The Hurdle Hillary Supporters Can't Get Over

Sometimes I'm surprised at the thoughts that spring into my head when I'm not expecting them, especially the political ones.

Last weekend brought some much needed R&R from parenting as one of my stepdaughters took over the reigns, bringing down my mental anxiety a notch on a variety of fronts.

In that moment, as I was pondering why there is still so much coverage of the so-called reluctance of "older" Hillary Clinton supporters to become enthusiastic about Barack Obama, I had one of those light-bulb, Oprah AHA! moments.

When some women look at what Obama has achieved, they see the younger, sometimes not-quite-as-qualified, man in their office who was promoted before them.

The one who got a raise that they should have gotten. The one who got the corner office with the window while they still sat in the cubicle.

They remember how that felt and how, if they wanted to keep their jobs and benefits, they couldn't really raise a stink about it, even though it was unfair.

They remember what happened to them when they did raise it and were shot down.

There are plenty of us who have been in that work situation. I have.

As a young news reporter just starting out in television in the 1980s, I was told up front that I would not be getting paid as much as some of the guys. There are always plenty of "reasons" -- they're married and have kids to support, you're married and have a husband who's contributing, you're married and have another income and the single guys don't.

And that was always just the start. I saw men who were younger and less qualified get promoted over me at a large government agency because they knew what I liked to call the "secret handshake" -- that intangible 'guy' thing that often seems to help push them up the ladder a bit ahead of their female counterparts, even when we were working harder and longer hours (and weren't working on separate business ventures on government time).

While this is clearly not the perfect analogy for comparing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and how their supporters feel, I suspect that there is a subliminal lingering sense of resentment of that all-too-common workplace phenomenon that has something to do with the reported numbers of Hillary supporters who claim they will not vote for Obama.

My experiences of not always being treated fairly or equally in the workplace are not going to prevent me from voting for Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. But I have to wonder whether the persistent sense of experienced women coming up short in the workplace and having to take the helper's role to the younger man in the office is something that will unconsciously tip more than a few mid-life women into the John McCain or 'other' column.

For better or worse, the sum of our life experiences color and inform our election decisions and judgments. If Barack Obama wants to start wooing back some of the women who claim they are leaning toward McCain, he needs to find some empathy about these workplace experiences. It won't be enough to send Michelle out to the speaker's platform to do that.

Barack, you'll have to find it in yourself to take that one up, as well.

While Joanne Bamberger couldn't get out to the convention in Denver with her fellow MOMocrats, she'll still be writing about the events and goings on at her place, PunditMom, as well as at BlogHer, where she is a Contributing Editor for Politics & News.

For more Huffington Post coverage from the Democratic National Convention, visit our Politics @ the DNC page, our Democratic Convention Big News Page, and our HuffPost bloggers' Twitter feed, live from Denver.

Follow Joanne Bamberger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PunditMom

Comments

[LeftRight]

Of course, Obama is JUST as qualified, and a better speaker, who is and has been doing a better job at convincing his future employers (all 300,000,000 of us!) that he is the better person for the job!

By contrast, Hillary simply didn't get it done as well.

But in NEITHER case did Hillary lose out to a "lesser qualified" man.

[William1950]

Tonight, after Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC, I too, like a couple of the news anchors - Matthews and Olberman - I too, am proud to be an American. Part of this time when we can have a man as qualified, and more than that; when we can have a man as right for the time as Barack Obama.
I know that Hillary's supporters were behind her and wanted to see a woman president... I would think though that they would see that Obama happened upon our time and truly is the person to lead us through the coming years. I would think that if they are thinking people that they will see that these events had less to do with Hillary than they have to do with the country as a whole seeing someone who in my humble opinion will be able to represent the America that I and so many others believe in. Someone who will be able to restore our place as a leader for the world, and as a friend of the oppressed... It is not that Hillary is so bad, rather that Barack is better .. better suited for this time, better suited for the challenges we have to face.
Respectfully,
william

[XME]

I'm not one of these women, but my mother is. While I understand the frustration of her generation, I hope they realize BEFORE it's too late that not backing Obama doesn't punish Obama, it punishes every American. While they may feel Clinton was more "deserving", the bottom line is Obama won because more Americans felt he was the better candidate, NOT because men ganged up on the woman and took it from her. That's our system, and it has nothing to do with sexism or male chauvinism denying the woman her rightful job.

