Monday, September 8, 2008

Just a woman?

Women will never be left out of the political equation in the United States like they once were. Those days are over. Women vote, women make decisions, women make an impact and women can run our country.
My 5-year-old son was big on voting for Hillary Clinton because he thought "a mom would make a good president." He's probably right. Being a mother, and a father for that matter, is a valuable life experience to becoming the president.
Once Hillary was eliminated from the presidential race, there was some clear disappointment among many women. I side with those who thought Hillary being elected to president would not have been as groundbreaking as it could have been. Sure, a woman president would have made for huge headlines. But truth be told, she is forever linked to her husband. I don't hold it against her, I just point it out as reality. She was First Lady before she was a politician.
Insted of Hillary, I hope a woman emerges all on her own as a serious presidential contender in the near future. A woman the likes of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (a groundbreaking achievement of its own) or McCain's vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Which brings me to Palin. Is it good enough to just stick a woman on the ticket to gain widespread support among women?
If anyone thinks so, I find that narrow-minded thought process disappointing and insulting to all women.

10 comments:

Brandy said...

I agree and disagree. I do believe that Hilary Clinton will be forever tied to the name of her husband. I think that Americans do need to have women in political power because women are just as strong as men, but Hilary wasn't the right one. I also think though, that American women are more intelligent than to just vote for a candidate because of gender. Sure women want to see a woman in power someday, but not at the expense of the country. I personally would never vote for a candidate based on gender alone. Issues the candidates talk about are important to me and if they aren't supported by a certain candidate, even if it is a woman, there is no way that they will have my vote. Another thing is that I really don't believe McCain put Palin on the ballot just to attract females. Palin is an upstanding woman, just like Nancy, that accomplished many things all on her own. Overall I think that men and women both should look at issues and not gender. The best candidate should win regardless of gender.

mesfox said...

Good thoughts, Brandy. What specifically has Sarah Palin accomplished on her own that makes her ready to be VP? I see her as an up-and-comer, but not there yet. She's like a freshman in college who is doing well - does that really mean she will be successful for four years? It shows potential. I want more than potential.

Anonymous said...

"Being a mother, and a father for that matter, is a valuable life experience to becoming the president."

I understand your point, but by no means do I see it as a requirement or necessity. Parenthood changes people, hopefully in a good way. But I'd hope that one day a single woman or a married, childless woman could run for president without having her character put into question. Considering traditional stereotypes and gender roles, I think they would be.

I find Palin's appointment as a vice presidential candidate (if it was done to gain female support) to be incredibly insulting. I guess since Republicans are telling me to vote according to my sex, obviously I should be voting for the two hot guys.

mesfox said...

Samantha, great points. I STRONGLY encourage anyone who is not certain they want children to NOT HAVE them. However, having children can be quite an educational experience and can help to learn some perspective. That is definitely not to discredit those who choose not to have children.

You should do as you choose - and vote as you choose. Don't let anyone tell you what to do!

DeAnne said...

I agree with the comment that it is a narrow-minded thought process to just stick a woman on the ticket to gain support from woman. People should base their votes on the candidates stand on the issues. People should not base their votes on the gender of the candidates and on how many kids they have had. Also I think that the female candidates put to much emphasis on the fact that they are mothers. I do not mean to down grade the role of any parent, its a tough job and its very important. All I am saying is that that shouldn't be the only reason why people should support them.

Anonymous said...

It is narrow minded and people shouldn't pick who they want to elect because of their gender. But the fact that its all over the media and thats where most people get their information, and some people just want to see a woman in office which is the reason that some people are even voting this year. Also McCain chose her because thinks that its going to help him win. I personally don't have a clue who I'm siding with, but i know that a lot of people I've talked to are for Obama. Only because they think it's time for a change and the McCain isn't going to change anything even with a woman as his Vice President.

Anonymous said...

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when Hilary was eliminated from the presidential election. I feel that more women should take part in the political power. But I guess Hilary wasn’t ready to take on that kind of challenge yet. Never in any circumstances would I ever vote for someone just because of their gender, race, religion, etc. But the reality is that, America does. Some base their votes on issues and most base it on gender. We really need to focus on the issues and make our decisions wisely. The person that you vote for will be running our country for the next 4 to 8 years!

mesfox said...

Emily and Ashley,
You make good points. In fact, I can think of far weaker reasons base their decisions on than gender alone. So, if someone votes based solely on gender maybe it's not such a big deal. We do need more women in position's of power.
I have been excited to see that happening. Nancy Pelosi is the speaker of the house, Hillary Clinton was a legitimate presidential contender and now Sarah Palin is being taken seriously as a VP candidate. These are positive moves.
I appreciate your thoughtful comments.

Anonymous said...

I agree with this for the most part. Even though Hilary will be linked with Bill for forever, she is not him, and I think she would have made a great president. I actually think because of Bill she would be better. I believe she could have learned from his mistakes, and what did and did not work. She is an extremely smart woman, and I think a fresh perspective from another gender is what America needs. I did not like Hilary because she is female, I liked her ideas, and think she is very smart, I think she is an inspiration to women. As for Sarah Palin, I don't think John McCain only chose her to get women voters on his side, I think it was a plus, but I don't think thats the only reason. In the end people are going to vote for who they like the best, I would like to say people only vote based on the issues, but I know that is not the fact, not everyone is educated, and some people only vote based on party lines. I do think we will see a woman VP or President eventually. Maybe sooner then later.

mesfox said...

I will celebrate the day a woman is in the White House!