If you haven’t already, do check out this, um, response? to Obama’s “Yes I Can” video. It rocks.
(Thanks to Paul Raeburn for the heads up!)
political campaigns
Harvard-educated attorney and vice president at the University of Chicago Michelle Obama is appearing on Larry King Live tonight – ! CNN’s Soledad O’Brien recently sat down for a one-to-one with Michelle too.
There is just TOO much must-see election tv on these days for a girl to get any writing done around here. Ah well. At least I can blame it on good ole civic distraction.
Some quick stats on “the youth vote” on Super Tuesday, culled from various sources:
More than 3 million voters under the age of 30 flooding the polls on Super Tuesday, turning out in record numbers in more than 20 states.
Exit polls showed that in almost every state, youth voter turnout increased significantly from 2000 and 2004.
In Tennessee the number of people between the ages of 18-to-29 who voted more than quadrupled.
In Georgia, young voters tripled their turnout this year.
In California, more than 850,000 voters under 30 cast ballots.
Obama won the youth vote in 19 of the 22 states that voted on Super Tuesday.
Nationwide, Obama netted 59 percent of voters under 30 years old, while Clinton was supported by 38 percent.
Young men supported Obama by a margin of 64 to 33 percent over Clinton.
Young women supported Obama by 53 to 45 percent.
It’s this last stat I’m most interested in. But believe me, not in the young-women-who-don’t-vote-Hillary-are-traitors kind of way.
(Image cred – Rock the Vote)
In a race where two candidates share much on the policy front, we continue to be much more focused on personality and who’s reaching who than issues. To that end, I’ve heard lots of odd yet funny comparisons going around and it all makes me think of Cookie Monster’s song, from Sesame Street (video above, in case you’ve forgotten, or are up for a blast from the past this dreary Monday morning).
Now, I know we humans like to think in dichotomies, and I get that we’re seeking novel ways to compare two similar opponents. But still, I wonder a great deal about the larger purpose these descriptive divisions ultimately serve. Not that I have a clear answer yet, but just something I think about these days. Chris Lehane, a former aide to Al Gore, spoke to the apparent class divide in support by noting that Hillary’s got the “Dunkin Donuts” Democrats and Obama’s got the “Starbucks” Democrats. And I’m sure you’ve also heard the one by now about how Obama’s a Mac, and Hillary’s a PC. Have you heard others? Would love to hear them in comments! As well as your thoughts about the ultimate consequences of labeling our candidates in these ways.
On Thursday Feb. 21 (3-5pm), the National Council for Research on Women is putting on a fantastic panel that I’m very sad I’ll be out of town for, “Translating Women’s Agendas to the National Agenda in 2008.” If you are in the NYC area, can attend, and are interested in guest blogging about it here on GWP, please email me!
Hosted by Merrill Lynch, the event is co-sponsored by Barnard Center for Research on Women; Center for Research on Women and Society, CUNY; Demos; Legal Momentum; Shirley Chisholm Center, Brooklyn College;WEDO; The White House Project, and the Women’s Media Center.
Speakers:
Linda Basch,National Council for Research on Women
Subha Barry, Merrill Lynch
Carol Jenkins, Women’s Media Center (moderator)
Johnnetta B. Cole, Bennett College, Spelman College
Ruth Mandel, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University
Monique Mehta, Third Wave Foundation
Location: 222 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York City
To RSVP, please call 212-785-7335 x100 or email jdudley@ncrw.org.
This program will precede the Council’s Making a Difference for Women Awards Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on February 21, 2008. For more information, please contact the National Council for Research on Women Benefit Office, c/o CMI Events 212.763.8591, ncrw@cmevents.net, or visit the website.
I’m becoming quickly obsessed with the topic of young people and the election. Last night I was watching (ugh) Cooper Anderson 360 and Keli Goff was on with Anderson talking about “Generation O.” You can read her blog post on it here. Keli has a book coming out next month, called Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence. Keli began her career in politics as an intern on Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. Check out Keli’s blog, Pimp My Vote and her website to find out more.
And here’s from the book’s description:
For the last forty years the label “black voter” has been virtually synonymous with “Democrat” but a new generation of voters is changing that. In her provocative new book Party Crashing, political commentator Keli Goff introduces America’s newest swing voter. Like soccer moms and Nascar dads before them, young, black voters born after the Civil Rights Movement are becoming increasingly up for grabs, politically speaking.
