How to Mix Politics Like Maria Shriver

Maria Shriver comes from the well-known Democratic Kennedy family, and she is the wife of Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Shriver has an amazing ability to balance her life as a wife, mother, writer and a Democrat carrying the responsibilities of First Lady to a Republican Governor. See if you have what it takes to mix politics like Maria Shriver.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Set priorities to balance the demands on your time. Maria puts her family life first.

2. Carry your responsibilities with grace and work hard to mix politics like Maria Shriver. This devoted wife and mother comes from a family of wealth and political power. She is well-educated, an accomplished journalist and the author of several books, a person of prestige and respect and she's a member of charitable organizations.

3. Stand beside people you love regardless of their political preference. Maria openly supported her husband's bid for Governor of California and takes a major role as California's First Lady.

4. Allow yourself to make your own political choices and respectfully agree to disagree with your family member. Shriver endorsed Democrat Senator Barack Obama for the presidential nomination in 2008, but her husband endorsed Republican Senator John McCain. Maria also didn't publicly support her husband's November 2005 proposed ballot initiatives.

5. Judge people by their character, and don't judge by political preference or affiliation. Maria tells people, "Forget that you're a Democrat or a Catholic or a Republican or a Jew or a black. Just accept people for who they are."

6. Mix politics like Maria Shriver and use humor to temper political crossover criticism. Shriver's choice to marry a Republican drew criticism from her uncle, Democrat Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy. She told her uncle, "Look at him as the man I love, and if that doesn't work, look at him as someone who can squash you."