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Women on the Wrong Side of Women’s Issues…
Some of those who supported Senator Hillary Clinton during the Democratic Primary that are now pledging to support Senator McCain are the wrong side. Those behind groups like “Just Say No Deal” and “Clintons 4 McCain” and not honoring Clinton by supporting a candidate that stands against everything Clinton stands for. Joe Conason of TruthDig.com asks, “Is this the politics of revenge? Is it the cult of personality? Is it just stubborn idiocy?”
Senator Clinton is a highly qualified candidate, and has faced hardships and obstacles that I as a man cannot begin to fully understand. As a Senator Obama supporter I never felt the urge to argue against Clinton, but only argue for Obama. However, I hope that Clinton supporters can realize that Obama stands for the same basic principles as she does. Many of those former supporters have claimed that Obama has not asked them to vote for him, but that fact is that Obama has asked for all American’s vote.
For those Senator Clinton supporters that spoke out against sexism and misogyny in the media and in the Obama campaign while downplaying any mention of racism, have they forgotten several sexist remarks made by Senator McCain over the years? Have they forgotten the tasteless joke that McCain made about Clinton’s daughter Chelsea?
Senator McCain is complicit with President Bush’s administration for the failures of the last eight years. This is an administration that has weakened civil liberties for all American’s, including women. This is an administration whose policies have lead to the current economic crisis. This is an administration that has caused American’s standing and influence in the world to be weakened. If you vote for John McCain you will be complicit in continuing America on our current course, and you will be as guilty of weakening America as Bush and McCain.
As a Robert Parry said in Consortiumnews.com, “a significant number of Clinton’s supporters apparently intend to reject her plea. They would rather nurse their personal and political grievances than do what their champion says is necessary to save the country and the planet.
There has been speculation lately that if Senator McCain were to selected Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison that he would be able to attracted more women voters, including disenfranchised women who supported Senator Clinton. However, Hutchison does not represent the issues that Clinton has supported any better than McCain.
Senator Hutchison has received abysmal ratings from Women’s issues groups; the American Association of University Women gave Hutchison a rating of 10%, the Business and Professional Women USA gave her a rating of 33%, and the National Organization for Women gave her a rating of 13% (all ratings give in 2005-2006). Hutchison is as anti-choice as Senator McCain, and since 2005 has received a rating of 0% from NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Senator Hutchison voted against HR 2831: Equal Pay Bill, a bill that Senator Clinton voted for and a bill that Senator McCain did not bother to vote on. She voted against a bill that protects the rights of women to earn the same wage as man. Hutchison also voted against S-625: Hate Crimes Bill, which would add sexual orientation, gender and disability to list of people affected by hate crimes, a bill which Clinton voted for and a bill that McCain voted against (the bill was defeated 54 – 43). She voted against HR 5501: Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, a bill that passed in the Senate by an overwhelming majority (80-16), a bill that Clinton vote for and another bill that McCain did not bother to vote on.
I would like those that where Senator Clinton supporters that are now either supporting Senator McCain or thinking about supporting McCain to ponder something: the President of the United States currently earns $400,000 per year, but according to McCain and Hutchison if a women like Hillary Clinton was to be elected she should only be making $308,000 per year.
If a McCain-Hutchison ticket was elected American would have a woman in the White House for the first time in history, only to throw everything that women have fought for out the door. McCain and Hutchison are on the wrong side of women’s issues, and the women who support them are on the wrong side of women’s issues.