I wrote this as a comment on this post, but then it got long and required spellcheck and paragraphs, and I decided that it really should live over here. So read the original post first and then come back here. It’s ok. I’ll wait.
Back? Excellent.
I seem to be in the minority here, but Obama is my man, and here’s why:
1. It IS sad that so much sexism has been leveled at Hillary, and that’s not her fault, but it also doesn’t sway me to vote for her, if only for one, very practical reason–sexism is more entrenched in the US than racism, or at the very least, it’s more socially acceptable. It’s OK to say “yeah, but because she’s a woman,” where it would NEVER be ok to say “yeah, but because he’s black…” This sucks. However, it’s a practical (albeit ugly) fact of politics in the United States at the moment that a lot of people will quite openly make their decision to vote (or not vote) for Hillary based on her sex. Historically, black men have been elected to most offices before white women, and I think this leaves Obama with a better shot at the Oval Office in an open election. It’s more important to me that some of the crazy Republicans NOT take office than that I make a symbolic vote for my gender over my bleeding heart politics.
2. She does have experience, and that’s part of the problem. She’s so hooked into the political system that I worry that she’s a figurehead for a lot of powerful people. A lot of powerful MEN. (Not that there’s anything wrong with men, but why have a woman president because she’s a woman if she’s not a genuinely exciting political choice in her own right, but instead is just another candidate with good connections?) Obama is an exciting political choice. Sure, he needs an experienced Vice President. Sure, he’s newer to all this. But so were some of the presidential greats, and clearly presidents with the oval office in their bloodstreams aren’t going so well for us.
3. Which brings me to: If Hillary were to hold office for two terms, that would leave the leadership of this country in the hands of two dynastic families for a grand 32 consecutive years, which is TOO LONG, especially for such a young country. The point of democracy is not to pass leadership around from one member of a prominent family to the next. The point is to bring in some fresh blood. It highlights the inherent inequality of the system if we elect her as an extension of her husband, as I think we can’t escape doing. It sucks for her, but she’s always going to be standing in his spotlight for a lot of people, and her politics are certainly difficult to separate from his.
Basically, I’m a big sucker for the Obama tagline. It’s time for change, and I think that means it’s time for a young, fresh, half-Kenyan guy whose middle name is Hussein. It’s time to move away from the political establishment. It’s time to find our inner agitators. We’ll have a female president someday, but when we do, I want it to be someone I’m excited about voting for, someone who isn’t constantly compared to her husband, and someone who brings new exciting ideas to the table BESIDES her gender.
I’m emotionally swayed by the sexism launched at Hillary. I feel bad for her. It’s terrible that people are using her gender to talk about her politics. But it makes me as a woman want not to buy into the pitch. I want to see her outside of her gender. I want to not be having this conversation as if her gender is a statement about her ability, politics, or potential. And when you remove gender from the picture, I’m more excited about Obama. I’m all for feminism and the advancement of women, which is EXACTLY why I don’t plan to vote for Hillary–because the pronouns we use to refer to her shouldn’t cast a light on her politically AT ALL. It’s just not FAIR.
Of course, that said, if Hillary gets the Democratic nomination, I’ll vote for her, cheer for her, and probably jump up and down squealing if she wins. But I’d rather have my man Barack
This is exciting. I feel inspirational.
Re: Point # 1. I thought about this, too. It’s possible that Obama might be more likely to win against a Republican candidate because of widespread misogyny amongst voters. But I think racism is just as widespread as sexism. Overt racism is less socially acceptable than overt sexism, but you don’t have to be socially acceptable in the privacy of the voting booth. So I don’t really feel confident that Obama is more likely to win against the Republican candidate than Clinton is. Also, I hate the thought of another conservative president just as much as the next bleeding-heart liberal, but I really would hate to base my vote on other people’s racism/sexism. (Not that I think you are basing your vote only on that, obviously. I just feel like I’m playing into the hands of racists/sexists by taking it into account at all.)
Re: Point #3. It’s really interesting that you see Hillary as a dynastic extension of Bill. I hadn’t taken that into consideration at all. In fact, I don’t know very much about Bill Clinton’s policies; I was not politically aware enough in elementary/middle school to remember any of his policies, and I’m only vaguely acquainted with them in retrospect. So that wouldn’t be part of my rationale at all, though it undoubtedly would be for many older voters. I also do think there’s a difference between getting ahead in politics because of your father and getting a head start in politics because of your husband.
Which isn’t to say that I don’t like Obama. I do, and I’d be absolutely thrilled if he were our next president. I’d cheer and jump and squeal and all that. I mean, Clinton and Obama voted the same way on issues since they’ve been in office over 90% of the time, so it’s not as if their politics are very different anyway.
In conclusion, nice post. I hope this comment is not too long, because I’m pretty sure all my friends will hurt me if I make another political post.
It’s so lovely to see more political posts right now. I love getting a glimpse into who want to vote for whom and why.
