Ten Reasons Why Women Should Unite Behind Obama If He's the Candidate
Should Sen. Barack Obama emerge as the Democratic candidate, women have compelling reasons to support his candidacy. Here are my top ten:
10. Nearly half of women voting in the Democratic primaries already support Sen. Obama's candidacy. CNN compiled exit polling data from all the states that held primaries before West Virginia. Averaging the percentage that each candidate received from women voters in these states, the two Democratic candidates were only three points apart (46.6% for Obama, 49.6% for Clinton). Sen. Obama won the women's vote in 13 states, compared to 16 for Clinton -- and that's not counting the caucuses where he won decisively, including among women.
9. Support for Sen. Obama among women is not surprising. His stands on issues important to women, from fair pay to reproductive justice to support for paid sick days and paid family leave, are strikingly similar to Sen. Clinton's. He'll be not just on the right side but a champion for gender justice. Above all, he has shown his commitment and ability to galvanize grassroots movements -- the key to moving our agenda.
8. He has attributed his understanding of gender to the strong women in his life, including his mother, grandmother and wife Michelle. Having been raised by a single mother, he has insights into the lives of those who need food stamps to feed their families or have to choose between seeking health care or paying the rent. As an engaged father he understands the reality of work-life conflicts, but he also sees how these fall disproportionately on women, and how much more difficult they are for women without resources.
7. Our anger at the sexism that emerged in this campaign, from low-life hecklers to high-profile pundits, should stoke our determination but not determine our vote. At the same time, we must all oppose the racism that emerged in both blatant and coded ways and recognize that breaking that glass ceiling is also a blow to the Big Boys, one that weakens them and strengthens us.
6. Women can set an example of unity to build a stronger party that draws on the unprecedented turnout in the primaries among African-Americans, women of all races, young people and others who have too long been left out of political decision-making. Such a coming together will not only power an election victory, but lay the groundwork for significant social change in the coming years.
5. John McCain on the war: Sen. Obama's early judgment opposing the war in Iraq puts him in an excellent position to take on John McCain, who has not only supported the war from its onset but professed to having no problem should troops remain in Iraq for 100 years. Women can't afford a president who thinks "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" is a stance to brag about.
4. John McCain on the right to abortion: not only does he oppose it, he's pledged to fill any Supreme Court vacancies with justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade.
3. John McCain on health care: McCain voted against reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program for five years. His health plan provides $2 billion in tax cuts to the top ten health insurance companies, while allowing those companies to exclude people with pre-existing conditions.
2. John McCain on valuing families: When Congress was considering the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, McCain voted to suspend it unless the federal government certified that compliance wouldn't increase business expenses or gave employers financial assistance to cover any costs. He supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and campaigned for an Arizona constitutional amendment banning any legal recognition to gay couples.
1. John McCain on fair pay: He opposes the Fair Pay Restoration Act on the grounds that it will create too many lawsuits (this is like opposing OSHA inspections on the grounds that too many violations will be found). He also opposed raising the minimum wage and safeguarding overtime rights.
And did I mention John McCain?
Those of us who have been supporting Obama welcome the passionate, hard-working supporters of Sen. Clinton -- as we will support her should the campaign turn out differently than expected. Every woman angry at the way in which gender discrimination has robbed our pay, crimped our opportunities, devalued our work in the labor force and in the home, minimized our pain and trivialized the barriers we face, now has a great opportunity to determine the outcome of this election. We also have a great responsibility, to ourselves and the women who follow.
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John McCain COULD be worse than Bush!
He would certainly bomb Iran and possibly N. Korea too.
How about every 4 years we elect the best human being to be president regardless of gender or race?
I fear you may be preaching to the choir, as most of the Clinton supporters that I have encountered here are unlikely to listen to any reason but the ones that allow Hillary to win the nomination.
The Clinton supporters I know will support Obama, and vice versa. I've read comment on HuffPo from Clinton supporters that they will support him as well. Reconciliation is a message we've heard from both candidates-- I'm hoping those few I've read who vow to vote for Mc Cain are just chaos in search of an operation.
I will vote for Hillary, but if she is on the same ticket with Obama, I will vote for that ticket. I like her, I want her to be in the picture. Without her, Obama will not get my vote.
I have a question for women who take this position. Do you have a daughter? I do, she is 5.
The thought of women who consider themselves to be feminists either sitting this election out or voting for McCain turns my stomach.
The thought of my daughter growing up with a Supreme Court that is loaded with judges who do not respect a woman's fundamental right to control her own body--and the message this would give her turns my stomach.
The thought that she will have to fight these fights all over again, from fair pay to a right to choose, turns my stomach.
Please do no tell me that it will be my fault for backing Obama in the first place--that is nothing more than emotional blackmail.
I don't think my daughter should have her rights taken from her because some Clinton supporters can't see past their own anger and look at what is actually at stake.
I don't know why Barack gets the blame for sexism in the media and on internet blogs.
Really? You can't think of a thing, Sweetie?
LOL
That's it? That's all you've got?