While the politics of their parents and grandparents were shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, Goff notes that the politics of her peers, members of the post-Civil Rights generation, have been shaped by a number of cultural influencers that transcend race; from “The Cosby Show,” to icons such as Oprah Winfrey, and the tragedy of 9/11. Civil rights has long been the defining political issue for black Americans but for this emerging generation of black voters, civil rights is now one issue among many that define their politics. As a result, they are challenging the idea that one’s skin color should color one’s political identity, and they are also challenging the idea that they should be Democrats.
Since the support of black Americans has been crucial to the success of democratic candidates–from Presidents Kennedy to Clinton–this shift could be one of the most important developments in modern politics, arguably as important as the Civil Rights movement itself. Along with the political shift occurring, Goff also examines the cultural shift that is taking place on a wide range of issues including: gay marriage, hip-hop, and the emergence of what Goff calls “Generation Obama.”
Through in-depth interviews with young, black voters, groundbreaking survey research, and conversations with a range of high profile Americans–from Colin Powell to Russell Simmons–Party Crashing explores the issues and people who have helped shape the politics of the post-Civil Rights Generation, and how this generation is reshaping America.
Can’t wait to get my hands on this book.
Oh boy oh boy I just can’t seem to stop yapping on this one.
But first, I’d like to frame this post with a note that I by no means believe that all opposition to Sen. Clinton is sexist in nature. And, as blogger Amanda Marcotte smartly notes, opposing sexist pandering against Sen. Clinton isn’t the same thing as endorsing her. (Even though I, in this case, did.)
That said, here are two pieces to share today in which I’m quoted yapping about Hillary, sexism, and media: The Guardian, Pavement Pieces.
As it turns out, I am SheSource’s “Expert of the Week.” I am always happy to speak about Hillary, but I am NOT into putting people down who support Obama. Especially women. And I hope other women speaking out publicly this week aren’t either. We got more important things to talk about. ‘Nuf said.
(Thank you, Gwen, for the heads up!)
Feminists seem to be joining up and issuing public statements everywhere this week. Kimberle Crenshaw and Eve Ensler have teamed up in a hot post over at HuffPo, called “Feminist Ultimatums: Not in Our Name.” I utterly dig what they have to say about young feminists, and I absolutely agree. They write:
Young feminists have been vocal and strong in critiquing the claim that a vote for Obama represents some form of youthful naiveté, a desire to win the approval of men, or a belief that sexism no longer factors into their lives. While paying respect to those women who carried the banner for so many years, these young women have reminded us that feminism is not static but evolutionary, changing in content, scope and tenor as new generations elevate their concerns and aspirations. And while we agree that this “either/or” brand of feminism fails to capture the imagination and hopes of countless numbers of women who refuse to entrust this capital into the hands of a candidate just because she is a woman, we think it important to add that this is not simply an intergenerational difference at work here. At issue is a profound difference in seeing feminism as intersectional and global rather than essentialist and insular. Women have grappled with these questions in every feminist wave, struggling to see feminism as something other than a “me too” bid for power whether it be in the family, the party, the race or the state.
Amen to all that.
For a, um, slightly different take on young women, see here. Younger women’s responses here.
(Thank you, Cathy, for the heads up.)
Just to continue with my “I’m really moved by the passion of this election!” blogging, I had to share my voting story this morning.
On my way out of my polling place (ya’ll know by now who I cast my vote for, so no more ’bout that I swear), I came upon a corner where Hillary supporters and “Women for Obama” supporters were hanging out campaigning, the established legal distance from the polls. I stopped to ask a Hillary women if she had a sticker or anything to give away. Nothing against her, but she didn’t. I thanked her for the work they were doing and walked away.
Then I circled back and went over to the Obama women to see if they had any specific literature on Obama and women. Nothing against them, but they didn’t. I chatted with them for a moment cheerfully, thanked them for the work they were doing, and walked away.
As I walked down the block, I turned to look over my shoulder back at the scene, feeling this crazy patriotic pang. I do love this country when it’s working right, I confess. Let’s just hope our votes make it to the right place and nothing ends up like Florida in 2000 ever again.
But I digress. When I looked over my shoulder from halfway down the block, I realized that the whole scene was being documented by a tv camera from one of the major stations over here, and that the camera was still trained on (gulp) me. Must have been my bright red coat. Anyway, if you’re watching the news and happen to see a girl in a red coat and braids chatting up representatives from both campaigns looking like she can’t quite make up her mind, it’s me. Only I had made up my mind. Even if only a few days ago.
Man, I can’t wait til all this is over and we can just get the heck behind one of these two amazing candidates and give it our collective all.
