Women with Opinions

NARAL's Tries to Shed Whitey Image

In a previous post by Barbara, she lists two explanations that have been given as to why  NARAL Pro-Choice America  endorsed  Barack Obama for  president instead of Hillary Clinton this past week.   On May 16,  the NY Times reported another reason:  According  to  Elizabeth Schipp, political director of NARAL, her organization has an image they want to shed. 

Presently, NARAL is thought  of as an organization for white women only, Schipp said.  By endorsing Obama, a bi-racial man, NARAL's board believes it will help them shed that image.

Hmmm.  The National Organization for Women has also been accused of having too few minority members.  So, should we rescind our endorsement of Hillary and back Barack instead?  Somehow, I don't think that tactic will fly.  And I wonder if NARAL endorsed black candidate Carol Moseley Braun for president in 1994.  NOW did.

NARAL's Diss

Lots of people (including me) are upset with NARAL's endorsement of Obama. Two reasons I heard for NARAL's dissing Hillary:  1) NARAL is actively courting the young women who overwhelmingly are Obama supporters and 2) NARAL wants to give the impression it is an important player and get the media attention that it would not get if it waited until after Obama was declared the nominee.

Sandra Frankel Withdraws from State Senate Race

On May 15, at the Monroe County Democratic Committee's annual convention, where the Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean gave the keynote address, eleven men and four women were endorsed to run for office.  The women are:

       *  Louise Slaughter for re-election to the 28th Congressional District
       *  Paoloma Capanna for election to the 54th State Senate District
        *  Susan John for re-election to the 131st Assembly District
        *  Joan Kohout for re-election to Family Court

At the convention, Sandy Frankel, Brighton town supervisor, who was in the race to defeat Joe Robach in the 56th State Senate District, announced she is withdrawing her candidacy. Rick Dollinger and Willa Powell remain in the race.  Dollinger was endorsed by the Monroe County Democratic Committee at the May l5 convention.   Here's Sandy Frankel's speech:

Obama's Sexism Rankles Reporter

While it wasn't as bad as McCain calling his wife the C word, what Barack Obama recently called a female reporter was clearly wrong. Even Fox News reporters, bad as they are, recognized that. 

No Girls Allowed

I woke up this morning determined to write a post about how angry I am over the media's dissing of Hillary. Her big win Tuesday in West Virgina means nothing as all the pundits have already voted her off the island. Then comes John Edward's endorsement of Obama in spite of the fact that Hillary has continued his campaign highlighting the poverty that embraces so much of this country and what needs to be done. But the icing on the cake, so to speak, was NARAL's endorsement of Obama. NARAL's endorsement is a huge insult to Hillary, someone who has tirelessly worked for reproductive rights. While Obama may support these rights, Hillary has rolled up her sleeves and worked for them. NARAL could not have waited until HIllary drops out of the race to make their endorsement?

Oh, oh, trouble. Obama's an apostate.

One argument that has been advanced for electing Barack Obama to be president instead of Hillary Clinton is that Obama would be so  much more popular in the Muslim world.  Afterall, Obama's father was Muslim, right?  (Nevermind that he turned into a nonbeliever later on.)

That argument sounded resonable to me until I read Edward N. Luttwak's op ed in the New York Times today.   As Luttwak points out,  Obama was born to a Muslim father, which under Muslim law made him a Muslim.   But, here's the bad part:  Later on in life, Obama became a Christian, which under Muslim law makes him an apostate.   

Susan Faludi Gets It: Hillary's a Contender

In the Indiana and North Carolina Democratic primary races, white males went to  the polls in droves to vote for, guess who.   Hillary, the female candidate. This was a shocker for many who  assumed that those type  voters wouldn't give Hillary the time of day.

The pundits have decided that the only explanation for this strange phenomenon is that white men hate blacks more than they hate women.  Well, hold your horses, Chris Matthews and Tim Russert.  Susan Faludi has another explanation.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Critiques the Christian Church

“For the supposed crimes of heresy and witchcraft, hundreds of women endured such persecutions and tortures that the most stolid historians are said to have wept in recording them; and no one can read them to-day but with a bleeding heart. And, as the Christian Church grew stronger, woman's fate grew more helpless. Even the Reformation and Protestantism brought no relief, the clergy being all along their most bitter persecutors, the inventors of the most infernal tortures.

Who You Callin' Bitter, Obama?

McCain & Misogyny: Yikes!

Back when John McCain (R, Arizona) was running for president the first time, the Arizona Republic ran an editorial in which the paper  questioned whether McCain had the right temperament for the presidency.  Here's part of what was said in that editorial:

"If McCain is truly a serious contender for the presidency, it is time the rest of the nation learned about the John McCain we know in Arizona. There is also reason to seriously question whether he has the temperament, and the political approach and skills, we want in the next president of the United States."