All right. Now we have Hillary supporters here suddenly dragging out the argument of the day -- sexism. Barack is a sexist simply because he's a man. They can't give any examples of his sexism, but because Hillary says it's so, then it must be so. Hillary has said a lot of things to try to get herself elected and many of them haven't been true. She said she would help unite the party behind the eventual nominee. I guess that wasn't true either.
There is a streak of misogyny still in our culture. HRC is a pathfinder for women of all ages. That said, despite her best efforts and on some ill advised campaign tactics ( no worse than those employed by most male politicians) it looks like Obama is the nominee. That does not mean HRC should not see this through until the voting is done.
She will then take the high road and reconcile. So will her supporters if they are given the room to do this with grace.
Barack is not a sexist, and Hillary is not a racist. Let's be real. They are two well-meaning candidates. I just prefer Hillary.
Thanks for being honest and thinking clearly. I support Obama, but I have two daughters and don't see why I wouldn't vote for Hillary if by miracle she gets the nomination.
I agree Hillary is not a racist.
But she has used race-baiting.
Really? You can't think of a thing, Sweetie?
Yeah, you said that already.
"Barack is a sexist simply because he's a man."
Precisely. It's the same type of "guilt by association" game that makes people think Obama has to denounce people like Rev. Wright, Ayers, and even Louis Farrakhan. They're making Obama the stand-in for every sexist man in this campaign, most of whom aren't even voting for him.
It would be downright pathetic if Obama were to overcome racism in this campaign, only to be done in by misandry.
When you challenge a Hillary supporter who will not support Barack, you really get a sense that they feel insulted on these websites and there really isn't any justifiable criticisms of the campaign itself. Which is too bad when you consider that 16M+ have voted for Barack and the ignorant bloggers who insult people probably make up .0000001% of his supporters.
My wife is for HRC and I am for Barack and would gladly vote for either. I pray others take a more rational approach to this as well and resist the urge to exercise a "revenge" vote. Excluding all the scrapping going on they are pretty much alike on how they view the world and we really have to much at stake in this country to let the GOP keep running things.
These are great reasons. But I think the funniest part of this is the lame sore loser comments from the Clinton supporters.
These were very good reasons to look in to Obama more and understand him more. The fact that some comments are so dismissive and not deemed worthy enough to even explore shows character into the types of people supporting Clinton. Oh well it's almost over. I can hear Nelson from the Simpsons now . "Ha Ha!"
Plenty of thoughtful intelligent people supported Clinton. A few strident ones, who may even be from chaos, are not worth talking about. The negativity is not indicative of most of those supporters-- it's an aberration.
I can understand the support of Clinton in the beginning. Hell even I said I am choosing Obama but I win either way. I get the candidate I chose or the first woman. It's history. We are going to be present for major history. I was not born for MLK or Kennedy. So to be present for something so big, my eyes well up with tears and my heart is full. That's how I felt in the beginning. And after watching what has gone down, I only feel that for one candidate.
As I said I understand the support at first, but now there is no excuse. It's like supporting Bush for a second term. People knew it was wrong, and knew what he had already done to screw this country up. They could see with a clear line of sight where this country was going. And yet they still voted for him. Clinton gives me the same vibes. She has destroyed her image, her credibility, and has quite nearly caused irreparable damage to the democratic party simply for her own gains. We are only lucky that Obama has pulled enough gains to be the presumptive nominee. And we still have time to repair the damage. People will think this out and realize once Obama can fully go after McCain and debate him, what we are actually dealing with. McCain won't be able to hide behind Hillary's ego and escape being ignored by the media for his massive blunders.
I voted for Obama, but I have nothing against those who supported her...it's our right to support whomever we choose. But the ones who are turning this into a war against women seem to have lost all perspective her about what the most important thing is...as much as we might like it, that isn't getting a woman elected, it's making sure we don't end up with someone worse than Bush, and the more I hear from McCain, the more conviced I'm becoming that he would be worse...so I sure hope you're right!
Exactly, those supporters couldn't care less about ISSUES, or what's best for our country, only about using their threats to try and get their way, and their votes to try and get revenge...
Thank you for an excellent article. I hope more will read it.
I'd also like to ask that commenters on this article not attack candidates (unless its McCain ^_^... although I see one has already begun...). This article is a plea for unity in the name of the people's best interests and the comments should reflect that.
You forgot the most important reason - because Hillary Clinton would want you to do so for the democratic party!
Thanks, but no thanks.
does that mean you are a democrat who will either abstain from voting or vote mccain before obama?
if that is that case would you be able to list 10 reasons why mccain is a better choice than obama?
More articles like this please!!!
We need more articles about coming together, voting on the issues and squashing these threats of revenge voting.
Yep. Because he's a GENTLEMAN which is rare nowadays. We certainly haven't had a gentleman president since Reagan.
Really, Sweetie?
Yep, he's a gentleman and he's going to be the Democratic nominee for President. Get used to it, Sweetie.
That's all you've got. That is the ONLY example you can come up with of Barack Obama being sexist, that he referred to a female reporter as "sweetie."
Wow.
Bravo, Ellen! (Sorry, just couldn't resist :)
Thank you!!!
Should? He has emerged as the Candidate.
Though I thank you for your column.
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