Final Thought...

I really enjoyed this clip on Michelle Obama. I think it shows us the kind of woman that she is and what she will contribute to our country. I really admire people who stay true to themselves and don’t forget where they come from. I wish for Michelle Obama to do great things with the opportunity that has come her way. After watching this video, I can tell that Michelle is genuine about the work that she does. I was glad to hear that the Obama’s plan to continue to raise their girls in the same way before the election. I think it is awesome that these girls will have to continue to do things for themselves like make their own beds instead of being waited on hand and foot. If you look at the way that Jenna and Barbara Bush have behaved in the last eight years, you can tell that these girls probably never had to do things for themselves. Even if Barrack Obama doesn’t get out of our economic rut, I believe that he and his family will make change in how we think of others and what we can do. All we can do is ask for change in the future even if it takes some time.

Week 11: Michelle Obama

The December 1, 2008 issue of Newsweek had an interesting article on Michelle Obama. The article touched mostly on the image of Mrs. Obama and the stereotypes that African American women face. Obama has had a lot of experience living like a white woman, but she still knows who she is and where she came from. Michelle still thinks of herself as the little black girl from the South Side of Chicago.
At the age of 44, she will be the youngest First Lady since Jacquline Kennedy, who still remains to be a fashion icon. During the campaign, Michelle Obama pulled out her Jackie O. pearls to appear less like a strong, loud black woman. During this historical moment, all eyes will be on Michelle from the type of work she will do to the outfits she decides to wear. If you get a chance, check out the article.

Week 10: Secretary of State?

This video talks about how Hillary Clinton is up for the Secretary of State position. It is evident that she is qualified for the position, but she has a choice to make on where she wants to go within her career. As discussed in this video, Clinton would need to follow her heart on taking the Secretary of State postion if offered or remaining the Senator of New York. Clinton ran for Senator and won in 2000 where she became the first female Senator of New York.
Also mentioned in this video, if Hillary was to become Secretary of State, her husband claims that he would step away from his current work. I don't really understand why President Clinton would quit working if Hillary was to have a this postion.

Week 9: They way Women Voted

I found this post that pretty much says how I feel on this issue.

Impact of the Women's Vote in the 2008 Election
Why Sarah Palin as 'the Female Candidate' Failed to Win Women Voters
By Linda Lowen, About.com
Filed In:
1. Women's Issues
Nov 10 2008
Throughout the 2008 presidential election cycle, the so-called 'women's vote' was a highly sought-after bloc. From Newsweek magazine's "What Women Want" cover story to the wide-ranging speculation of political pundits of both genders, answers varied as to what might attract women voters to one campaign over another.
The passion engendered by Hillary Clinton's failed presidential bid and her standing as the most successful runner-up in history led some to believe that a nearly foolproof way to secure the women's vote would be to put a woman on the ticket. When Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination after a contentious primary season, many of Clinton's 18 million supporters hoped he would strongly consider her as his running mate
A Female Number Two
Yet Obama passed over Clinton and several other female VP possibilities (including Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius) to name Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. Republican candidate John McCain, whose track record on women's issues did not indicate strong support over the years, strayed from his short list of potential VPs to choose a relative unknown - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin - on August 29, 2008, partly in hopes of attracting disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters. At the time, a large number of observers felt the McCain campaign strategy was brilliant and the unexpected pick consistent with his 'maverick' image. Gender Alone Isn't Enough
In retrospect, however, the fact that one political party nominated a female candidate did not matter to the majority of women voting in 2008. According to the Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University, despite John McCain's historic choice of a running mate, women showed a clear preference for Barack Obama. An analysis of exit poll data conducted by the CAWP revealed the following:
Women's votes were a significant factor in Senator Barack Obama's victory, with a sizable gender gap evident in the election results....Women strongly preferred Obama to Senator John McCain (56 percent for Obama, 43 percent for McCain), unlike men, who split their votes about evenly for the two presidential candidates (49 percent for Obama, 48 percent for McCain).
Charm Wears Off
The much-heralded 'Sarah Palin effect' - the bump in McCain's poll numbers that began after the initial announcement and skyrocketed following her impressive speech before the Republican National Convention - diminished over the course of the campaign. Women voters who were initially charmed by her 'pit bull with lipstick' hockey mom image began to question her capabilities after two unflattering TV interviews with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric were broadcast in September 2008. For many, Palin's fervent anti-abortion stance (even in the case of rape or incest) and her desire to overturn Roe v. Wade represented extreme views they could not support.
Drag on the Ticket
This shift in women's attitudes toward Palin was reflected in a national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Oct. 16-19, 2008, and reported on October 21:
Sarah Palin appears to be a continuing – if not an increasing – drag on the GOP ticket....Women, especially women under age 50, have become increasingly critical of Palin: 60% now express an unfavorable view of Palin, up from 36% in mid-September. Notably, opinions of Palin have a greater impact on voting intentions than do opinions of Joe Biden, Obama’s running mate.
"Nail in the Coffin"
Strong anti-Palin sentiment among women surfaced on a number of fronts. From the blogosphere and op-ed pieces written by leading feminists, to columns penned by prominent conservatives and interviews with everyday female voters, many questioned her qualifications and grew uneasy as details of Troopergate and her $150,000 clothing budget came out. And although Palin initially identified herself as a feminist, she began to shy away from that label - a move that did not help. An early argument expressed by feminists - that the Palin pick was nothing more than a cheap attempt to pander to women - eventually reverberated among mainstream voters as well, including the crucial independent and swing voters. Mary Gockowski , a 52-year-old Ohio preschool worker who voted twice for President Bush, explained to MSNBC why she couldn't vote for the GOP this year:
"I do like Barack Obama, but Sarah Palin was the nail in the coffin," she said. "I objected to (McCain's) judgment and to the idea that, 'Here, we'll give another female to the women of America because they might be dumb enough to vote for a female because of her sex.'"
If the 2008 election had any lessons to offer in the gender debate, the most obvious one is this: Although women may eagerly flock to a female candidate in the initial stage of a campaign, by the time election day rolls around it's the candidate's position on the issues - and not her or his sex - that exerts greater influence on the female voter.