I'm a 38 year-old white woman. While I'd love to see a woman president, I've supported Obama from the beginning because I feel he's the better candidate. My decision was based not just on experience or length of time in the public eye, but on character, judgement, issues, experience, gut instinct and more. Just because one has been in the political arena longer than the other, doesn't mean they have a claim to the nomination, or that they deserve it more, and just because she didn't get it, doesn't mean she was wronged or that it was due to sexism...it just means that more Americans, men AND women, felt he was the better candidate.

What makes America so great is that this is how we nominate presidents, not JUST by seniority. If that were the case, we wouldn't need elections or voters at all...and John McCain would automatically be our next president!

[Thembi]

Very thoughtful and well-written post. I see a lot of merit in this theory. The only glitch is that these women must not see race, because I dont see young black men just whizzing past white women in any office heirarchy. Along those same lines, is it any wonder that Obama took 90% of the black vote against Hillary? I could understand seeing her as the tenured white person who is not as capable but gets ahead anyway...

[jsinclair]

Hillary's not exactly the model of the passed-over victim.

She was raised in a financially well-off family and who was able to afford her an excellent education. Her talents were acknowledged.

She never had the experiences that lawyers like Ruth Bader Ginsberg did of being demeaned professionally because she was a woman.

She and Bill were ambitious and she helped him succeed. As a result, she had the political machine...­network...­from his presidency--plus the name recognition...plus the big MONEY and trained advisers--that are all so elusive for most women running for office.

She's done well with what she's been given, but she had far more ADVANTAGES coming into this campaign (and being elected as senator) than Obama did.

More to the point, people looking for leadership, politicallly courageous stands from her--times when she took a risk for her conscience--come up with...nothing. (From Terry Schiavo...to flag burning...to the Iraq war and all the legislation supporting it...she's always triangulated to appeal to the widest number of voters).

Hillary may or may not be a good role model for women. But she is definitely NOT a struggling "underdog" and never has been.

[abcjohnson]

Kudos for this adroit response. It's sad that some people are not seeing that the REAL underdog is actually winning. This speaks volumes to the point that some people identify with someone of the same race, religion, gender etc., even when that person in NO WAY resembles them or reflects their day to day struggles.

Bush is a patrician, over-privileged, Christian-­of-conveni­ence with a fake Texas accent, but that was enough to fool LOTS of people into identifying with him.

I hope that any woman who thinks Hilary represents their life experience of being passed over will realize that voting for John McCain will REALLY ruin women's chances of having full reproductive rights and gender parity. Barack Obama's wife earned a bigger Salary than he did before she took the role of future First Lady. If anyone cares about women, it sure ain't John McCain.

[RighteousisRight]

Ummm.......how about the hundreds of years AA have seen work without pay, life without freedom, and service without respect? Barack's win unfortunately meant Hillary had to lose. That's like saying if Hillary won, that invalidated Barack and black people somehow. I hate those who think that electing Barack somehow de-legitamizes working women or women in general. If Hillary supporters think that electing John McCain will stick it to Barack Obama and the people who support him and not negatively affect them....that oblivious thinking resembles the small remaining Bush supporters!

[clmiller50]

Once again its about Hillary, damn when is ot going to end.

[Janco54]

Obama is married to a woman who has dealt with all the issues you wrote about. What the hell do you want from him? Empathy - check. Done. Understanding - check. Done. Give Hillary the nomination - no freakin way.