I’m still an avid Hillary Clinton supporter. Though, like you said about her at the end if Obama gets the nomination I will be a supporter of his from that day forward.
Them running together? Bliss.
Saw you on SchnozzFest talking about your newfound bunny obsession. I have one as well so I thought I would check you out.
(also I have a contest on my site running now to win an etsy.com gift certificate if you are interested.)
Amen, M. I’m a big Obama fan, as everyone who’s spoken to me lately knows. I’m obsessed. I have a political crush. Whatever.
As for the dynasty thing, which I heartily agree with, look at her advisors or the people standing behind her at the rallies — LOTS of familiar faces. Plenty of (Bill) Clinton people are supporting other candidates, but almost all of Hillary’s crew, who presumably will stay involved if she wins, are relics from the 90s. I don’t claim to be an expert on her husband’s policies, but I do have a few years on you kids, and I worked on the Hill when he was in office. I think we need new and different, and I think there’s something to all the rhetoric about uniting the country. Obama has a big advantage because there isn’t a whole contingent of people who already hate his family and will mistrust him regardless. It’s not Mrs. Clinton’s fault that she’s connected to a lot of this stuff — good and bad — because of her husband, but she is, and there’s no getting around it.
Some of Clinton’s proposals are good, but many of them just aren’t. Her health care plan, for instance, is way too focused on the private sector, as was her first attempt at this issue. I think HMOs are the problem, not the answer. One of the central drafters of the detailed Obama plan (not the fluff that’s on the website) came and talked to my Poverty Law class last semester, and he’s freaking brilliant. He was talking casually about some work he’d done in the 60s…um, turns out he WROTE Medicare. Anyway, he’s a Stanford econ professor named Victor Fuchs, and y’all should really look him up. The Obama plan involves a dedicated tax, and it’s the most sensible one I’ve looked at.
Also, she’s much too conservative for me on immigration (but then again, all the candidates are too conservative for me on immigration). And her environmental plan is also a little too big business for me, not that Obama’s is perfect.
Furthermore, Barack Obama has a dreamy voice, and Michelle Obama went to Princeton and happens to be fabulous.
It goes without saying that I’ll vote for whatever Democrat gets the nomination, but I will be much more excited if it’s Obama.
Aaaack, sorry I was a loser and didn’t respond to you three lovely and charming ladies for several days. I have been having some mild boy drama (all now settled. GOD, boys make me tired. I need another vacation.), and so the distraction, it has been mighty.
@ Lauren: Of course your comment is not too long. Especially now that we, like, totally sit next to each other in baring our souls class. I see what you mean about not buying into people’s racism and sexism. I mean, it’s kind of part of why I don’t want to vote for Hilary, because I think that I would be doing it BECAUSE of her gender, and not because of her politics, which would be letting her gender affect my vote. I dunno, man. It’s all complicated and stuff.
@SparklieSunShine – Yayyyy new people! I will run over and comment on your blog, although I am pretty sure I am past the Etsy deadline, which is way sad, since Etsy is the bomb. I just bought something on there a couple of days ago, and I keep checking my PO box anxiously, in case the US mail suddenly gets much much faster and more awesome. Also, bunny, fuzzy, unlike boys, will not develop existential crisis (EVERY DAMN TIME for me, I swear.).
@ Anna – Amen, sister friend. (LITERALLY. CAUSE YOU’RE MY SISTER. OH MY GOD THE CAPS LOCK.) I knew I could count on you to make my Barack love seem more based in actual political knowledge and his totally dreamy voice (which you are right, is SO DREAMY) rather than the things that have occurred to me while I lie in bed trying not to think about how I have to be up early tomorrow morning to go to class.
Good post!
I hate that it has to be like that (the sexism), but I also think it’s important not to forget Hilary’s sex, or to assume she doesn’t have as much of a chance as Obama. Being a woman is a big factor (dur) and something worth voting for as much as some of her excellent propositions, don’t try to force yourself to forget that. I am, however more excited about Obama too!
The dynasty thing is a really interesting point. Bill Clinton was mostly (on the policy level) though a great president and the office was hardly handed to him (I won’t speak for the dealings of the otherside…I don’t know as much about it). I don’t like to think of electing Hialry to get Bill in there and you’re right the idea cannot be separated, but honestly I wouldn’t oppose having them in office together, and it’s not like presidential couples throughout history haven’t made significant influences, there’s no telling what decisions have been made, if less publicly than this, between husband and wife in the presidency.
The pronouns ARE stuck though and I don’t know if she’s the one to fight to get them off. So far her campaign appears to have left her position as the female candidate kind of hushed- she only seems to speak of it when people accuse her of being against change as a joke. And she only seems to be able to stand up for herself as a woman by crying on national television and saying she enjoys cleaning out drawers on her free days to prove she has a softer side. If she’s not ready to fight for women’s inequality, to say fuck you, I am woman, she’s not the female candidate I’m looking to get excited about either.
In conclusion, Go Barack! And yay for this exciting election! Even people in Ireland are jazzed about it…