As they say in my hometown Chicago, vote early and vote often (though you didn’t hear it here!). Meanwhile, here’s some of what’s going on in my adopted hometown, NYC.
Harvard-educated attorney and vice president at the University of Chicago Michelle Obama is appearing on Larry King Live tonight – ! CNN’s Soledad O’Brien recently sat down for a one-to-one with Michelle too.
There is just TOO much must-see election tv on these days for a girl to get any writing done around here. Ah well. At least I can blame it on good ole civic distraction.
Some quick stats on “the youth vote” on Super Tuesday, culled from various sources:
More than 3 million voters under the age of 30 flooding the polls on Super Tuesday, turning out in record numbers in more than 20 states.
Exit polls showed that in almost every state, youth voter turnout increased significantly from 2000 and 2004.
In Tennessee the number of people between the ages of 18-to-29 who voted more than quadrupled.
In Georgia, young voters tripled their turnout this year.
In California, more than 850,000 voters under 30 cast ballots.
Obama won the youth vote in 19 of the 22 states that voted on Super Tuesday.
Nationwide, Obama netted 59 percent of voters under 30 years old, while Clinton was supported by 38 percent.
Young men supported Obama by a margin of 64 to 33 percent over Clinton.
Young women supported Obama by 53 to 45 percent.
It’s this last stat I’m most interested in. But believe me, not in the young-women-who-don’t-vote-Hillary-are-traitors kind of way.
(Image cred – Rock the Vote)
In a race where two candidates share much on the policy front, we continue to be much more focused on personality and who’s reaching who than issues. To that end, I’ve heard lots of odd yet funny comparisons going around and it all makes me think of Cookie Monster’s song, from Sesame Street (video above, in case you’ve forgotten, or are up for a blast from the past this dreary Monday morning).
Now, I know we humans like to think in dichotomies, and I get that we’re seeking novel ways to compare two similar opponents. But still, I wonder a great deal about the larger purpose these descriptive divisions ultimately serve. Not that I have a clear answer yet, but just something I think about these days. Chris Lehane, a former aide to Al Gore, spoke to the apparent class divide in support by noting that Hillary’s got the “Dunkin Donuts” Democrats and Obama’s got the “Starbucks” Democrats. And I’m sure you’ve also heard the one by now about how Obama’s a Mac, and Hillary’s a PC. Have you heard others? Would love to hear them in comments! As well as your thoughts about the ultimate consequences of labeling our candidates in these ways.
On Thursday Feb. 21 (3-5pm), the National Council for Research on Women is putting on a fantastic panel that I’m very sad I’ll be out of town for, “Translating Women’s Agendas to the National Agenda in 2008.” If you are in the NYC area, can attend, and are interested in guest blogging about it here on GWP, please email me!
Hosted by Merrill Lynch, the event is co-sponsored by Barnard Center for Research on Women; Center for Research on Women and Society, CUNY; Demos; Legal Momentum; Shirley Chisholm Center, Brooklyn College;WEDO; The White House Project, and the Women’s Media Center.
Speakers:
Linda Basch,National Council for Research on Women
Subha Barry, Merrill Lynch
Carol Jenkins, Women’s Media Center (moderator)
Johnnetta B. Cole, Bennett College, Spelman College
Ruth Mandel, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University
Monique Mehta, Third Wave Foundation
Location: 222 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York City
To RSVP, please call 212-785-7335 x100 or email jdudley@ncrw.org.
This program will precede the Council’s Making a Difference for Women Awards Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on February 21, 2008. For more information, please contact the National Council for Research on Women Benefit Office, c/o CMI Events 212.763.8591, ncrw@cmevents.net, or visit the website.
I’m becoming quickly obsessed with the topic of young people and the election. Last night I was watching (ugh) Cooper Anderson 360 and Keli Goff was on with Anderson talking about “Generation O.” You can read her blog post on it here. Keli has a book coming out next month, called Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence. Keli began her career in politics as an intern on Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. Check out Keli’s blog, Pimp My Vote and her website to find out more.
And here’s from the book’s description:
For the last forty years the label “black voter” has been virtually synonymous with “Democrat” but a new generation of voters is changing that. In her provocative new book Party Crashing, political commentator Keli Goff introduces America’s newest swing voter. Like soccer moms and Nascar dads before them, young, black voters born after the Civil Rights Movement are becoming increasingly up for grabs, politically speaking.
