The outcry on the NARAL Obama Endorsement tells us Obama should strongly consider a woman VP

[sfam]

NARAL has endorsed Obama, as was mentioned on Huffington Post. See this post for details:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5968556&mesg_id=5968556

While there is much discussion over taking someone from either Pennsylvania or Ohio, I think the negative reaction to NARAL endorsement is yet another sign of intense hatred building against Obama from single women who are seeing their dream of a woman president crash and burn in real time. This has stopped being a democrat thing. For many of them, the loss of the chance for a woman President is larger than the issues facing the country. At best, my guess is a good percentage of them will just stay home.

Many of us have had conversations that have gone similar to mine from two days ago. I had the "joy" of having a conversation with a close family friend. She is single, in her sixties and is a rabid Hillary supporter. Furthermore, she truly believes that Obama is an empty suit and has rationalized to herself that he has taken credit for every piece of legislation his name is associated with, but has done nothing on any of them. She thinks Obama is underhanded, and used slimy tactics to paint Hillary as a racist, etc. In short, she flat out hates the guy at this point, and will sit home rather than vote for him, assuming he wins that is (she still thinks Hillary can win).

The only question is how many of these folks are out there. My fear is that Obama could easily looking at a good 5% of the dems at least who might fit this profile - that could clearly be a difference maker in November. If so, there's only one way to bring these folks back into the fold: put a woman on the ticket.

Personally, I think Hillary really muddies his message, but a candidate like Sebelius does not. Obama should strongly consider this approach.

[corkhead]

1. abC n/t

[roguevalley]

8. the outcry over NARAL tells us that some women need to grow up

and learn that the rules are the rules. I am embarrassed by the women that are screaming and hollering and acting like they are delicate and need special handling/treatment/outcomes. We have waited two hundred years for the chance to run a woman seriously and THIS IS HOW SOME ACT WHEN SHE LOSES FAIR AND SQUARE?!?!?! what the hell. How embarrassing.
Fuck the idea that we have to mollify women by giving a TOKEN job to one. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR WHINERS. She lost fair and square. She should suck it up and leave just like all the others did. She makes us look bad. Poor women. They lose so badly we have to toss them a bone.

JEEZ!

[Growler]

13. totally agree

I wish I could rec your post. It really should have its own thread...

[sfam]

14. I'm not interested in what they "should" do. I'm asking if this will hurt us in November, and if...

so, should Obama do something about it? Lets face it, the VP is there in part to shore up your base of support. The choices Obama faces are to shore up a swing state or to shore up a voting block, such as women or Hispanics. This shouldn't be shocking to anyone.

[roguevalley]

21. I don't think it matters, sfam. I think people will vote their smarts.

If the repuke was a different candidate, maybe. I think he needs someone we can live with if anything, God forbid, happens to him. Also, someone has to bring something to the table.

[anonymous171]

2. Really worked for Mondale. Rallied those women to the polls.

[sfam]

7. Bad analogy. Ferraro was a horrid candidate. So was Mondale...

From Day One, Ferraro brought scandal to the ticket. She was also a house rep backing up a Senator - not a good mix. She was a bad choice.

[spanone]

3. i've heard no outcry

[mmonk]

4. I'm on board with Sebelius.

[4_Legs_Good]

5. I don't really care for Sebelius, but I'd love a female VP!

It's another barrier that needs breaking in November.

David

[bowens43]

6. race and gender shoud not be factors in his decision.

[lojasmo]

9. The 'outcry' from a hundred bitter clinton partisans.?

Give me a fuckin' break.

[sfam]

11. If its a hundred, no problem. But what tells you its not significantly more?

You really think these Hillary supporters aren't as wedded to their cause as we are to ours? What if a good percentage these huge margins of older women voting for Hillary feel this way. Still no worries come November?

[lojasmo]

22. I'm not worried about November. EOM

[Catherina]

10. Millions of people dead and we're worried about gender?

This makes no sense to me. The Vice Presidency is more than a token slot. He needs someone he's comfortable with and someone we'd be comfortable with if something happened to him. He'll pick the right person. I have faith in him.

