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Women unite behind Democratic nominee

Posted by Jill Filipovic at 1:48 AM on June 16, 2008.


Debunking the myth of the Angry White Women defecting to McCain.
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Thank you, Frank Rich.

I started reading the column with apprehension, convinced that Rich was going to buy into the narrative that angry white women who had supported Clinton are now turning to McCain in droves. Instead, we get this:

Now, there’s no question that men played a big role in Mrs. Clinton’s narrow loss, starting with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Mark Penn. And the evidence of misogyny in the press and elsewhere is irrefutable, even if it was not the determinative factor in the race. But the notion that all female Clinton supporters became “angry white women” once their candidate lost — to the hysterical extreme where even lifelong Democrats would desert their own party en masse — is itself a sexist stereotype. That’s why some of the same talking heads and Republican operatives who gleefully insulted Mrs. Clinton are now peddling this fable on such flimsy anecdotal evidence.

The fictional scenario of mobs of crazed women defecting to Mr. McCain is just one subplot of the master narrative that has consumed our politics for months. The larger plot has it that the Democratic Party is hopelessly divided, and that only a ticket containing Mrs. Clinton in either slot could retain the loyalty of white male bowlers and other constituencies who tended to prefer her to Mr. Obama in the primaries.

This is reality turned upside down. It’s the Democrats who are largely united and the Republicans who are at one another’s throats.

Women are supporting Obama in huge numbers — they support Obama over McCain by 13-19 points. It’s only white suburban women — a small slice of the female population — who are leaning toward McCain (and only by 6 points). But that’s what the news media is focused on, despite the fact that Obama has a 7-point lead among white women, and a lead twice that when you count all women.

[Read the rest at Feministe.]

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Tagged as: clinton, obama, democrat, mccain


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View:
WHITE WOMEN SUPPORT?
Posted by: honor on Jun 16, 2008 7:25 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the news media says white women support obama? suburban white women support mcCain? mcCain! obama! it's for white women to choose! what a deal? the only thing they the candidates support is NAFTA!!!! THRIRD WORLD ORDER! the new world order! h-1 visas h-2 visas! cheap labor! CHINA TAINTED GOODS! SALMONELLA POISONING! WHICH THEY WILL NOT TELL WHERE IT CAME FROM YET?candidates say for nothing about it? cesspool run off into crop fields? why not got cesspool schools! cesspool run goverment! cesspool way of life period. but wait cesspool judges too! LA justice, chief judge 9th circuit court of appeals ALEX KOSINSKI our fearless jewish justice on the bench? the porn judge! likes women on all fours painted up as cow? moo me baby! half dressed man with aroused farm animal! exciting? this guy was considered for supreme court duty? conservative type jewish judge? mcCAIN AND OBAMA kind of guy? former cab driver? maybe former farm animal aroused trainer? aroused- stir up: excite!!! OBAMA- MCcAIN STIR UP: EXCITE women voters? for what reason? support the republican or democratic candidate for his support of YOU! QUESTION why? "CHANGE" for change! like what? what we all see NOW! TWO UNITED STATES SENATOR'S AND JUST WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO CHANGE? NAFTA! ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? TAINTED FOOD? STOP THE LEAD TOYS COMING INTO OUR COUNTRY FOR OUR CHILDREN? STOP TAINTED DRUGS THAT KILL US ALL? LOWER GAS PRICES? EMPLOYMENT? SAFER FOOD? SECURE PENSIONS? SECURE SOCIAL SECURITY? SECURITY PROTECTION? STOP SELLING OUR ASSETS: RAIL ROADS? DEFENCE CONTRACTS TO FOREIGN GOVERMENTS? OUT SOURCING OUR EMPLOYMENT? JUST WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO CHANGE PERIOD: FROM WHAT WE ALL SEE GOING ON NOW? change yeah: more taxes for us to cover their change of our culture and their cheap labor force!!! we are just in the way of their change of us!!!! but they need our support VOTES!!! WOMEN SUPPORT WHAT? NEWNATION.ORG!!! COLLEGES THAT COVER UP RAPE AND MURDER!!! mcCain= obama whats the difference anyway? change future! two united states senator's still OPEN BORDERS? ILLEGAL BABY BILLS? ILLEGAL HEALTH CARE BILLS? ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT? ILLEGAL GAY MARRIAGES? ILLEGAL HOMOSEXUAL ADOPTIONS? H-1 H-2 FOREIGN VISAS? women support which one of these issues? i'am trying to figure out just what everybody see's in our two beloved candidates anyway? OH ones a republican and the other is a democrat? thats the deal!!!! one is better than the OTHER??? HOMOSEXUAL, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, AMNESTY, CHEAP LABOR, OUTSOURCING AMERICAN EMPLOYMENT, POLITICAL CORRECT SCHOOLS? REQUIRED GAY READING TO OUR CHILDREN STARTING AT 2ND GRADE LEVEL? YES SIR THEM ISSUES? they are the issues period! INDEPENDENT thats the issue and change we all need period. don't you think? (the candidates)we pay for our own destruction what a choice!!! commoncause.org! make our votes count honestly? the media says! the women jump rock rattle and roll for who? what? where? yeah the moo me baby! the candidates the exciting musical duet" singing moo me baby!!! the republican democratic duel? the MOO bit and line vote for me period. INDEPENDENT for normal behavior and fun in life again!!! yeah moo!!! how about boo baby!!! michigan little big horn. AMEN.

