Banding Together

[wlotus]

It's been encouraging to read the comments of other feminist bloggers who are disgusted with the way the Democratic Party and the media at large hung Senator Clinton out to dry during the primary season. The people on my reading list who were vocal about their politics or who would tend to check in here when I tentatively opened comments to my political posts were all Obama supporters (except for ginmar, bless you!), so I was feeling pretty alone. (That view is not getting airtime, here. I respect your right to your opinion and exercise my right to not allow my blog to be used as a platform for him. Neither will I allow my blog to be used to make the erroneous claim that voting for anyone but the Democratic party's pick is a wasted or traitorous vote.) But I've since been pointed to other feminist bloggers, and that helps me keep my head up. Going to Hillaryclinton.com and reading the comments there has been a great boost. Besides, how can I believe I am alone, with the majority of the popular vote mirroring my convictions?

Women For Fair Politics was launched this week. There is some interesting commentary and a couple of petitions there. I am going to watch that site for more information.

I never thought I would become this interested in politics. But the past eight years has been a rude awakening for me. I don't think I can go back to sleep, now, as much as I'd like to do so. I like floating along in a peaceful haze. Anger takes a lot of energy I would rather use for other things. But it's true what they say: if you aren't angry, you aren't paying attention.

Addendum: Comments that hint your view is better/more informed/fairer than mine while claming to respect my opinion don't get airtime here, either. By all means preach that...in your own blog.

Comments

[nimbrethil.livejournal.com]

Speaking as one of those who supported Obama (rather grudgingly I'll add, and with plenty of twelth hour indecisiveness), I just want to say that I'm sorry for any bullshit you've had to put up with from Obama supporters who couldn't respect your difference of opinion.

I can echo your sentiment about the previous eight years being a wake up call. I spent most of my life pretty ignorant of politics, mostly absorbing my parents' and extended family's southern democratic leanings by default, and voted party line when I came of age, without really knowing fuck-all about any of it.

I've been regretting my vote for Obama ever since, but mostly because I had considered abstaining from the primary altogether and writing in my preferred candidate in November. I was raised steeped in the philosophy that you have to vote for either the two main parties if you want your vote to count, and it's been very, very difficult to escape from that view.

There's definitely some technical truth to it given the way our elections are rigged--and I do mean rigged, and more than ANYTHING else, I would dearly love to see that system completely changed during my lifetime. There seems to be this idea that our system is set up the way it is because that's the only way it could effectively work. (I've heard this opinion expressed explicitly by several party-line Republicans). However, I took several political science classes in my brief stint in college the previous year and know this not to be anywhere near the same galaxy as the truth of the matter.

I'm not sure exactly what I'll do come November. A disgusted part of me wants to just not vote at all. I don't know if I can bear to do that. But I do know that I am sick to the death of my viable options for President being a bunch of wealthy elitists who no more represent either me or you than a dead frog!

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

My background is similar to yours: registered as a Democrat as soon as I was old enough, because that is what my dad was registered as, and voted along the party lines ever since. Now that I clearly see what the party has become and what they are willing to do in order to have their way, I cannot do that, anymore. I can hardly wait to put my voter's registration form in the mail tomorrow, the one that has "NO PARTY" written as my party affiliation!

I understand not wanting to vote, but I'd encourage you to show up at the polls. Even if you have to write in "Mickey Mouse", show up and cast your vote. Let your voice be heard, for your own sake. At least that way you won't feel as though you've given up.

NARAL would endorse my cat if he had a donor list like Obama's

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

Referring to one of the frozen comments: And money changed hands on that deal, too. If Obama's record is one that's pro woman, God help us, then, because we are really in trouble.

(frozen)

[iswari.livejournal.com]

I respect your decision not to vote for Obama, but I'm not sure I understand your rationale for saying there is no difference between Obama and McCain? I agree that Obama hasn't gone into sufficient detail for me to feel as comfortable with him as president as I would with Clinton...but it seems clear to me that Obama and McCain differ quite strongly on some very important issues. I'm not saying for whom you should vote or on whom your vote would be wasted...but I don't understand saying that there is no difference. Can you clarify?

I don't think Obama will ask her to run as his VP, but if he does, I also hope that she would decline. I just feel like it'd be demeaning for her.

(frozen)

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

On the issues that mean the most to me--health care and women's issues--they seem to be the same: a lot of average people would remain uninsured, and I don't trust either of them to push for the rights of women (equal pay, abortion/reproductive rights, etc.).

I also feel it would be demeaning for her to accept a VP spot under him. I wouldn't vote for that ticket, either. I'd only vote it if HE was HER VP. :-)

(frozen)

[rbl.livejournal.com]

Are you aware that Senator Obama has been endorsed by NARAL, as a fully pro-choice candidate, while Senator Mccain would would like Roe versus Wade overturned? That is kind of a big difference, diametrically opposed, as it were.

(frozen)

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Sure am. Not impressed. I don't believe the hype surrounding this stranger who didn't even finish a single term as a senator. Something tells me he isn't nearly as wonderful as people think he is, and just like with Bush, it's a gut feeling, not something I can necessarily prove with a list of talking points. (These things are all subjective, anyway.) I have to follow my gut on this one, and I expect to be right about him just like I was right about Bush.

(frozen)

[rbl.livejournal.com]

You do not have to be impressed, my point was that he has a track record in supporting women's rights where Mccain does not, therefore they are not the same in this case. If you claim to be in favor of women's rights, it would be in your favor to protect your interests, beyond gut feelings.

(frozen)

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I don't trust that he will continue along those lines, if elected. If the lobbyists he works for say, "Support restrictions on abortion," I believe he would do just that. I don't see that he has a track record of standing up for a stance regardless of other pressures. I see that with Senator Clinton, however, going all the way back to her college days.

