Obama Ad: McCain Needs "Education" On Women's Issues

Before the crisis in the housing and financial markets threw the presidential election for a loop, the Obama campaign had planned to spend this week making a strong push for women voters. The Senator held a private phone conference call with national female leaders to plot ways to generate support. His female allies in Congress held a press conference at the DNC to hammer John McCain on his opposition to equal pay legislation. And vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden held a virtual question and answer session with, perhaps, the most important female voice of all, Hillary Clinton.

Much of that work was done out of the public eye, as economic matters demanded Obama and the press' attention. But the Senator, nevertheless, stuck to his agenda. He was helped by the crossover between economic issues and women's issues.

Late Friday, the Obama campaign released a new ad hitting McCain for his opposition to equal pay. The spot, titled "Need Education," was narrated by Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman whose Supreme Court case led to 2007 fair pay legislation.

"I worked at this plant for 20 years before I learned the truth. I'd been paid 40% less than men doing the same work. John McCain opposed a law to give women equal pay for equal work. And he dismissed the wage gap, saying women just need education and training. I had the same skills as the men at my plant. My family needed that money. On the economy, it's John McCain who needs an education."

Like many of the arguments from the past week, the ad paints John McCain as dangerously bad for female voters. McCain's campaign already has a response. Spokeswoman Crystal Benton says:

"Barack Obama claims he's for equal pay for women, but women working in his Senate office earn an average of $9,000 less than men, while women in John McCain's Senate office earn an average of nearly $2,000 more than men. American women understand that real leadership is about what you do, not just what you say."

Comments

[Tanyars5]

is this just an internet ad or is this going to be on the tube ??????????­??????ohio michigan..­..pennsylv­ania....fl­orida.....­.is it on the tube

[MsJezebel]

The numbers in the McCain response are skewed. Here is a link that shows the math used:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28510&page=1#c1
Anyone who has taken a statistics class knows that you cannot use averages to see if people are being payed equally if you do not take into account the type of work being done. Women want equal pay for equal work, if I am an entry level employee I do not expect to make the same as a top adviser. Until I see a breakdown of wages by level I do not think that the McCain camp's claims of wage discrimination against Obama can be true.

[pattyfish]

I am a middle aged woman and can't believe we are still dealing with this.......

so much for progress.....

[garcia83]

THAT'S what I'm talking about, Obama! Hit him and get him!

[bakingmom]

This ad is PERFECT!!!!!! Hope it runs everywhere and hope it runs often!!!!! I want to give this woman a huge hug for saying it so perfectly . . .

[LSP]

This is an excellent ad. No spin here, just the plain truth. I hope it helps to convince the Hillary supporters. However, Republican women are another matter. For the most part, they seem to be perfectly willing to take a back seat and let the men control everything. Dinosaurs!

[saron123]

I love love love this ad.

[shaytoonee]

I love this ad. it is perfect and amazing.

so much better than that stupid spanish ad. he needs to get rid of that ad and make one like this for hispanic voters.

[drewtom]

In this months Glamour there is an article in which the editor interviews both Obama and McCain, and asks them the same questions. Obama answers each question directly, thoughtfully and demonstrates a genuine understanding of womens issues. McCain, avoids answering the questions, answers some questions with his message points..most of which are clearly off topic, and when he does answer he shows a complete lack of respect and/or empathy toward women.

My wife was reading this to me last night and I was amazed that any woman could even consider voting for this crazed old man. He and Palin will take away a womans right to choose, they will push their agenda if abstinence rather then sex education, and his belief that equal pay laws will create more litigation???? Palin screams sexism, when she and McCain are the most SEXIST people ever running.

[a4moose]

Hey, do you know what month that article? I want to put it on my website. Thank you!