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» wow... Posted by: Moira61
» LOLZOMG Posted by: hurricane hugo
If White Women are "Angry", they should be angry
Posted by: Sissy on Jun 16, 2008 7:47 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
at the total hypocrisy of the Republicans but even more angry at McCain himself for thinking that women, will not remember the total contempt his words and legislative actions has shown for them. I am speaking specifically, and Frank Rich includes it in this original article, of when Senator McCain stood in front of a large audience some years ago and said, "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly?" "Because Janet Reno is her father". Chelesea might have been 14 years old or so. That really showed a lot of class didn't it? To pick apart a child that age of public figures in such a venue and that is the truth, it is recorded. Now all of a sudden he speaks nothing but the highest praise of HRC. Regardless if she wanted the nomination or not, she should have thrown those words and his history back in his smug, arrogant face. Indeed, until Obama began overtaking Hillary in the primary season, he showed absolute derision and disrespect for her candidacy and for the Bill Clinton presidency. When McCain came back from Viet Nam to the wife who waited for him for those five horrific years and soon left her for a wealthy trophy wife whom he has referred to recently as a "cunt", speaks loudly for his moral compass.

I honestly think that when women of any stripe, democrat, republican, independent take a very hard look at him, if they continue to believe that he is still their best choice, then there is no hope.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I am a woman
Posted by: janelynne on Jun 16, 2008 3:00 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There is a problem, actually. Many of us who supported Hillary, still do not feel confidence in Obama. Under Obama's leadership, his team and the press were ruthless. We felt that there was a lack of integrity in the drumbeat to eliminate Hillary. Now as we wait for Obama to name a vice president, we feel absolutely clammy that will select another guy. If that be his decision he will have shunned Hillary's base, and stated to the world that he doesn't need us. We worry that his universal health care will also circumvent us. This is an age-old theme with us, that reminds us how men go about marginalizing and ignoring the needs of woman. We are being spoken about and argued about, but not addressed directly. (We are your wife, your mother, your sister, your daughter, and you are looking past us as if we are not real.) Will we vote for McCain? Maybe some of us will. Will we donate time or money? Most of us won't. What if Obama makes missteps? I am afaid we will be there. No credible POTUS would think of ignoring millions of men. If Obama names a man, Obama will be making a statement. We will have to deal with that.

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» maybe... Posted by: Moira61
» RE: maybe... Posted by: shannasmusic
» RE: I am a woman Posted by: Bibsisis