A Citizen Perspective On Obama & Clinton

A friend made a useful distinction between things that matter – policies about which reasonable people can disagree – and things that Matter – bedrock principles of our system of government including one-person one vote, the rule of law, and the system of checks and balances. Both Clinton and Obama spoke eloquently and with some passion about things that matter – to me, anyway: an end to the war, restoring the good name of the United States in a world disgusted by our cruelty, making the engine of our economy work for common people instead of zillionaires and corporations. Ultimately, however, the difference between Clinton and Obama, for me, is that Obama spoke of things that Matter. He insisted, twice, that we must repudiate torture and restore habeas corpus. "I love the Constitution. I have taught the Constitution. And I will defend and *obey* the Constitution."

In the midst of an all-politics-all-the-time weekend, I talked with Kathy, the USPolitics guide, about whether Shirley Chisholm was right. She reminded me that Chisholm once famously said that she'd see a black man elected president before she saw a woman in the White House. Sadly, Chisholm died in 2005 before she saw either. [fyi: she was a black Brooklynite who ran with white Texan Sissy Farenthold as VP in the 1972 presidential primaries]. But given some of the sexist rhetoric from some Obama supporters, and the corresponding willingness of most Clinton supporters to enthusiastically support Obama should he be the nominee, I wonder if the United States is ready to elect a woman, any woman.

People seem to be able to see Obama as never-not-black-but-not-always-just-black -- and there are things about him that make this easier than it is for most white folks with most black folks. Certainly the press can't see Clinton as never-not-a-woman-but-not-always-just-a-woman, what with the comments on MSNBC before New Hampshire and the latest dust-up over David Shuster saying that Clinton was "pimping out" Chelsea by having her work on the campaign. I'm saddened by this. I wonder when we'll grow up. I wonder when we’ll be able to see a woman candidate for president as the next best hope for the Party and for the country. After I wrote the first draft of this piece, I found a 2007 poll that reported that 11% of those polled said they would not vote for a woman, while only 5% said they would not vote for an African-American. I guess Shirley Chisholm was right!1

Even after seeing both candidates in person, I still caucused as an undecided voter. I think Edwards had the best positions and I think he was the best candidate to beat any Republican, certainly the best against McCain. That said, I will support whomever the Democrats nominate to be the candidate. I only hope that all the Democrats remember we’re on the same team, with our differences in the details and not in the substance of who we are as a Party and who we are as Americans.

Susan Bernick, PhD, is a life-long Democrat and feminist.