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Before this LONG nominating process began I didn't like Clinton and had I read Obama's books with enthusiasm and told my daughter about him. I thought I would be all for him, but his behavior toward Clinton during some of debates changed my mind. (I don't think he "gets" what racism and sexism share in common!) Clinton has impressed me with her resilience and total command of the issues of substance. Obama has been eloquent but not as informed as Clinton. (But as politicians they are both "spinmeisters" of the highest order. Obama is just smoother at it than Clinton.)

Anyone who thinks that discrimination against women is a dead issue is as naive as anyone who thinks that racism is a dead issue. You don't have to go far to see that both prejudices are alive and well in the new millennium.

As a news junkie who listens avidly to OPB and NPR I have heard countless pundits compare Obama to JFK, but I have never heard one of them say the obvious: We cannot compare Clinton to any former president because we have never had a woman elected or even get within smelling distance of a nomination! We haven't even had a woman V-P.

It's interesting that the difference in race between JFK and Obama does not deter such comparisons. Yet if Obama were a tall, mixed race, inspiring FEMALE presidential candidate, would anyone be comparing Obama to JFK? I doubt it. As my mixed race daughter told me when I was musing about all this, "Mom, don't forget that Black men got the vote before women. Men belong to the club of male privilege. Some men are more privileged than others but they will let in another man before they let in a woman." But having made that observation, she's voting for Obama. (She doesn't like Clinton because "she did a Tammy Wynette and stood by her man" and hasn't watched the debates because of a hectic schedule.) I will probably vote for Clinton.

It would be great if Clinton and Obama could work together on a joint ticket, but I cannot imagine that happening. Not because of generational differences but because of gender--he would try to patronize her as he did during some of the debates and she would never go for being patronized.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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