Oh yes, dear readers, we have a new theme to "Goddess Musings." I'm going to attempt to highlight high profile feminists who are not falling in line and backing Hillary Clinton outright. NOTE: To new readers, I'm NOT against Hillary running. We're homegirls. What I am pissy about is that there are some in the feminist movement who don't want to have a conversation about who is the right candidate - on the issues.

First up...Another homegirl, Cindy Richards. Not only is she not falling in line, she's already backing Obama!

...Obama's campaign leaves those of us who consider ourselves feminists with a quandary: Do we stick with the woman who talks tough and has the moxie to win but is saddled with naggingly high disapproval ratings?

Or, are we more likely to serve the best interests of women by going with the guy who is a moral leader with a fabulous wife who would never let him support a policy without first considering how it would affect women?

It's been a tough internal battle for me. But I'm going with Obama.

Next...Kate Michelman is supporting John Edwards. I know there's already a debate out there if Kate's even pro-choice considering the insane positions that NARAL took under her leadership, but she is considered a feminist leader, so let's get to her quote:

...her endorsement is “a statement of my conviction that John Edwards is a person women can depend on to defend their rights,” based on his one-term record in the Senate, including as a member of the Judiciary Committee. Michelman said she also has been impressed both by Edwards’s campaign emphasis on fighting poverty, which mostly affects women and their children, and by his potential for inspiring people.

“In making this decision to support John, I did take gender into consideration. And taking gender into consideration to me means, what would this candidacy do for women … ? The answer to that for me is that John Edwards would make an extraordinary contribution to women’s lives. And that, I think, is what’s most important.”

Of course, we have to add feminist bloggers Amanda & Melissa for taking jobs on the Edwards campaign. At the moment they are generating heat from the conservatives for Edwards, but they are also not working for Da Woman. tsk..tsk..

Does Gloria Steinem, THE feminist goddess, deserve to get her card revoked too? She does tell it like it is to all of those who WANT to make the Clinton/Obama/Edwards question divisive.

The question is also destructive because it’s divisive. In fact, women of all races and men of color — who together form an underrepresented majority of this country — have often found themselves in coalition. Both opposed the wars in Vietnam and Iraq more and earlier than their white male counterparts. White women have also been more likely than white men to support pro-equality candidates of color, and people of color have been more likely to support pro-equality white women.

Both Senators Clinton and Obama are civil rights advocates, feminists, environmentalists and critics of the war in Iraq, though she voted early and wrong, and he spoke out early and right. Both have resisted pandering to the right, something that sets them apart from any Republican candidate, including John McCain. Both have Washington and foreign policy experience; George W. Bush did not when he first ran for president.

But the greatest reason for progressives to refuse to be drawn into an irrelevant debate about Senators Clinton and Obama is that it is destructive.

Stay tuned. If nothing else, this primary (that is still one FREAKIN YEAR away!) will will be entertaining. Goddess, I need more popcorn!

Labels: feminism, feministcard, politics