Obama superdelegates find their 'sisterhood' questioned

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: AP

4/17/2008, 1:50 p.m. PDT
By LAURIE KELLMAN
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some female superdelegates backing Sen. Barack Obama are having their "sisterhood" questioned, just as some black Democrats have been challenged for their endorsement of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

No one has actually accused Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., of betraying her gender in supporting Obama over Clinton in the race for the party's nomination, but they've let her know they're disappointed.

The reason some give: If Clinton does not win the White House this year, no woman will reach that goal in their lifetimes.


Klobuchar gets it; her mother, 80, is one of these women. The senator's 12-year-old daughter, meanwhile, supports Obama.

Mother's Day, when the three will next spend time together, could be a bit uncomfortable.

"Early on, I had a few people call and say, 'Please don't do this. We don't think it is a good idea for you.' They tended to be donors," Klobuchar recalled. "No one actually yelled at me to my face."

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-15/120846417120050.xml&storylist=topstories

[aquart]

1. Donors threatening to withhold money if she votes her conscience.

Those would be Obama's supporters? Using money as a club? Isn't that what Republicans do?

[shadowknows69]

2. Do you have reading comprehension problems?

[Jansen]

3. I read it as Clinton supporters

.. trying to coerce her to vote for the V.

[Dogtown]

4. !Cuidado!

you'll pull a hamstring stretching that far.

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[Wizard777]

5. What is the opposite of misogyny?

[Alexander]

6. Misandry.

[Wizard777]

7. Thank you!

I asked that question once before and the only answer I got was Lesbianism. I knew that wasn't right.

[Berry Cool]

8. Some people have really lost their way.

I'm sorry. I'm not going to vote for the one with the vagina just because it may be the last chance for some 80-year-old woman to see someone with a vagina elected president. And I honestly hope that should I live to be 80 and there still have been no woman president by then, no one will feel forced to vote for one who should not be president (in my eyes) simply because of the vagina.

True, I don't think things will get that far. But if they do, the world shouldn't adjust itself so that I can die seeing a woman--ANY woman--president. That's just stupid.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. To make a choice as to who should be president based on gender or race is irresponsible.

I realize they're not that far from each other on the issues. Which for some I'm sure complicates the decision. However, there are enough differences between the two of them that one can find a favorite based on other, much more important matters than that one is a woman or one is an African American. When I hear people say that race or gender is the main reason for their support I always feel disappointed in them for letting something so trivial influence such an important decision.

[NashVegas]

11. So What? People Do It All the Time

There's very little actual difference between HC and BO, and if more people could be honest with themselves and others about why they're leaning towards their choice, without getting harassed for it, this campaign season wouldn't be nearly as bitter as it is.

Barack Obama supporters have been telling women Democrats for five months that it's wrong and it's bad, bad, bad to vote along our gender lines. At one point, there were two-three "I'm a woman and I'm not stupid enough to vote for Hillary," type essays planted across the blogosphere, most of which made their way into GD:P. At the same time, there was no such criticism of the idea of black people voting for Obama based on race.

Please, do not sit there and insult me and women everywhere by claiming that the "girls, don't vote with your vaginas," tactic is not a conscious effort on the part of those essayists to peel female votes away from HC via gender-based attacks.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. Where did I say, "girls, don't vote with your vaginas" in my post?

I didn't.

I didn't just say I disliked it when people chose to support Hillary based on the fact that she's was a woman. I said I disliked it when people chose based on gender or race. That means I find it a foolish reason for someone to choose to vote for Obama because he's African American or Hillary because she's a woman. Both bother me. Not one, but both. If that struck a nerve with you, I'm sorry. It's how I feel.

[NashVegas]

14. You Called What Many Voters - Male and Female, Black AND White

Are doing "irresponsible." If the candidates and their likely presidencies were wildly different no doubt it would be.

It's not foolish for African-descended Americans to want to see, finally, a president who looks like them and it's not foolish, finally, for American women to want to see a president who looks like them.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. It's not irresponsible to choose a candidate for their qualifications. Not who they "look like."

Or so I believe.

[NashVegas]

10. And Now For the Rest of the Story: The Sisters & Donors In Question Are Using Emily's List

The whole point of Emily's List is to help elect women to office. Anyone should be able to understand why some people would have issues with candidates they donated to via the list, specifically because they were women, turning around and endorsing Obama over Clinton.

[JerseygirlCT]

12. I just can't justify supporting someone I find less than worthy of the office

simply because she's a woman. I'd LOVE to finally see a woman. All other things being equal enough, that would tilt my vote, certainly.

But all other things just aren't equal. And I think there's an argument to be made that a H. Clinton presidency might set back the cause of other women succeeding to the office. I wouldn't have said that 6 months ago. Which I find horribly sad.

[A Brand New World]

15. I'm not a super delegate but I'm a white woman who didn't vote

for the white woman just because she is a white woman. I voted for the black man because I think he's the better candidate.

[Psephos]

17. "Mother's Day...could be a bit uncomfortable."

Because who one supports for President is more important than family ties or love. Same as with any other cult: cult values trump family and friends.

They deserve each other.