Bravo Barack! You made the right move when you agreed to a roll call vote for Hillary Clinton at the Democratic Convention in Denver. I say this as a former Hillary Campaign chair in Vermont. Certainly, the motive behind this joint decision was to bring Hillary supporters like me into the fold and bring the democrats together in Denver. I didn't need that signal to come on board. I had already pinned my Obama button on my lapel. What I did need was the assurance that Hillary Clinton will have a chapter in the history books. Her campaign began with the opening line, "make history," It will now be the concluding sentence as well.
Twenty-one women have run for the nomination of their party for President of the United States. Few of us could recite more than one, or possibly two names. None were serious contenders for the job, not even to themselves. But each one, starting with Victoria Woodhull in 1872, knew that by putting her name forward, she would be making it more possible for a woman to be elected some day. That some day is not here yet, but it is somewhat closer because Shirley Chisholm who ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972 received 151.25 delegate votes. Those votes are recorded; part of the record of women's gradual ascent to political power.
We know that Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was the first woman to be nominated at any convention, by a Vermont Republican, Senator George Aiken in 1964. That too, is on the record.
We know that Carol Moseley Braun ran for the democratic nomination, but withdrew before the convention.
That is why it is important for Hillary's votes to be counted at the convention. She is the first woman to have garnered some 18 million votes that almost broke the marble ceiling. Most significantly, she is the first woman to win a single state primary.
Our daughters and granddaughters have to be able to turn the pages of history and find these figures. The question is no longer, "How many votes will she get?" Neither is it whether she will take anything away from Obama. There are no hidden agendas here, as some had promoted and others had feared.
By giving Hillary Clinton her place in history, Obama has demonstrated that his key character trait -- generosity of spirit -- is not only admirable -- it works. Op-ed writer Maureen Dowd ridiculed him for letting Hillary steal the convention "like taking candy from a baby."
As usual, she missed the point. Obama is man enough to acknowledge her achievement and share the limelight, before he takes his rightful place on center stage. Yes, it was a strategic decision to bring us together but I like to think it was also the right decision not only for the Democratic Party, but for his young daughters and ours.
Madeleine M. Kunin is the first woman to have been elected Governor of Vermont. She's the former Ambassador to Switzerland, and was on the three-person team that chose Al Gore to be President Clinton's VP. Kunin is the author of Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead from Chelsea Green. For more information, visit chelseagreen.com.
