It’s after midnight, but it’s not the DNC that’s keeping me awake; I’m pretty sure it’s the two Aleve I took right before bed at 10 pm.
I watched Hillary’s August 26 speech at the Democratic National Convention for the second time tonight, and I felt that sense of resignation that women sometimes feel when they’re told that, once again, they have to wait. I really wanted her to win the nomination. I think she could have beat McCain.
I admired her, standing up there and supporting Barack Obama as she did, but it gives me a bad feeling in my throat.
I guess there was no way for the nomination fight to be a win-win situation. Either women or African Americans would feel they had been sent to the back of the bus. It’s time for me to forgive Barack Obama for having the audacity to run for president after only a couple of years in the Senate, but I won’t forget. I’ll continue to suspect that the Washington establishment encouraged him to avoid having another Clinton in office, and I’ll try not to listen to that nagging voice that says they didn’t want a woman to be president. I’ll vote for him, but I’ll give money to local candidates. I’ll wait to wear a T-shirt that says “Change We Can Believe In” until after he’s proved that he can win an election AND actually reform Washington. Then I’ll be willing to concede he’s the change candidate–not before.
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On a happier note, the Democratic National Convention has gone a long way toward recognizing women. The four convention chairs are all women: Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives; Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas; Shirley Franklin, mayor of Atlanta, and Letitia van de Putte, Texas state senator.
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I don’t think I’m the only one with regrets. I walked by a black Hillary supporter down by Union Station, and she was mentioning to someone else that a lot of men she knew had said they didn’t want to be led by a woman. And she asked them, “Why not? Clinton is qualified!”
On one of my stops by the Place for Politics, MSNBC’s setup near Union Station, I noticed a lot of Hillary supporters intently watching the screens as Carolyn Kennedy gave her speech. 
One man was shouting “Bitter,” and a woman responded, “Sexist!”
Well, I thought, that’s really going to move things along.
Personally I am scared to death of the Obama’s! I wanted Hillary and yes even “Billary” to be running. I am so torn. I consider myself to be a democrat. I consider myself to be a “side-lined” feminist. I have fought as hard as I could for the “rights” of female athletes attending our local school district. I am the owner of a business in which is predominantly “man power.” I do not want to see McCain in office (although once upon a time, I did sort of like his opinions).
Oprah got Obama everywhere he is now, and yet I have not heard anything from her about him in a pretty long time. Where was she at the DNC? Does she know something now that she didn’t (or did) know 2 years ago – but because she is black and had stuck her neck out to endorse him, she can no longer be involved? Another author perhaps?
I absolutely agree about wearing the “Change we can believe in” t-shirt later down the road. I too will most likely vote for BO – but it really is because I do not think he can be any worse than what we have lived with for the past 8 years. I hope my fears are unfounded.
My sister in law, and 2 of my neices attended the DNC. Connie was a big Dean fan 4 years ago. She wanted he and Hillary to run together.
Oh, I think Obama will be much better. I don’t think he was a creature of Oprah at all. If anything, he was a creature of the Democratic power brokers. But I also think he manages to connect with people, and we need someone like that after Kerry and Gore.
I liked Dean too, for the five minutes I heard him.