are in place, making it time for the newest political lobby to caucus.

“Welcome to Hockey Mom Happy Hour,” laughs Janice Artale as she and three friends enjoy beverages from Rapture on the Downtown Mall. “When the kids are on the ice, we take it easy.”

The four gather nearly every week for a quick sip and a good laugh while their kids’ team practices at the Charlottesville Ice Park. The laughs have been more political since the revelation by Sarah Palin, GOP candidate for vice president, that she, too, is a hockey mom.

No guaranteed support

Mrs. Palin’s affiliation didn’t win her support with her fellow mothers. All but Angie Fischer are Barack Obama supporters. The moms aren’t confident of Mrs. Palin’s claim either. Sure, her child played hockey, but how many years did he play? Did she provide snacks when she was supposed to and carry them to the rink herself?

“I don’t think any of us here would consider ourselves pit bulls with lipstick,” Mandy Hoy said. “Just because she’s organized and a working mother doesn’t mean she’s qualified for vice president. I’m organized and I work and I’m not qualified.”

Ms. Fischer laughs. Although she’s the lone mom out on the political front, she doesn’t take the jabs as a personal affront.

“Hey, they support Obama. I don’t,” she says. “We have plenty of other areas where we agree. It’s not like we get together and have big political debates, unless you’re talking about who’s manning the penalty box during the game.”

Twinkies and Gatorade

The mothers may not be unified behind one party, but they do share strong values. Hockey moms, they say, believe in hockey as a fun sport. They believe in smooth, fresh ice and gentle body checks.

Hockey moms believe in good-tasting, low-quality snacks.

“Little Debbie, Little Debbie!” Ms. Artale cries with laughter. “When it’s your turn to bring snacks to the game, you have to have fun snacks because that’s what the snacks are all about. Twinkies and Gatorade, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Hockey moms are in favor of clean public restrooms with strong handicap assistance railings. They believe in discount handbags from New York. They are dedicated to the point of driving an hour each way to practice, staying in seedy motels and eating at lame breakfast buffets.

“A hockey mom cares about not just her kids, but all of the kids on the team,” Ms. Hoy said.

Although being a hockey mom isn’t the primary qualification for office, a well-qualified hockey mom could handle the day-to-day work of vice president, they admit.

“Sure, we could do it,” Ms. Fischer said. “We’d know exactly what to say when that red phone rang in the president’s office.”