iowwwwaa (and the gender-card)
"He also said that, as predicted earlier, Mr. Obama has a big edge with younger voters and Mrs. Clinton an edge with women, and the fight is over younger women."
"Our colleague Marjorie Connelly, from our polling desk, reports that Mr. Obama’s strength came from younger voters, voters who are looking for change, independents and very liberal Democrats. He was the first choice of a third of women voters. In fact, the poll of Democrats as they entered the caucuses suggests that women were closely divided between Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Obama did best among men."
--New York Times Caucus blog
We've heard a lot of talk about the "gender card" during the campaign, which, although arguments include some valid points, always strikes me as sort of, well... you can't remove someone from their gender, of which has been an intergral thing throughout someone's life, forming her/his experiences.
Point? (And I'll make it quick.) Women are torn between Hillary and Obama. (Like myself.) Men don't seem to be, according to that last section. We're rooting for the home team, in this case the one that looks like us when naked, despite the fact that we're "not supposed to look at the gender card." But isn't that pretty hard to ask somebody, and also quite besides-the-fact? "Would you vote for Hillary if she were a man?" is something I've been asked and, at times when my Obamania is particulary high, ask myself. I don't know. But she's not. And she wouldn't be the same person if she were!
If she were not a woman (quite the bizarro sentence), I would not feel like a "traitor" to feminism by saying that I support Obama. And I do. And articles like this assure me that Obama has feminist interests deep at heart. Hence, I cheered and clapped and whistled and shouted when Obama won tonight. I was wooed by his inspiring--like always! and yet, always so fresh and renewing!--speech.
And yet. And yet and yet and yet. I cannot shake the feeling--like the other young women polled by the New York Times Caucus blog--that I am disowning my "team." Team Boobs, Hips and Vag. Team Ovaries. Team Female?(Admittedley a gross oversimplication.)
This is not a battle of the sexes, I tell myself. I do not like that Hillary Clinton does not seem as completely trustworthy, as fresh and inspiring, or as awe-inducing. When I sat with my college cronies tonight and watched the Iowa Caucus for three (yes, three) hours, everyone was rooting for Obama (prime demographic) and I was, too. I just was also rooting for Hillary. But I know that if I read, say, Gloria Steinem say that she was an Obama devotee, I might feel a little... well, cheated in some sense.
Also:
I have to agree with all of the previous posts about Clinton. I have never felt so guilty for not supporting someone as I do with Clinton. I do not feel she is the best candidate for the Presidency, but I also feel the need to defend her from the chauvanist criticism. So conflicting! At the end of the day, I am so pleased to be watching this Democratic primary (versus the one four years ago) in which there are many competent, sincere, and progressive candidates.
-- A post by user gst_scholarship18 on Feministing
vs.
I am always amazed that feminists in this country are more often against Hillary than for her (at least in my NOW chapter and among my "hippie" friends. I don't get it. Here is a woman that fought the fights like the rest of us and more and we have the one opportunity to say she is as good as anyone. No, instead, we put her through the double standard grinder and support someone who is more likely than not perpetuate the status quo. Women are 51% of U.S. population and we haven't seen one woman in the driving seat! When will women wake up? The chances are that if not Clinton, then we might not see another woman for decades again! How many women are willing to go through the hell she is going through? And how many women have the connections to be even remotely viable for that post?
--A post by user skilled-junkie, also on Feministing
All that said, I was extremely pleased that Obama did so well in Iowa, because, as I've highlighted, my loyalities do go both ways (oy vey). It's going to be an exciting ride, and I can barely wait.
"Our colleague Marjorie Connelly, from our polling desk, reports that Mr. Obama’s strength came from younger voters, voters who are looking for change, independents and very liberal Democrats. He was the first choice of a third of women voters. In fact, the poll of Democrats as they entered the caucuses suggests that women were closely divided between Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Obama did best among men."
--New York Times Caucus blog
We've heard a lot of talk about the "gender card" during the campaign, which, although arguments include some valid points, always strikes me as sort of, well... you can't remove someone from their gender, of which has been an intergral thing throughout someone's life, forming her/his experiences.
Point? (And I'll make it quick.) Women are torn between Hillary and Obama. (Like myself.) Men don't seem to be, according to that last section. We're rooting for the home team, in this case the one that looks like us when naked, despite the fact that we're "not supposed to look at the gender card." But isn't that pretty hard to ask somebody, and also quite besides-the-fact? "Would you vote for Hillary if she were a man?" is something I've been asked and, at times when my Obamania is particulary high, ask myself. I don't know. But she's not. And she wouldn't be the same person if she were!
If she were not a woman (quite the bizarro sentence), I would not feel like a "traitor" to feminism by saying that I support Obama. And I do. And articles like this assure me that Obama has feminist interests deep at heart. Hence, I cheered and clapped and whistled and shouted when Obama won tonight. I was wooed by his inspiring--like always! and yet, always so fresh and renewing!--speech.
And yet. And yet and yet and yet. I cannot shake the feeling--like the other young women polled by the New York Times Caucus blog--that I am disowning my "team." Team Boobs, Hips and Vag. Team Ovaries. Team Female?(Admittedley a gross oversimplication.)
This is not a battle of the sexes, I tell myself. I do not like that Hillary Clinton does not seem as completely trustworthy, as fresh and inspiring, or as awe-inducing. When I sat with my college cronies tonight and watched the Iowa Caucus for three (yes, three) hours, everyone was rooting for Obama (prime demographic) and I was, too. I just was also rooting for Hillary. But I know that if I read, say, Gloria Steinem say that she was an Obama devotee, I might feel a little... well, cheated in some sense.
Also:
I have to agree with all of the previous posts about Clinton. I have never felt so guilty for not supporting someone as I do with Clinton. I do not feel she is the best candidate for the Presidency, but I also feel the need to defend her from the chauvanist criticism. So conflicting! At the end of the day, I am so pleased to be watching this Democratic primary (versus the one four years ago) in which there are many competent, sincere, and progressive candidates.
-- A post by user gst_scholarship18 on Feministing
vs.
I am always amazed that feminists in this country are more often against Hillary than for her (at least in my NOW chapter and among my "hippie" friends. I don't get it. Here is a woman that fought the fights like the rest of us and more and we have the one opportunity to say she is as good as anyone. No, instead, we put her through the double standard grinder and support someone who is more likely than not perpetuate the status quo. Women are 51% of U.S. population and we haven't seen one woman in the driving seat! When will women wake up? The chances are that if not Clinton, then we might not see another woman for decades again! How many women are willing to go through the hell she is going through? And how many women have the connections to be even remotely viable for that post?
--A post by user skilled-junkie, also on Feministing
All that said, I was extremely pleased that Obama did so well in Iowa, because, as I've highlighted, my loyalities do go both ways (oy vey). It's going to be an exciting ride, and I can barely wait.