Womens' Night at the Convention... Or Not
What a speech. It was warm and persuasive and smart, and only a troll like Dick Morris could have failed to be moved when she talked about her commitment to the working folks of America. And yes, while Hillary gave a killer speech -- and thank god, maybe now those dreadful PUMAs and their enabler/handler Chris Matthews will slink back to the Rockies where they belong -- there was another fired-up woman last night who rocked the house. And that was Lilly Ledbetter, the scrappy retired Alabama grandmother who sued Goodyear for not paying her the same as her male co-workers so that other American women wouldn't have to suffer as she did. Talk about rising to the occasion.
Tuesday night was supposed to be women's night, in honor of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the vote. And while Hillary punched that message hard, and in her flaming orange pantsuit, was vibrant proof of how far women have come in those 88 years -- it was hard not to feel a bit, oh, shall we say, bitter? An unpleasant stab of dissonance.
Yes, Hillary did shatter those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling in her run for the presidency. Yes, we finally have a female Speaker of the House and several women governors. Pop open the champagne! But in a night that was supposed to celebrate women and their achievements, why the Brotherhood of the Traveling Pantsuits? Why so many men speakers? Where were the fiery Sanchez sisters, for instance, my homegirls from California? Instead we got the bland white-toast Mark Warner and the anti-choice Bob Casey, who managed to weasel his opposition to abortion into the Democratic platform. For a second I felt like I'd stumbled into the wrong convention.
And as Lilly Ledbetter so powerfully reminded us, how smug can women be when 88 years after we got the right to vote, we still don't have the right to equal pay? How is that possible? Ledbetter tried hard to get women that right so they could support their families, so their husbands wouldn't have to work so hard. She didn't do it for herself. She did it because it was fair and it was right. She took her case all the way to the Supreme Court. But those good ole boys on the bench Antonin Scalia and John Roberts and Clarence Thomas didn't think she sued Goodyear quickly enough, even though the company had a strict policy of not divulging employees' salaries -- and she lost. The Senate wouldn't even bring up the Fair Pay Act for a vote. That's how far we've come, baby.
These are the same justices, by the way, that John McCain, without prompting, said during the Saddleback Forum that if it were up to him he would appoint again. So much for being a maverick.
If it wasn't clear by last night, it should be now: John McCain would be a disaster for women. And I don't just mean because of the appalling way he treats Cindy and his total lack of respect for her. Hillary made that point too. "In 2008, he still thinks it's OK that women don't earn equal pay," she said, among other zingers.
Is this any surprise, though, from a man who joked to a crowd of gnarly South Dakota bikers this month that "with a little luck" his wife could be the "only woman to serve as First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip"? A contest where the entrants parade around topless and in thongs.
Is this what Hillary's supporters truly want rather than equal pay? I hope not.
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.
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Hillary could probably clear her campaign debt by bringing out a line of the flaming orange pantsuits in mens sizes.
There so many men that were so beside themselves when it didn't work out, that they'd joyfully wear Hillary's pantsuit if it would help.
Always the fascination with her pantsuits ........ wonder what Freud would say about that.
What would Betty say about this? tsk tsk
Mona,
Hillary supporters do not have a Monopoly on equal pay and equal rights, neither does Obama's: All Americans, rather female or male, white or black, Latino or Asian or Native, have this right. It is not just Hillary's women - It's American women. It is not a Hillary Movement, it is the People's Movement.
When you spoke of the anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving a woman (white women, that is) right to vote, let's not forget the others giving everyone, regardless of sex, age, race, ethnicity, language barriers, class, that right.
Have you ever heard in a biblical scripture that the power of death and life lies within the tongue? Mona, as a writer, you have the power to use your words to inspire, to heal. Please make it happen. Everyone, women and men alike, is depending on inspiration to get us through to Election day. Please help us to stay inspired by the words you use.
He had C a s e y and W a r n e r because he wants to win those two states.
OK, no offense, but what's your problem ma'm? Hillary's speech was awesome, her pantsuit joke was great, Chris Matthews probably had chills running up his leg again, and I may be mistaken but isn't it important to have men on the podium to show they support women's issues as well?
It puzzles me that you would have a problem with someone who isn't pro-choice. People do have a right to be pro-choice you know, and they are part of the club, you can't ignore them nor should you. If you do, you really haven't listened to Mr. Obama's message. Agree to disagree remember? Give it a try, it's quite liberating. Speaking of liberating: Don't look at everything from you own point of view, try to see the world through other people's eyes once in a while. It's all about nuance.
yea.. and people have a right to be racist, and homophobic???
Well said Mona!! I'm in complete agreement: When it comes to women in society, McCain is still living in a 50's mindset. Wake up folks!
Sorry, I respect the opinion and I understand where's coming from - but it also sounds a bit like a set-up for the kind of sour grapes combatativeness that created the PUMAs. Basically you're just creating the Message to be twisted around by some group who wouldn't let up about how "unbalanced" it all was unless EVERY person on stage (other than Obama, I suppose) were female.
that's what happens when you don't watch C-Span....you might want to check the speech register on that one:
http://www.demconvention.com/tuesday-speeches/page/0
Either way i think it was a good thing to mix it up...we don't have to knee jerk men out of a special day. They can play a role.
"And yes, while Hillary gave a killer speech--and thank god, maybe now those dreadful PUMAs and their enabler/handler Chris Matthews..."
Sweetie, did you not hear Chris Matthews making fun of the PUMAs and calling them "wackos"? Did you not hear him trying to get at least one of them to give a sane, rational answer to a question or to prove their claims which they refused to do?
I think you must be one of the very few people in America who completely misunderstood what was going on. Please strive for a modicum of accuracy.
Please. Chris Matthews needs the PUMAs like he needs oxygen and food. They validate his sense of the America as a place populated by gallant men and bitter women. He wasn't trying to get them to give him a sane anything. The only way he can be right is if the PUMAs are wrong.
haha haven't you noticed? The Obama campaign hates women that's why!
rubyrubyruby, that is false, false, false. You know that. :-)
Obama has a great voting record on women's issues. He is married to a strong woman he respects absolutely and is faithful to. He has chosen a vice president who is devoted to and proud of his wife and her work, and he has a good record of his own, including landmark legislation on domestic abuse.
Obama was raised by two women and has two daughters. He is anything but a "woman hater". He will be a good president for everybody, but especially good for women and light years ahead of John McCain.
He'll also be good for the McCain's when their footloose and vapid daughter comes to them saying she needs some money for a procedure.
I believe the women of the Senate were scheduled to speak Tuesday and the women of the House are scheduled to speak Wednesday. They are becoming sufficiently numerous, together with women governors, to be spread over two nights!
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