Week 8: What Black Women Want

I found this article from the online version of The Wall Street Journal.
The League of Black Women's Role in President Obama's Administration: Homecoming

Last update: 6:12 p.m. EST Nov. 13, 2008
CHICAGO, Nov 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Leave it to Whoopie Goldberg to put the 2008 election into terms that resonate with Black women. The day after Barack Obama's presidential campaign victory, "The View" co-host said she felt like she could finally "put down her suitcase." The long years of feeling like an itinerant traveler were finally over.
In a nation where League of Black Women's national research survey, Fostering the Leadership Potential of Black Women In America, reports that only 56.8% of Black women surveyed believed that they were likely to reach their own leadership potential, we worked together to help lift and elect Barack Obama to the highest office in the land.
Black women pushed doubt and fear to the side and dug deep for the courage to stand and toil in battleground states where, "African American women, in particular played a large role in this election," said Erica Williams of the Institute for Women's Policy Research. In Indiana and North Carolina, Republican heavy states that Obama won, Black women voted 90 percent and 100 percent respectively for Obama.
The League of Black Women, a longtime national advocate for bringing Black women's leadership talents into all areas of the larger society, believes this is our moment too.
We want jobs and for Black women to demand the higher career opportunities that showcase the full potential of their talents and abilities.
We want many more Black women to run for political office. Public service desperately needs our distinctive innovation.
We want unprecedented funding for education as a specific way to leverage investment in Black children, as national treasures, who have unlimited potential to contribute to leadership in our society.
You've watched this amazing election unfold for two years, don't blink now. The President-elect has promised to talk directly to you. Pay attention. Call, email and write your legislators. Tell them exactly how you want them to vote on funding health care, education, and your jobs in this economy.
As Whoopie reminds us, it's time to kick the unwelcome mat to the side, put down our suitcases and unpack. The national household is a mess, and we have much to do, but as of November 4, 2008, we are finally home.
Sandra Finley is President and CEO of The League of Black Women a national organization, based in Chicago. 708-754-1676
SOURCE The League of Black Women
http://www.leagueofblackwomen.org

With Barack Obama being elected president, African Americans are feeling some sort of accomplishment. Especially African American women are feeling that they have a better chance of accomplishing their own goals. They are not necessarily interested in political careers, but just better career opportunities in general even though they would like to see more black females in political positions. I am interested in seeing what the new "First Lady" will do with her new positio.

Women in Politics

Here is my video:


I agree with what the women said in this video. I would not vote a woman in to any office just because of her gender. I feel that a candidate has to prove that they are right for the job. Even though Hillary Clinton didn't prove herself to make it to the top, she has raised the bar on what a woman is capable of. I hope that because of this year's election, young girls and children of color stive to do something and make a difference. I don't think that we are really ready for a change, but there is hope for the future. A future with less ignorance or double standards. Check out the other countries who have female leaders. http://www.filibustercartoons.com/charts_rest_female-leaders.php

Week 6

I checked out a blog called Women Reflect on The Gender Issue and The Role It Plays in Politics. The person who posted this blog discussed how they think it is great that Hilary Clinton attempted to run for president. In this post, they added comments that were in the New York Times on the day of the post back in May. Some of the comments were things like “many credit Mrs. Clinton with laying down a new marker for what a woman can accomplish in a campaign” and “others say Mrs. Clinton was able to convert the sexism she faced on the trail into votes and donations”. This post focused on how other women view Hilary Clinton and her struggles to get a chance at a run for the Whiteshouse.

http://dekerivers.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/women-reflect-on-the-gender-issue-and-the-role-it-plays-in-politics/

It was nice to read the comments that other women had to say about Hilary Clinton without having to read the entire article from the New York Times.