[sfam]

12. Absolutely agree he needs someone very competent who he feels comfortable with...

I just don't see that this stops him from picking a woman.

[Catherina]

20. It doesn't. I'm just a little grumpy right now from reading disturbing posts on the NARAL blog

Whoever he picks, I'll be fine with. A woman would be great but I want it to be his choice and not something he feels forced to do.

[anigbrowl]

15. If we're talking female VPs, I hope for Jan Napolitano of AZ.

I like and admire Sebelius a lot. But I think she has the same problem as Kerry - she's a bit stiff and formal-seeming. She's easy for the GOP to tag as 'elite', and she's also 'anti gun' because she vetoed a concealed carry law (please note my use of quotes to characterize the GOP schtick). She did well electorally, winning her 2nd term by 57%, and is strong on education, but has faced some budget difficulties in paying for this.



Janet Napolitano is also a very successful governor. Being from Arizona is one in the eye for McCain. She's very accessible and likeable, more 'down home' than Sibelius - definitely passses the 'who would you want to have a beer with' test, and really knows how to work a crowd, an outstanding communicator. She won re-election by a 2-1 majority. She's not shy about using her gubernatorial veto (130+ times), but she's also been happy to sign property and income tax cuts from a GOP legislature - AND she reduced deficits enormously (without raising taxes) and has always passed balanced budgets. Strong on education, kindergarten and public sector pay, her father was Dean of a medical school so she has a good line on healthcare too, rounding out a perceived weakness of Obama. And she's strong on security - opened the nation's first counterterrorism center. Strong on both border security (first to get the national guard on the border) and immigration reform. And a former US attorney and state AG. Holy shit, what a resume.



People say national security is a weak point for Obama but IMHO it's not - his first degree was in international relations, he exemplifies dipmomacy and is not shy about the role of military power. For this reason I don't feel that Wes Clark or Jim Webb really add that much to the ticket. I do think a woman VP is a very good idea politically as long as she's chosen for her strengths rather than just tokenism. Napolitano brings executive experience, great success in a state with a conservative legislature, she's tough as old boots and just as comfortable. Nobody can accuse her of being weak on hot button issues but she's also an outstanding democrat who champions education, healthcare, fiscal responsibility and immigration reform.

Seriously - what's not to like? If he picks her as his running mate sales of Depends will skyrocket as the entire Republican party will be soiling their pants. She's presidential material, no question about it. Suddenly we can start thinking and talking about 3 or 4 terms of a Democratic White House and be taken 100% seriously.

[sfam]

16. Napolitano would work for me, although I don't know that we get AZ...

Given that McCain is from there. But yeah, this works for me too. It just seemed to me that Obama and Sebelius have real chemistry, but perhaps Napolitano would as well.

And yeah, executive experience is critical. No more senators on the ticket.

[mmonk]

23. I heard she could be a problem

concerning immigration reform. Would it be the same direction of reform Obama supports? To me, I still like Sebelius and she's had more visability. But that's me.

[AZBlue]

17. Women who won't vote because Obama's not a woman are being sexist and stupid.

First of all, no vote for Obama = a vote for McCain.

Secondly, it's sexist to choose a candidate based upon their gender. Period.

Lastly, Hillary Clinton has pushed the idea of feminism and equal rights back about 20-30 years - she's done women no favors. If they can't see that, they need to get glasses.

[AZBlue]

18. Women who won't vote because Obama's not a woman are being sexist and stupid.

First of all, no vote for Obama = a vote for McCain.

Secondly, it's sexist to choose a candidate based upon their gender. Period.

Lastly, Hillary Clinton has pushed the idea of feminism and equal rights back about 20-30 years - she's done women no favors. If they can't see that, they need to get glasses.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. There's no outcry. There are a few crazies who have convinced themselves it's "HER TURN"

Where were they when the Clinton Camp was drumming up phony outrage at Obama for being "too pro-choice" when he dared suggest that teen pregnancy could be considered "punishment"?

