I started to post this as a comment to Rick Nadeau’s piece, Obama Amazes. His post really had me nodding my head, putting to words many of the feelings I have been having myself. As an almost 50 year old woman, I really want to be able to vote for Hillary, but at this point, I don’t know. Obama certainly stirred my emotions with his powerful speeches, as did Edwards in Iowa. But when Edwards repeated the same speech in New Hampshire I was disappointed.
Rick, you talked about deeply entrenched prejudices, racial barriers, gender issues. I cringe at the misogynistic attitudes of so many Americans. I wonder if Hillary’s humanizing tears will end up biting her in the butt. During a conversation the other night I learned about something called the “Bradley Effect,” where people will publicly endorse one candidate, then in the privacy of the voting booth, maybe having to face their own deeply entrenched prejudices, they vote differently. As we face Super Tuesday, primary elections across the country, I wonder how many will vote for Obama because he is, after all, a man, and how many will vote for Clinton because she is white. Or maybe Edwards will pull it out because he is both….
We are indeed witnessing history in the making with a woman and a black man vying for leadership of the country. I ask myself, “what took us so long to get here?” and I almost wish one of them would win so we can get past this point of making history and get on with changing the course of it, and facing the major issues before us. Then I ask myself, are we really there? Can we get over this hurdle and become, as a country, the unbiased citizenry we want to believe we are? Can we look at the candidates and vote for the one who will help lead us out of the quagmire that the current administration has put us in, regardless of, and not because of, their race, gender, oratory prowess, physical stature or good looks? And when we reach November, will that candidate even be on the ballot?
Many of the candidates speak of hope and change. I have faith in us, here’s to hope and change.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I must admit that Obama’s message of hope is quite seductive.
Watch this before you make up your mind on Obama.
Bill Moyers interviews Shelby Steele on race in America
I found it quite thought provoking.
It might make you want to research Obama further.
project vote smart obama votes
There is, undoubtedly , a lot of macho Rambozo sexist
BS and trash talk out there against Hilalry Clinton.
Some people will vote against Hillary strictly because she is a woman, and not because of her position on the issues. But there are legitimate reasons for people to abstain, or vote for Obama as well. I do think her tears were sincere and not contrived, and it looks like the NH voters agreed.
Her positions on some issues are troubling, although she is light years ahead of any of the Republicans candidates.
She is certainly qualified to be President, as is Obama. After Bush, she looks over qualified.
It looks to me like we are in for a protracted contest is.
Lets hope it remains civil. YES, I WANT CHANGE, PARTICULARLY THE KIND OF CHANGE THAT ENDS THE WAR in Iraq.