[Shzron1946]

I keep wondering about the issue of faith. Back in April when I realized what a roller coaster this election would be, I took to my knees and prayed. I told myself if God means it to be, it will be, and I found peace in that, and he has survived, and I believe he will continue to do so. So when things get rough, I pray. God only knows what he means to happen here. I say, keep praying. Cut the idiot neurotic Hilary women free and stop listening to them, and get on about the business of running a campaign. If Hilary and Bill are not enthusiastic enough, cut them loose too. Let's just go for it. I am so excited to have an actual intelligent thinking human being who has demonstrated his judgment by the type of well-planned campaign he ran and by his logical thinking on the war in Iraq (I came to the same conclusion whay back in 2002 and demonstrated against it). Hey, he's got a brain and he uses it. Is that too much to hope for in a President? Let's give it a chance, we sure don't need McCain.

[mhaven]

Did that young guy who got the promotion look more like Barack Obama, or John McCain?

[OhReallySheSaid]

Bingo.

[phae100]

Actually, McCain looks like the employer handing out promotions, and these women don't dare get angry at him. They take it out on someone they perceive to be fightable.

[BlueAsh]

Your insight into the psychology of those older female voters and your analysis are both interesting.

What needs to be pointed out is that Hillary Clinton is NOT one of those victims--and therefore projecting onto her one's own failed aspirations in life (and onto Obama, one's anger) reveals more one's own psychological problems than anything else.

First of all, she's been in positions of power for many years of her life. She has been one of those with the power to affect--and change--lives of women (obviously the question is: what has she done for women?)

She rose to prominent positions on the coattail of her husband, bypassing many young or old, male or female. Consider her role in the healthcare reform. She was handed over the role on a platter. How many well qualified women has she stepped over? (And obviously the question is: what has she accomplished in that role?)

Essentially, see a shrink if you think Obama has taken away your opportunities in life.

[seatea1967]

Good god, yes. Thank you!

[FogCityJohn]

Ms. Bamberger, may I ask you one question? In all of those instances in which an older woman was passed over for a promotion in favor of a younger, less qualified man, can you tell me how many times the younger, allegedly less qualified man was (a) BLACK and (b) the former president of the Harvard Law Review? Do you really think black guys regularly get promoted over white women? Take a look at your former law firm and ask how many African-American partners it has. I think the numbers will tell the story.

And then you might ask yourself another question. How many times do you think that bright, capable, young African-American men with flawless academic credentials have been passed over for promotion in favor of a (white) woman who's married to the CEO or someone else with connections? If Hillary had won the nomination, how much patience would you and other Clinton supporters have with African-Americans disappointed that "their" candidate had lost? You've all complained loudly about sexism in the campaign, but I didn't hear too many protests from you when Hillary was comparing Obama to Louis Farrakhan based on nothing but skin color or talking about how Obama can't reach "hardworking Americans, white Americans." African-Americans swallowed a lot of Hillary's "tough campaign tactics." They got over it and moved on. Perhaps you should too.

[Cramus]

If the angry women want to vent all their frustraions on Obama and vote for McCain they will vote against themselves. McCain is scarey in his views of the world. It is unhealthy to be blinded by your anger and resentment. Obama has been bending over backwards to acknowedge and be respectful. Hillary made some mistakes in her campaign. In addition, McCain is just stokeing the anger to his benefit. He's just using the anger and resentment, and will not represent and really respect the angry ones. Don't be blinded by your anger

[RI]

That "unfairly treated" resentment may be justified, but it was Hillary and her team who stoked it and focused it unfairly on Obama.

The PUMA say he was "selected, not elected" repeating the Clinton lie and cite the fallacious arguments about MI and FL that were totally manufactured out of nothing but desperation. Her campaign was a disgrace and a blatant manipulation of woman.

[QPulpit]

Perhaps a few columns explaining that Senator Obama has MORE experience as a legislator than Senator Clinton would help.

Perhaps explaining the fact that Senator Clinton had no chance of winning the nomination after Senator Obama's winning streak would help.

Perhaps pointing out that Senator Clinton's campaign was essentially bankrupt after the first contest would be illuminating.

Senator Obama is the best candidate the Democratic Party could have fielded for President. If the mentally challenged "older Clinton supporters" don't support him he may lose. Then these imbeciles will have proven just how repugnant they are.

Sad state of affairs for the Democratic Party.