[sfam]

25. Only a few? What evidence do you have to support this?

Agsin, turns out someone I've known my whole life is ine of these. She has ALWAYS voted and is otherwise rational.

but forget the personal annecdote, polls are showing large percentages of Hillary supporters who won't vote for him. What if some of them don't?

[Warren DeMontague]

26. They've got until November to pull their heads out of their asses.

Frankly, I can't imagine that any "rational" voter allegedly committed to CHOICE is going to want to see John fucking McCain in the White House when Justice Stevens retires.

"What if they don't"?

That's not just cutting off your nose to spite your face, that's cutting off the whole face.

[Aloha Spirit]

24. Wait, I'm confused why anyone should care about NARAL endorsements. They endorsed Lieberman, right?

And Al Wynn in Maryland.
Whatever, I say.

[AtomicKitten]

27. Too much identity politics on one ticket IMO.

[Barack_America]

28. I prefer not to yield to histrionics.

These women are ridiculous. They're putting one candidate above Democratic ideals and even a woman's right to choose. That's where NARAL's allegiances lie, and rightly so. They felt they needed to start advocating for choice on behalf of the Democratic nominee now, and I frankly agree with them.

They need to start getting the word out now that the next President will likely shape the SCOTUS for the next generation.

Choice is not something that is safe in this country, or something to be taken for granted. Choice is bigger than alliances to any candidate.

[sfam]

31. Yield to histrionics??? I thought the goal was to put together a winning coalition...

Yield to histrionics? The rationale for putting a woman on the ticket would be to galvanize a critical voting block, similar as it might be if Richardson was the choice, for instance.

[Barack_America]

32. But doesn't "rationale" suggest "rational thought"?

There are many rational reasons to consider putting a woman on the ticket.

But a bunch of women waving their arms and screeching that a Pro-Choice organization dare place reproductive freedom over a flawed female candidate is not a rational reason. If they care so much about choice, what McCain would do to the SCOTUS should be plenty to galvanize them.

If they would like to calmly present their rationale for a female vice-presidential candidate, however, I'm all ears.

[Spider Jerusalem]

29. Actually, no, it does no such thing

I'm sure that Obama IS considering female candidates for the VP slot on the ticket (Kathleen Sebelius' name keeps coming up), but to do so for the reasons you suggest is ridiculous; and I rather doubt that Senator Obama has the problem with female voters that Senator Clinton does, at this point, with African-American voters.

[sfam]

30. Well, there's certainly a lot of evidence for the concern I raise...

Whether its all smoke and mirrors or not, we'll soon know. But at this point, there is intense hatred of Obama by a good number of very reliable older women democratic voters. This IS a problem. Perhaps they will all forgive and forget, or at least hold their nose when voting, but I'm not seeing that right now.

BTW, LOVE the username. Transmetropolitan is my favorite graphic novel series. :)

[DU GrovelBot]

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[TragedyandHope]

34. I think both candidates have acknowledged

that their platforms and positions on the issues are 90-95% similar. The Democratic ticket's positions on jobs, the economy, health care, education, energy, environment and Iraq are positions that will benefit ALL AMERICANS, regardless of size, shape, age, gender, color or education.

For the moment, I give people the benefit of the doubt, since we are still in the middle of a long, heated battle in which unpleasant things have been said on both sides. When people have some time to recover from battle fatigue, I hope they will be able to open their eyes and take another look at the Democratic ticket, in the same way they evaluated their candidate of choice in the Primaries.

Much was said on both sides, more from supporters and surrogates than the candidates themselves, but if we are really at the point where a vast majority of people prefer to cut off their nose to spite their face, then THE COUNTRY IS LOST.

Please weigh hurt feelings and resentment against AMERICAN LIVES, livelihoods and the future of your children and family.

Does America deserve to pay the price for the tone of two campaigns in a rough Primary race?

[jillan]

35. Why are you bringing gender into this?

It's not to win over Hillary voters, is it?:rofl:

[sfam]

36. Um, yeah...it IS to win over Hillary voters...we want a unified party...

or so I thought...

[jillan]

37. Hint - another woman on the ticket is not going to help.