Jill
Reged: Jun 22 2006
Posts: 132
Loc: Irons, MI, US
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Probably. I need to do more research before I actually vote, but that's the direction I'm leaning.
I think I could live with all three major Democratic candidates (Clinton, Edwards, Obama), but I just can't imagine having a viable female candidate whose politics I respect and NOT voting for her.
Women currently make up only 16% of both the House and Senate. It was only last year that Nancy Pelosi was made Speaker of the House, the first woman to hold that office. Given how few women we have in power in the US, how can I do anything else?
On the other hand, giving a woman my vote just because of her sex isn't what feminism is about. While Clinton almost certainly has my vote, I'm feeling conflicted about my reasoning. Has anyone else been thinking about this?
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Brooke
AGA Blogger
Reged: Jun 23 2006
Posts: 466
Loc: Pennsylvania
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I was just watching the NH debates and the more I hear Clinton speak the more I support her and the more I feel like I need to vote for the only woman on the ballot. It's not because I feel like the men running are more or less qualified, or that I agree with her positions more or less, but mainly because I don't like how the men in the debates are responding to her. For one thing, both Obama and Edwards are attacking her experiance and claiming she isn't going to change anything, even though they all have the same amount of experiance as far as being in the senate is concerned and they all are interested in making the same policy changes. The whole way Obama and Eedwards refer to Clinton is so old boys club, ganging up mentality it's really disgusting to me personally. I also can't stand that while they are nice and polite to each other they talked over Clinton and it seemed like she hardly was given any time to answer questions.
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Elizabeth
AGA Blogger
Reged: Jan 23 2007
Posts: 50
Loc: Seattle, WA, USA
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Hm. Im an Obama fan and have been since he first ran for Senate in Illinois. The thing with Hillary is when she speaks I dont really listen intently. I feel like she doesnt speak to me as well as Obama or even Edwards does. I grew up on talk about the Clintons my whole life and I figured I would support her in an instant if she ever ran but honestly I cant stand her. Shes way way too moderate. I feel like at any moment shes just going to jump the dem ship and join the republicans and hoenstly shes alot of talk and no action. Plus the fact that she took all that money from the pharmacutical companies to shut her up a bit really pisses me off.
When I saw Barack speak, I was moved. I mean I almost cried and when I met him he looked me in the eye and he actually listened, he cared and you could tell. I want a president who is going to make me hope, I want a president who when he speaks I will listen But most importantly I Want a president who gets all different genres or people wether it be race, sex, orientation together for one cause. When you look at who goes to Obama rallies its everyone. But with Hillary its pretty much all the same people. And I dont want to see all the same people. I want change. And I hope for change. Which is why I think Ive been so atamet about Barack since I saw on TV as a kid before we even knew he was running. He makes me feel like perhaps we can regain the trust in the world that we so need.
I'd die for an Obama/Edwards ticket. since they both are bringing the message of hope...and honestly a bit bias here but it would be rad to see families in the white house again.
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E.Rockett
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Beppie
Reged: Jun 22 2006
Posts: 362
Loc: Sydney, Australia
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Since I'm not American, I don't get to vote at all, but I have to say that I'm feeling really excited about the election this year nonetheless. Just the feeling that this time next year, the president of the US will, most likely, be either a woman or a black man just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Either way, it's going to do huge things in terms of overcoming either sexism or racism.
If I was voting in a primary, I think I'd probably go for Obama, although I have to admit his cozy-ing up to people in the "ex-gay" movement has me worried. That's not to say that I dislike Clinton-- she's an admirable woman, and I understand why many want to vote for her-- but I do feel that Obama's politics align more closely with my own, particularly on the issue of the Iraq war.
Ultimately though, I'd urge everyone to vote with their consciences-- Obama or Clinton it's a positive step. 
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Beppie
Reged: Jun 22 2006
Posts: 362
Loc: Sydney, Australia
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By the way, Jill, Melissa at Shakesville has an excellent post up at the moment about intelligent reasons that women take Clinton's gender into account when voting for her:
Quote:
When a woman, as Kate did here, talks about Hillary's femaleness as a potentially deciding factor in whether to support her, has nothing to do with "Vagina Voting." There's absolutely no reason to presume that an intelligent, rational, progressive woman who says she's leaning toward Hillary because she's a woman hasn't already taken into consideration all the political implications of that decision.
And if you are making that presumption—if you hear a woman you know to be politically astute saying, "I'm leaning toward Hillary now because she's a woman," and you say, "Well, choose her because she's got the best policies, not because she's got ovaries!"—you need to stop and ask yourself why you feel compelled to issue that caveat, despite its manifest insult to the intelligence of any woman at whom it is directed.
It's absolutely legitimate for Hillary's sex to be one's deciding factor, and no less legitimate than citing John Edwards being a millworker's son who knows what it's like to be working class as one's deciding factor. Though, strangely, no one accuses anyone of overlooking all his polities if they honor his background thusly.
Basically, it's saying "I want to be represented by someone who shares the experiences of being female, because I feel that those experiences aren't taken seriously enough". No one can deny that Clinton is not familiar with what it is like to be on the receiving end of misogyny, and I think it's perfectly valid to include that experience as one of the things that contributes to your wanting to vote for her: it's no different to a veteran who wants to vote for someone because of their military experience.
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Kampire
AGA Blogger
Reged: Jun 20 2006
Posts: 205
Loc: Ohio
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I don't get to vote either which is always wierd for me. It's not like who the next American president is won't impact my life hugely. I remember my mom calling home from school to get the latest results during the 2000 election and her being thoroughly depressed when Bush won.
Personally I am an Obama fan, though I wouldn't be too unhappy if Clinton won. Does that mean my race is more important to me than my gender? Does it mean I am voting with my vagina? Or that I believe racial oppression is more important than gender oppression? Those are really stupid questions. I'm voting for whoever I think best represents my interests. It's just dumb to suggest otherwise. Haven't rich old white men been voting for rich old white men all along?
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Speaking out for women's rights: voice4choice.org
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Jill
Reged: Jun 22 2006
Posts: 132
Loc: Irons, MI, US
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Thanks for the link Beppie.
Her comment that Quote:
...it's the worst kind of condescending horseshit to suggest that the cultural priority of repudiating institutional misogyny by supporting the female candidate (of three pretty damn good candidates) isn't a legitimate or thoughtful position.
explains a large part of my motivation.
Like Kampire points out, the American presidency has been a good old boys club for far too long but I have a real chance to change that so I'm going for it.
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