2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumFeminists Are Cheering on Hillary’s Presidential Bid
Feminists Are Cheering on Hillarys Presidential Bid
Hillary Clintons unique social media entrance to the 2016 presidential race dominated news Sunday and was received well by many especially feminists. Emilys List, the National Organization for Women, and the Womens Media Center were just a few of those who joined in the flurry of support for Clintons candidacy announcement yesterday through a video in which Clinton declared that everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion.
Gender matters in the United States today, President of the National Organization for Women Terry ONeill wrote yesterday. ONeill welcomed Clintons candidacy, and said that her campaign is a powerful message to girls that they can aspire to the highest office, and an equally powerful message to boys that women can be leaders on an equal footing with men.
Emilys List president Stephanie Schriock endorsed Clinton as a lifelong champion for women and families and the most qualified candidate to be president. Emilys List cited Clintons longtime commitment to women and families, mentioning her first job after law school with the Childrens Defense Fund.
The Womens Media Center asked if the 2016 Hillary race would have the same sexist media coverage as her 2008 race. Indeed, Clintons campaign in 2008 was filled with comments on her age, looks, weight, and many other aspects of her life that were not raised for male candidates. The WMC, however, believes that women in roles of leadership and in the public eye are crucial for continued progress.
From the days that she was the first chair of the American Bar Associations Commission on Women in the Profession in 1987, to her days as First Lady when she declared at the United Nations 4th World Conference on Women that womens rights are human rights, to her days as Secretary of State when she appointed the first Ambassador-At-Large for Global Womens Issues, Hillary Clinton has made womens issues a priority, said Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority. Its no wonder women are excited about not only the possibility of the first woman president, but also that this candidate is a woman who has given high priority to womens issues from the very beginning of her career.
http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2015/04/13/in-2016-feminists-are-rooting-for-hillary/
For Freddie
(79 posts)So many of the negatives stated about Hillary are MALE reactions. Both left and right. I can see some DU guys react to Hillary from a deeply uncomfortable feeling toward her. Then they get intellectual and political. Women can tell the difference between a male who is saying negative things from an open kind heart, and one who is saying negative things from ingrained sexism, a dislike and fear of dominant women. And then we have the Trolls.
Granted, anyone who rises to her position in politics must make compromises, no has all the control needed to remain in place and be "perfect" . Adults realize this. No president is perfect. But some do what is needed to stay in place and advance the causes and work to push things along in a more positive, compassionate or realistic direction. They make adult decisions. I have hesitated to get into the fray with this. Now we are in Real Life so I offer this:
Hillary's commitment to issues of quality of life, for women,girls and families is real, sincere and needed. At a time when inequality is the greatest issue, she pushes back. The RW racist, sexist and homophobic patriarchy and their corporate owners are throwing everything they can to keep the old in place. Including inciting the dreaded "race war". The praying at the NRA was old time fascist in nature, it was nauseating.
The level of violence and murder of men of color, the proliferation of guns, the rape culture, needs strong women to create change with teeth. We need Hillary now because she is the only one who has the clout to reverse this. This is real life. Everyone else(Bernie, Elizabeth) is good. Very good. But real life.... none of them can fight this like Hillary. No one can complete the positive changes and gains made by Obama. This is just street smart. Any effort to be perfect will only result in the RW stealing the election again. Then all of this will escalate. I have grandchildren on the streets. This has to STOP. Hillary can stop this.
I am 70 years old. I worked in Civil Rights. My grand daughter's name is Mahalia. She is now 19. When she was a little girl she met Hillary and her mother told her she wanted her to meet Hillary because she was going to be President some day. Mahalia is bi-racial with learning disabilities. When Obama was elected she and her mother called me and they cried over the phone they were so happy. I don't care what anyone says about Obama or Hillary.
Mahalia has a better chance with them as President than anyone else. I am not a perfectionist. I am not a male. I am a Mother, Grandmother and Woman. It is time for women to make the changes we all need. And in real life Hillary is the only woman who has a snow ball's chance in hell to even begin this change.
Everyone can argue all they want and point out all the flaws.Everyone can bicker and complain.
I am mindful of this. But IT IS TIME. Keep Your Eyes On the Prize.
I've been doing this work since 1963. IT IS TIME.
Mahalia is also Bi-sexual and Proud.
HELL YEAH, IT'S TIME FOR HILLARY.
She is not perfect. But she is best chance for Mahalia and all the Mamas and children out there.
niyad
(113,532 posts)it?
BlueMTexpat
(15,372 posts)Thanks so much for posting this.
And I am 70+ myself - also a mother, grandmother and woman. I have beautiful granddaughters and I also have handsome grandsons.
Our children/grandchildren are the future. Democrats provide more positive answers for their future than any GOPers do. And that's the truth.
But I am also happy and proud that Hillary has begun her campaign and I fully support her efforts.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)however, as I have often said, it is not her willingness to fight, but FOR what. If it is to fight for the TPP, or for a war on Syria that will kill many women, that helped bring Isisinto being, than no.
