Last week Barack Obama secured the Democratic Presidential nomination and a long, arduous campaign came to an end. Part of me was relieved—now we can focus on November and getting our candidate into the Oval Office. But, at the same time, I was rather undone by it all. Obama was in my backyard, a rally in St. Paul, where 17,000 supporters cheered him on and another 15,000 watched from outside, and yet, I felt not a twinge of enthusiasm about any of it. I was deflated, but could not really pinpoint what that was about until I read an article in Monday’s Star Tribune. The commentator insightfully pointed out that “as one momentous hallmark of history was being served up -- the first racial minority in the country to win a major party nomination -- another was tossed out the door.” As a young feminist woman who as a little girl dreamed of seeing a female president in her lifetime, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of loss and frustration. I’ve long admired Hillary Clinton, for her work to create national healthcare as first lady to her leadership in the Senate, especially her efforts confronting the FDA and its delays in approving Plan B’s over-the-counter status, an issue I was particularly close to. As Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul said, "Every time I hear about this 'great historic moment' with Obama, it's like the dagger goes a little deeper. We were longing for this historic moment, too. Some see that history because he's a person of color. But some of us still see a man, and that looks a lot more like more of the same than if it were a woman." I fully intend to support Barack Obama this fall, but admittedly I will be doing so with a bit of a heavy heart and a lot less fervor than I would have had things gone the other way.
Friday, June 13, 2008
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One perspective that I think makes a lot of sense: Senator Clinton, as she returns to the Senate, brings a sizable constituency that can be called upon to aid her preferred legislation. She may have lost the nomination, but imagine the intensity of the voter response to legislators that oppose bills that are penned by her.
ReplyDeleteWhile Obama, as President, gets to introduce ideas and, following their passage, offer his signature (or veto) - Senator Clinton gets to take what will likely be legislation that she supports, and alter it so it meets her standards. Her 18 million supporters can keep her opponents at bay, and when new bills, such as Obama's original Health Care plan, finally makes it to his desk, they will carry the prodigious influence of the junior Senator from New York. She may not be President, but she is going to have some serious political muscle on her side, and may finish her career with far more accomplishments than a President.