[MizFlagPin]

No more low-information, under achieving leaders. The GOP needs to step up its game and bring some intelligence to the table:

Educational background of candidates:

O.b.a.m..a:
Occidental College - Two years.
Columbia University - B.A. political science with a specialization in international relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

B.i.d..e.n:
University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

M.c.C..a..i.n:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 of 899

P..a.l.i.n:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism

[bakingmom]

YES!!!! This is sooooooo on target!!!!!! Education is what it is all about!!!! Obama and Biden (and their awesome spouses) exemplify education and intelligence and discernment and judgment! McCain and Palin both needed to pay better attention in school (and to fundamental women's issues).

[DogBitez]

Oooh... nice ad! Ledbetter does a great job. And women need to know that the champions for women's rights is Obama and Biden. McCain and Palin would set us back decades.

[brooklynkevin]

Friends,

PBS has a short video on Sarah Palin on their website. Also included is a poll that asks: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be VP?bjw.bar­barajanet1­@verizon.n­et

I logged on a few minutes ago and 56% percent had voted YES, 44% NO.

Let's turn this around..... You don't have to give your name or email address in order to vote. It's very simple.

Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

[PhDiva]

Just voted. It's at 52/45. Let's keep turning it around.

[waterlilies]

Also just voted. It's at 51/45. Let's keep going.

[bakingmom]

I just voted (and voted once for each member of my family). I don't trust these kind of "polls" but I will always lend my voice/vote to any assessment of Palin's inadequacy for the vp spot.

[jgf654]

It's 51/46 Yes / No

[MsJezebel]

It is because this link is making its way round the conservative blogosphere:
http://conservablogs.com/velvethammer/2008/09/17/sarah-palin-poll-at-pbs-cast-your-vote/
I, and several, of my friends have written in to PBS to tell them that their polls have been compromised:
http://www.pbs.org/now/feedback.html
I suggest you do the same, and also remember this the next time you see a poll on TV. The only opinion that matters is your own, and you should never be swayed by the mere opinion of a majority in a poll.

[Vote For America]

Sept 20 Polling Update
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=62&ArticleName=Poll+Update+

Obama 289, McCain 249
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

Their Possible Pasts
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=60&ArticleName=Their+Possible+Pasts

Cindy McCain's Fallacious Rebuttal
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=54&ArticleName=Cindy+McCain%27s+Fallacious+Rebuttal

The Red November: An analysis on campaign marketing
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=50&ArticleName=The+Red+November

[MyTake]

You cannot educate a 72 year old man.

For McCain, you just need to retire him to one of his 7 houses.

[Docbcs]

The way to win the votes of older voters (a sizeable and reliable voting group) will not be through insulting them. Many 72 year old men and women are highly educable. Those of any age who have unswayable preconceptions about ANY group are not.

[PhDiva]

this isn't true. ageism doesn't help us. he's not too old. he's too rigid and wrong.

[SurrealPumpkin]

You certainly can educate a 72 year old man. You just can't educate this particular one. Go easy on the agism, there are plenty of retired folks out there who are still functioning well and contributing to society.

McCain's problem isn't that he's old, it's that he can't keep more then one thought going at a time.

[Jasemn]

Read this article, and consider: History is only "Old News" until it repeats.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen/4

Is this what Obama and 3rd Party candidates are really up against?

It's your democracy. It's your country. Now that you know, what will you do about it?

Shed apathy. Spread the word.

[katmeyster]

Thanks for the post and the reminder -- I will help spread the word.

[UWorlds1]

It's interesting. But as a matter of fact, here in Wisconsin people were sent envelopes in the mail...the pull out kind. Their instructions were to comfirm the mailing address. Evidently, the polling places are being moved. This seven weeks before the election. This leads to long lines and voters leaving the polls. It is going to interesting how the media covers this. Before the election...not eight years after.

Are we a "third world" country or what??

[any14pokerdotcom]

Thanks for the post. My sister is a reporter for a small town newspaper in Wisconsin. I told her to look into it and write an article that Newsweek will want to publish. Don't know if her editor would even let her write an article like that. He is pretty conservative. So much for the Liberal media Bias.