I may want this to be a sea change, but let's be honest, Maggie Thatcher broke the glass ceiling, but she did it in all the wrong ways, much like her pupil Angela markel is doing in Germany. I am a Latino, yet I know that Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio cannot be allowed to get near the Oval Office.
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)Bookmarking because you say it clearly.
Love what you write & do join our Hillary Room.
Much thanks & respect to you.
MADem
(135,425 posts)So strange that so many of the same virulent criticisms of HRC that we see here on "liberal" and "progressive" (cough) DU can be found in the BOWELS of Faux Snooze -- I actually read a comment today where a DUer who I won't name criticized her "voice" -- I guess it wasn't sufficiently "soothing" or something like that. It's bad enough that the corporate media pulls that kind of cheap shot, but I can't get used to seeing that kind of thing here.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2008/01/04/fox-news-graphic-rudov-clintons-nagging-voice-i/142056
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)❤
FailureToCommunicate
(14,020 posts)the best of luck...
All progressives need a lot of luck these days.
Cha
(297,557 posts)RKP5637
(67,112 posts)pnwmom
(108,990 posts)And thanks for a great post!
freshwest
(53,661 posts)craigmatic
(4,510 posts)The MRAs are a growing segment of millennial males especially online. Feminism isn't as popular as it used to be.
trumad
(41,692 posts)And fuck the stupid asshole MRAs.
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)trumad
(41,692 posts)The MRA threat?
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)It's not just MRAs it's pretty common for some young women to denounce it too.
riqster
(13,986 posts)Ya know, it used to be common to pooh-pooh Civil rights,and. candidates were warned not to raise that issue, too.
So feminism is coming back up, and it's just like other struggles for equality. Good on HRC and her feminist supporters!
F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)100% pure bullshit. Most are open to feminism, but some are against the term--and that makes sense, when you think about their lives and the influences on their lives. Many heavily feminist WoC won't describe themselves as feminists. Doesn't make them not feminist.
http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2013/03/newsflash-more-millennials-are-feminists/
Also, wouldn't want women to be "susceptible" to feminism, would we?
redruddyred
(1,615 posts)but only b/c extremely naive.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)FFS.
niyad
(113,532 posts)niyad
(113,532 posts)and twisted mra's? not going to happen.
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)expect to win for political reasons. I also doubt that she will run as a feminist to tell you the truth.
niyad
(113,532 posts)and uncertain when it comes to women's autonomy and political "discourse".
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)SaranchaIsWaiting
(247 posts)BlueMTexpat
(15,372 posts)As I recall, the term "feminist" has been used as a deliberate put-down since I consciously became one in the 1960s, so among some white males (especially), feminism was never popular. But such put-downs never stopped me and never will.
My husband, sons and grandsons - all of whom I dearly love and respect - are all highly skilled, well-functioning, socially conscious, intelligent males who respect women and understand just how misguided MRAs are. Moreover, I sincerely doubt whether MRAs - millennial or otherwise - were ever or ever would be supporters of any woman candidate for US President, misogynists as they are.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)Oppressed women outnumber every other voting block in this country because all women are oppressed.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)I get it, we need to fear those keyboard commmandos who get their undies in a bunch because those wimmin are takin iver everything from Video games to poltics, right?
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)KMOD
(7,906 posts)My young male son does.
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)It's not a universally accepted ideology among the youngest voters is what I'm saying in spite of how progressive young people seem.
KMOD
(7,906 posts)feminism to me is to treat women and men as equal, politically, economically and socially.
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)KMOD
(7,906 posts)pnwmom
(108,990 posts)There's no way she could behave that would satisfy them. Her very existence threatens them.
craigmatic
(4,510 posts)guessing a size-able percentage of millennial voters are anti-feminist and it's probably a bigger problem than most people think it is.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)it's irrelevant.
I bet they change their minds when they see the misogyny spewed in HRC's direction.
Corey_Baker08
(2,157 posts)That's like saying Barack Obama's announcement was well received in the African American community.
Let's not make this election about sex or race, let's make this election about what candidate has better plans and better policies and the viability of that candidate's chances of winning in the General Election...
Novara
(5,851 posts)....let's try a woman instead. What the fuck are men so damned afraid of?
niyad
(113,532 posts)treating the WOMEN.
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)Ugh!
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)^N^I^Y^A^D
^R^O^C^K^S
THANK YOU
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)niyad
(113,532 posts)stevenleser
(32,886 posts)From the GOP, Or that her campaign won't be exciting.
Not a day goes by where I am not approached by several women who want to talk to me about Hillary and are very excited by her candidacy. She is going to have a huge turnout of women and men like me who want to see a woman become President.
niyad
(113,532 posts)other words I won't use right now)
redruddyred
(1,615 posts)that's ceo of sachs.
redruddyred
(1,615 posts)and I like hillary tremendously.
I just resent the implication that b/c am woman, feminist, I must vote for her.
IkeRepublican
(406 posts)Since there are seemingly a hundred different sects of "feminists", naturally the FuxNews crowd of pants-pissing jagoffs are going to push the ball-stompers comprised of five members total.
niyad
(113,532 posts)the weak and woman-hating.