During the run-up to the 2004 election, I traveled around the country in support of John Kerry. Day after day on the road, I was blown away by the unbelievable women I met. From Hollywood to Hoboken, I saw first hand that this country is made-up of amazing women who do their best to make their lives and the lives of those around them better. These women care deeply about health care, the War, national security, education and the environment, and they have the potential to bring these issues to the forefront of political debate.
Yet, in the last presidential election, 20 million eligible unmarried women did not vote, making unmarried women the largest group of non-voters in the country. For whatever reason (and there are many) they have opted out of the electoral process. In part I think this is because they do not feel that those running for office are communicating with them. In part it is because these women do not realize the power they have to communicate with those seeking higher office by voting in large numbers. If they use their voices they will have a profound effect on who becomes the next resident of this country.
The truth is these 20 million women have become the Holy Grail for both parties. For the first time in history, the majority of US households are headed by someone who is not married and a whopping 24% of the US population is unmarried women. The face of our nation is truly changing.
Everyone is talking to them now. But are they listening?
Women's Voices. Women Vote has been listening to these women and finding innovative ways to motivate them since 2000 when they began trying to understand why so many single women weren't voting. This year I took part in their new voter mobilization PSA campaign called "20 Million Reasons".
Today we are one year, almost to the day, away from the '08 presidential election and Women's Voices Women Vote is kicking off this national campaign to inspire and activate unmarried women to register and vote.
Watch the first in a series of provocative and patriotic public service announcements I participated in from WVWV here:
And, actually, this could be said of all of us - the preoccupation with silly entertainment, gossip, etc. etc. that has so overtaken the media and public discourse these days so harms our country and its citizens - distracting us from becoming more and better informed and able to make better choices and not being fooled by the disinformation out there. Kudos to Christine for writing this, I am a big fan.
No wonder rich old white guys have been getting away with all of this devastation. The thugs and bullies of our current administration, and their equally scheming loyal opposition, want you to stay home. They want you to believe you do not count. They want Us all to believe We do not count.
AND LADIES, IF YOU DO NOT VOTE, THEN YOU DO NOT COUNT.
Apparently, you are not aware that one vote, on one day, can change the entire course of a nation.
Your day has appeared on the horizon.
Prepare for it.
Americans are cowards who are afraid to stand up to their corrupt government.
Tomas has a perfect voting record, and for most of my 45 years I just swung along thinking it was all fine, nothing to worry about. Many years ago the proposition concerning gay marriage motivated me. So what if I did not want to be married, if other people did, they should be able to. So I voted. Being a native from Los Angeles, I still kept swinging along, quite certain that it would pass, no problem.
I guess that was the day I woke up.
I have been voting ever since, we only missed one local issue due to a nasty car accident that left me prone for quite some time.
My problem this year is I am losing my mind. I am so angry at Nancy Pelosi for "Impeachment is off the Table", I am so angry that Condi Rice is a minority woman in a high position under THIS administration - I cannot even read HuffPost anymore - I have been ignoring it because I start to rant. I just logged on today because I felt a little behind, and the decision is coming up.
I am going to vote, but I have to be honest. I am so furious with the whole game that I constantly write angry letters to Congress telling them I am switching parties, or not voting at all.
I am furious because I am so sad about what we have become, and I feel powerless. And I do think we are toast, it is over, this administration has killed America.
But I am going to vote, because I can.
I hope the rest of the women would also.
Thanks Christine, and everyone else in the video.
Kelly Mahan Jaramillo
in their shoes.
After having heard the Presidential beauty pageant candidates from our alleged two-party system, none of them are qualified (with the exception of Dennis Kucinich) to adequately deal with the real economic issues which are affecting the nation's citizens. Unmarried people are often hit the hardest by massive economic upheavals, and because we're not married, it's extremely difficult to obtain any type of assistance, because married people and familes get a higher priority, while the unmarrieds are left to fend for themselves the best way they can. Perhaps it's because our patriarchial society views unmarried people as "socially inferior" to married people, and when you live in a nation which gives lip service to marriage and family -- but not necessarily life service, as indicated by our nation's high divorce rate -- if you're not married, you don't exist.
I'm considering supporting Kucinich ... but I can not support Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani (whom I call "Rudy Ghoul-iani") or any of the other Presidential beauty pageant contestants, because they're going to keep swimming the backstroke across the football field in order to please the "soccer moms" and "SUV/NASCAR dads" while leaving those of us who aren't married out in the cold.
We are being outpopulated across the globe. In Russia they must hold national holidays to have kids. Here we are addicted to vicarious visuals as we demonize procreation and replace it with safe sex, alternative lifestyles or abstainance and a culture of violence & death.
Fearing the worst, our leaders are selling the US to the 3rd world while they have all the kids and we pretend that money, war and bombs will protect us. Our downfall isn't just bad politics. Media is destroying we the people.
In 50 years this country will be history. The elite who worship materialism already know this. That's why they are selling the US to the 3rd world so they can wield their power and count their money while we become extinct.
Menawehile, while we're busy wondering why women are strong and men are wimps, NeoCon Neros and Caligulas rule a falling Western Rome. But they'll all be reincarnated into a world they helped destroy. What's fair is fair.
Am I right? What reforms could eliminate this disincentive to voting?
Anyone?
-A single man
But who do we have to vote FOR?
A bunch of power hungry clowns with no spines?
Same as it ever was...Republicrats. I can't tell the humans from the pigs any more.
...*heh*
If we don't then we get what we deserve.
I'm really tired of being considered a member of her "base". I would like a woman to be president, but I'm not going to vote for her just because she's a woman. That would just be shallow. And I know I'm not the only one...
These women need to get out and vote. If you can't get out, get an absentee ballot.
Limbaugh created the catch phrase "soccer mom" one year and both parties went ga ga over it. Maybe someone can create a catch phrase for the unmarried single head of household voter this time around.