Feminist Groups Prepare to Back Obama

Feminist Groups Prepare to Back Obama

Are angry feminists defecting en masse to the McCain campaign? Far from it. Behind the scenes, many women's organizations are preparing to fight for an Obama victory in November -- including the controversial Womens' Voices, Women Vote.


Dana Goldstein | June 17, 2008 | web only



Ten days after Sen. Hillary Clinton conceded the Democratic nomination for president and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, the National Organization of Women's Web site contained nary a mention of the presumptive Democratic nominee.

"Make History with Hillary!" exulted the now irrelevant banner across the top of NOW's political action page. "Count Florida's Votes," directed another dated headline hawking an old Clinton talking point.

Though some national women's organizations are shifting slowly from primary to general election mode -- or appear not to have shifted at all -- behind the scenes, many of the major players of institutional feminism are preparing to line up behind Obama. The movement's actions, not to mention recent polling of female voters, should put to rest endless rounds of media speculation about whether feminist Clinton voters, particularly older white women, will defect en masse to the Republican Party.


snip//

Meanwhile, other organizations are beginning a media push to define McCain as anti-Roe v. Wade and anti-equal pay for women. Planned Parenthood will spend $10 million on such efforts, focusing on viral videos like this one, which calls attention to McCain's Senate vote against requiring insurance companies to cover birth control. Last Thursday, MomsRising, an Internet-based group, protested McCain's opposition to the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in front of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. When voting against the bill in April, McCain stated that women needed "training and education" more than they needed the right to bring pay discrimination law suits. The protesters delivered "overqualified" women's resumes to McCain's office.

snip//

So far, the evidence suggests that is true. A Gallup poll conducted between June 5 and 9 found Obama leading McCain 51-38 among all women. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, Obama leads 46-39 among white women, a swing demographic that supported George W. Bush over John Kerry by nine points in 2004. And a NARAL poll released yesterday found Obama gains 13 points among pro-choice Independent women and nine points among pro-choice Republican women when they learn that McCain opposes Roe.

more...

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=feminist_groups_prepare_to_back_obama

k and r...

supporters won't support Obama may have to be modified. ;)

:D

i never believed the hype anyway

but it's good to see it in print

feminist groups jumping onboard the Obama train.

K&R

:toast: