Ellen Bravo: Ten Compelling Reasons for Women to Vote for Obama if he’s the Candidate
From the blog of author Ellen Bravo of Taking on the Big Boys:
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.
Comments to “Ellen Bravo: Ten Compelling Reasons for Women to Vote for Obama if he’s the Candidate”
[...] Barack Obama 2008 | positivelyBarack.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptEllen Bravo: Ten Compelling Reasons for Women to Vote for Obama if he’s the Candidate May 22nd, 2008 by JILL MILLER ZIMON From the blog of author Ellen Bravo of Taking on the Big Boys: 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 [...]
[...] Wonkette: The D.C. Gossip wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptEllen Bravo: Ten Compelling Reasons for Women to Vote for Obama if he’s the Candidate May 22nd, 2008 by JILL MILLER ZIMON From the blog of author Ellen Bravo of Taking on the Big Boys: 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 [...]
But if you vote for Obama you hate democracy! Zimbabwe!
Nice article Jill.
Thanks for that post Jill, I apologize for my intemperate words earlier and agree with you and Pete for the need for civility from supporters on both sides. Terrific way to point out the common ground between Clinton and Obama supporters without pointing fingers or assigning blame.
Thanks, both. I really like Ellen Bravo's work and perspective. She's not loony or extremist at all but, IMO, very matter of fact about what we need to do to improve our condition – EVERYONE's condition. I haven't yet read her book, Taking on the Big Boys, but I can't wait to. I did interview her a week ago but haven't had a chance to put up the transcript (so much else going on!!) But I really hope I have it done tonight or tomorrow).
Chris – how do you have 46 Disqus or whatever points! Wow. People must really like you.
Double “Wow.” I don't know how that happened.
When I first used this system I was commenting here and at Ed Morrissey's old Captain's Quarters blog. His supporters dutifully gave me negative marks on every comment I wrote, even though I tried to be thoughtful and cordial. To make a long story short, last time I checked my “clout” it was negative 20-something.
LOL – just shows to go, huh?!
For being so nice, I'll give you some “clout”
Take Bush-bashing, replace “Bush” with “McCain,” add “another Bush, the next Bush” monumental straw man, and you've proved P.T. Barnum correct yet again with a lot of Dem-voting suckers.
“He supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage”
Untrue, so far as I'm aware. McCain has said that he opposes gay marriage but thinks the matter should be left up to the states, and has said that he will NOT campaign in favor of a constitutional ban.
This is not to undermine the argument of why Clinton voters should vote for Obama, but I think keeping things accurate is important. Women (and men) who voted for Clinton instead of Obama should vote for Obama for a very simple reason. If Clinton supporters supported her mainly because of her policy positions, then it is ABSURD to consider voting for McCain over Obama, as McCain is lightyears from her political position and Obama is pretty close.
Personally, I would never consider the fact that a candidate was female in my vote, though I admit I'll be pleased when I'm able to vote for a candidate for president who I think is the best and happens to be female. However, for those women for whom this has been more about gender, and who feel offended by sexism in the campaign (leaving aside whether I agree it was there or not) now what we've got left are two men with very different positions. You have to vote, otherwise you have no voice, and you should vote for the candidate that best represents your positions. If you're a Clinton voter, that's almost certainly Obama.
Lynx is right concerning the federal constitutional amendment so far as I know but is the constitutional amendment against gay marriage one of those items he's changed his mind on? It wouldn't surprise me if he had. And he did support the one in Arizona strongly. And somehow being willing to restrict rights on a state by state basis isn't something I view as being all that different than doing it on a federal basis. That's one of the bits of hypocrisy that annoys me about Ron Paul and his followers.
“And somehow being willing to restrict rights on a state by state basis isn't something I view as being all that different than doing it on a federal basis. That's [...] hypocrisy”
There's nothing hypocritical about the distinction if you understand the constitution and know what constitutional federalism is about, which has nothing to do with Ron Paul and his group (so don't bother building any flimsy straw man in response).. Albeit few people know much, if any, about these things and worse still, even if they have some knowledge, have little to no respect for such things. That's the modern way (with roots going back to the nineteen-thirties and taking real flower in the 1960s).
“he will NOT campaign in favor of a constitutional ban”
1. A constitutional ban is silly. So many things belong left to states and localities…
2. As he is the next Dole, please, please, may he not begin to carry the Tenth Amendment (something Dole was no true supporter of) in his pocket (or begin using third person when talking about himself). Even for those of us who aren't fans of him to begin with, we'll notice such a thing and it is … a form of torture.
Jim and Lynx – interesting. Bravo is usually pretty impeccable – wonder what she was looking at.
Great post.
I am a 50 year old woman and I have been supporting Obama since the beginning.
I find Obama to be someone who supports and stands up for women and is someone who stands for the rights of all people.
I really wish some of the hyper Hillary supporters could read about Obama's mother and the person she was. She was simply an inspiring and trailblazing woman who worked to help women in poor countries. Amazing woman who shaped obama's views.
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