Which points back to Obama being a stranger. I don't want to find out AFTER I have voted him into office that he is duplicitous. Two years in the Senate is not enough time for me to observe him and know he has staying power. That's why, to me, his popularity is based on hype.

(frozen)

[iswari.livejournal.com]

Even though he's voted more pro-choice than Hillary? He voted against a ban on late-term abortions that Hillary supported and took a lot of flack for it. There is a lot I don't know about Obama and a lot that makes me uneasy...but I don't doubt that he is significantly more pro-choice than McCain. I do think he'd be much more likely than McCain to nominate pro-choice judges to the Supreme Court, a big concern for me.

(frozen)

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Yes, even though some may claim he's voted more pro-choice than her, which I don't believe. One vote does not a pro-choice advocate make.

(frozen)

[iswari.livejournal.com]

At least in that one instance, he voted more pro-choice than she did (i.e., he voted to allow women to freely choose whether or not to continue their pregnancies further into their pregnancies than she would allow). That seems to me to be a fact, not spin. I think it would be spin though to say he's been much more of a pro-choice activist than she has been; that's not true. And position-wise, at least on choice, it just seems to me that they are much more similar than they are different.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call myself a Hillary supporter, but i found myself sympathizing with her supporters more than Obama's supporters. I have seen over the last several months a *tremendous* amount of vitriol day after day from these people towards Hillary and her supporters. I see this and wonder, so *this* is what Obama inspires in the people who follow him?

I won't vote for McCain instead, but Obama's gonna have to win me over.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I see this and wonder, so *this* is what Obama inspires in the people who follow him?

I have wondered the same thing. The smugness, name-calling, mockery, and other bad behavior is a huge turnoff. It's just like what Christians so often do to Christ's reputation by their behavior towards those who believe in someone else.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Inevitably some mild-mannered Obama supporter comes along and then insists that i can't blame Obama for the rude behavior of his followers.

Oh i can't, can i? The Democratic Party's been phoning it in on women's and feminist issues for decades (since, oh, the ERA died), and seeing them refuse to meaningfully address the misogyny that came out in this race says what we really need to know about how much support women can really expect from Democrats.

The constant stream of ugliness from Obama supporters is why i have refused to talk about the Obama/Clinton race in my journal anymore.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I haven't been talking about it, for the same reason. This time, though, I got fed up with reading nearly everything from the other side and hearing almost nothing from people whose views reflect mine. Even so, I have had to severely lock down commenting to keep my blog from turning into another place for more of the same.

The lack of support for women isn't the only reason I'm leaving the Democratic party. Their ineptitude over the past eight years has sent me packing. I'd rather stand independent. However, ciardhapagan recently turned me on to Cynthia McKinney, a Green party candidate for president (http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com/). I had never heard of her, but I intend to follow her career, from now on.

It's nice to know we have options outside of the "big two".

[iswari.livejournal.com]

I agree about the ineptitude. I'm not sure what on earth happened to the Democrats, but it seems they've bought into the Republican propaganda that they're weak. The lack of spine really is appalling sometimes.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

At what point did this happen? It seems like it was a sudden thing, but I suspect it wasn't, and I wasn't paying close enough attention to do anything about it when I had the chance.

[ginmar.livejournal.com]

It's been having ever since Roe was passed. The Republicans have been playing dirty and the Dems never have had the spine them on that shit, especially when the only thing at stake was, you know, girls. Who cares, right?

[nimbrethil.livejournal.com]

One of my biggest issues with Obama is that I supported him...and now feel like I've been spit on for it. I don't blame him, per se, for his supporters being assholes...but it absolutely galls me that it apparently didn't even occur to Obama to condemn all the sexism.

Fucking McCAIN had the fortitude to recognize and reject the way Clinton was being treated. I'm not a fool--I know he was politically motivated rather than acting from a sense of moral integrity. Nevertheless, he demonstrated a willingness to listen to people.

McCain has indicated that he recognizes the value of his constituents. Recent comments from Obama, however, have made it appallingly clear that he doesn't give a shit about us. He's talking about being the President in 2016 as if the upcoming November vote is a moot point.

[sixfiftytwo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting the Rock the Vote link yesterday, I need it.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, Ms. Moving Away Lady. :-)

[llahearn.livejournal.com]

Lotus,

I can't tell you what a relief it has been to read your feelings on Obama. I have to say, I agree completely. There's something about him that I just don't feel comfortable with AT ALL. I SO wanted Hillary to get the nomination.... *sigh*

Lisa

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It was about time I spoke up.

[ennuiescapist.livejournal.com]

We fell asleep, lulled into apathy and false confidence.

It's time to take our country and the democratic process back.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I have never paid as much attention to politics as I am paying, now. So what was I doing for the past 21 years since I came of voting age? Just as you said: sleeping. My rude awakening was long overdue.

[ennuiescapist.livejournal.com]

It's pretty hard not to fall asleep when everyone from politics to big corporations are working SO hard to lull you into a sense of false security and apathy.

Why do you think we know more about Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears than we do about the war in Iraq?

[verucas-chaos.livejournal.com]

I am so behind in my reading. Your posts give me renewed faith that maybe there is another choice. In my latest post I said I might not vote again...I was thinking that I had to based on old values and thoughts. Maybe I won't....I really want Hillary to be president. You are a smart woman!

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I encourage everyone to vote, no matter who they are voting for. On another blog someone made the point that the political machine counts on people getting discouraged and not going to the polls; that makes it easier for them to steamroll over the little people. Not voting is letting the political machine win. The election may not turn out the way people want, but at least folks aren't sitting down and letting an elite few in any corner have their way uncontested. A democracy is about majority rule, not elite minority rule while everyone else is too discouraged to say anything at all.