While the politics of their parents and grandparents were shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, Goff notes that the politics of her peers, members of the post-Civil Rights generation, have been shaped by a number of cultural influencers that transcend race; from “The Cosby Show,” to icons such as Oprah Winfrey, and the tragedy of 9/11. Civil rights has long been the defining political issue for black Americans but for this emerging generation of black voters, civil rights is now one issue among many that define their politics. As a result, they are challenging the idea that one’s skin color should color one’s political identity, and they are also challenging the idea that they should be Democrats.
Since the support of black Americans has been crucial to the success of democratic candidates–from Presidents Kennedy to Clinton–this shift could be one of the most important developments in modern politics, arguably as important as the Civil Rights movement itself. Along with the political shift occurring, Goff also examines the cultural shift that is taking place on a wide range of issues including: gay marriage, hip-hop, and the emergence of what Goff calls “Generation Obama.”
Through in-depth interviews with young, black voters, groundbreaking survey research, and conversations with a range of high profile Americans–from Colin Powell to Russell Simmons–Party Crashing explores the issues and people who have helped shape the politics of the post-Civil Rights Generation, and how this generation is reshaping America.
Can’t wait to get my hands on this book.
Oh boy oh boy I just can’t seem to stop yapping on this one.
But first, I’d like to frame this post with a note that I by no means believe that all opposition to Sen. Clinton is sexist in nature. And, as blogger Amanda Marcotte smartly notes, opposing sexist pandering against Sen. Clinton isn’t the same thing as endorsing her. (Even though I, in this case, did.)
That said, here are two pieces to share today in which I’m quoted yapping about Hillary, sexism, and media: The Guardian, Pavement Pieces.
As it turns out, I am SheSource’s “Expert of the Week.” I am always happy to speak about Hillary, but I am NOT into putting people down who support Obama. Especially women. And I hope other women speaking out publicly this week aren’t either. We got more important things to talk about. ‘Nuf said.
(Thank you, Gwen, for the heads up!)
Feminists seem to be joining up and issuing public statements everywhere this week. Kimberle Crenshaw and Eve Ensler have teamed up in a hot post over at HuffPo, called “Feminist Ultimatums: Not in Our Name.” I utterly dig what they have to say about young feminists, and I absolutely agree. They write:
Young feminists have been vocal and strong in critiquing the claim that a vote for Obama represents some form of youthful naiveté, a desire to win the approval of men, or a belief that sexism no longer factors into their lives. While paying respect to those women who carried the banner for so many years, these young women have reminded us that feminism is not static but evolutionary, changing in content, scope and tenor as new generations elevate their concerns and aspirations. And while we agree that this “either/or” brand of feminism fails to capture the imagination and hopes of countless numbers of women who refuse to entrust this capital into the hands of a candidate just because she is a woman, we think it important to add that this is not simply an intergenerational difference at work here. At issue is a profound difference in seeing feminism as intersectional and global rather than essentialist and insular. Women have grappled with these questions in every feminist wave, struggling to see feminism as something other than a “me too” bid for power whether it be in the family, the party, the race or the state.
Amen to all that.
For a, um, slightly different take on young women, see here. Younger women’s responses here.
(Thank you, Cathy, for the heads up.)
Just to continue with my “I’m really moved by the passion of this election!” blogging, I had to share my voting story this morning.
On my way out of my polling place (ya’ll know by now who I cast my vote for, so no more ’bout that I swear), I came upon a corner where Hillary supporters and “Women for Obama” supporters were hanging out campaigning, the established legal distance from the polls. I stopped to ask a Hillary women if she had a sticker or anything to give away. Nothing against her, but she didn’t. I thanked her for the work they were doing and walked away.
Then I circled back and went over to the Obama women to see if they had any specific literature on Obama and women. Nothing against them, but they didn’t. I chatted with them for a moment cheerfully, thanked them for the work they were doing, and walked away.
As I walked down the block, I turned to look over my shoulder back at the scene, feeling this crazy patriotic pang. I do love this country when it’s working right, I confess. Let’s just hope our votes make it to the right place and nothing ends up like Florida in 2000 ever again.
But I digress. When I looked over my shoulder from halfway down the block, I realized that the whole scene was being documented by a tv camera from one of the major stations over here, and that the camera was still trained on (gulp) me. Must have been my bright red coat. Anyway, if you’re watching the news and happen to see a girl in a red coat and braids chatting up representatives from both campaigns looking like she can’t quite make up her mind, it’s me. Only I had made up my mind. Even if only a few days ago.
Man, I can’t wait til all this is over and we can just get the heck behind one of these two amazing candidates and give it our collective all.
As they say in my hometown Chicago, vote early and vote often (though you didn’t hear it here!). Meanwhile, here’s some of what’s going on in my adopted hometown, NYC.