Week 5: Should women hold power?

One day I would like to see a woman in the Whitehouse as long as it is the right woman. I would like to see what a woman could do with our country. I am not saying that I am anti Sarah Palin, but I don’t feel that someone like her should be in the Whitehouse. I don’t agree where she stands on most issues, but most of all, I don’t agree with a woman who has young children taking on such a huge responsibility.
Sarah Palin has a young child with Down syndrome. It takes a lot of time and energy to take care of a baby especially one with special needs. Palin opposes explicit sex education programs and believes that sex should wait until marriage. She has a 17 year old daughter who is about to have a baby. Obviously Palin does not have enough time to focus on her family and she does not have the ability to get her own child to believe in her views. I find it unfortunate that Sarah Palin may miss out on great milestone in her children’s lives. I don’t believe that a woman should have to choose between having a family or having a career, but Palin is young enough to have another shot at the Whitehouse.
In my opinion, I think that John McCain is using the gender of Sarah Palin to advance his career to the highest level. A lot of Americans may have been ready for a change with a female president and I think that McCain took advantage of the situation. He chose a running mate that clearly does not have enough experience for the job, but at least she wears a skirt. I also feel that John McCain is hoping to gain the voters who may have voted for Hilary Clinton based on her gender by having Sarah Palin by his side.

Week 4: Is Sarah Palin hurting the campaign?

Sarah Palin is under investigation for firing Alaska’s Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Palin claims that the decision was due to lack of Monegan’s budget priorities. Others feel that Palin fired the commissioner because of the messy divorce he had with her sister even though she has denied this claim. Alaska senator Hollis French is running the investigation on Sarah Palin and plans on releasing the final report on the investigation at the end of the month. Even though this happened before she was picked as a running mate, I personally think that this may affect the election. Palins actions may have been completely professional, however, the decision of her firing her ex brother-in-law kind of looks like a petty spiteful move on her part.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=5702697&page=2

Others feel that Tina Fey may be hurting the McCain/Palin campaign. The October Rasmussen poll found that 43 percent of independents say Sarah Palin is hurting John McCain’s chances to win the presidency. 35 percent see her as helping while 22 percent feel that there has been no impact to Tina Fey poking fun of Sarah Palin. An advisor for the McCain campaign claims that the “Saturday Night Live” skits are dismissive toward Palin while those of Hilary Clinton are substantive. I don’t think it really matters how “Saturday Night Live” does a parody on anyone, because it is all in good fun. This country does not need to be so serious all the time and besides, it’s not like this is the first time that SNL has poke fun at any election. Sarah Palin has not really taken any offense to how Tina Fey portrays her. She claims to be a fan of Fey and is grateful to be able to give her some funny material. If you ask me, the only one who can hurt John McCain’s campaign is himself.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/09/as-palins-star-dims-fey-turns-superstar/

Women, Power and Politics . NOW on PBS

Women, Power and Politics . NOW on PBS

Women in Politics

I watched a video called Women, Power and Politics. Watching this video, I learned that the United States ranks 69th in the world in percentage of women holding political power and that most developed countries are ahead of us. Only 16% of our congress is made up of women and we only have 8 female governors. As we grow as a nation, more women are gaining political power, but it seems like it is happening at a very slow rate. If over 50% of this country’s population are women, then why not more women in power? Rwanda has a greater percentage of females elected to the lower house of parliament than in any other nation in the world. They believe that women are better at maintaining peace and are less likely to be involved in corruption over men. In 2006 Chile elected their first female president, Michelle Bachelet Jeria. Chile went from a democracy to a dictatorship then back to a democracy and now has a female president. During Jeria’s term, she plans on working to get equal pay for women. I would like to see our country work on issues that will benefit or change how women are viewed on our society, but we are too concerned with what rights women should or should not have when it comes to their own bodies. Chile doesn’t seem to mind that their president has been divorced, is a single mother who had a child out of wedlock or has no religious values. These are things that our society will judge instead of seeing the abilities that the person is capable of. Michelle Bachelet Jeria has been ranked the 25th in the list of 100 most powerful women even though her personal life is less than perfect. I think we should be able to set personal things aside and focus on the ability of ones work whether it is from a man or woman.

Week 2: What's up with the media?

The media has influence on what we believe whether the information is false or true. We form our opinions based on what we see on television or read in magazines. Even if what we see or read is real, the media thrives on giving us the dirt. As a society, I am curious about why we find dirt on others so fascinating. Of course with this being an election year, the media is providing us with personal information about the primary candidates and their running mates. I find it interesting that all of the entertainment shows keep showing clips of Sarah Palin strutting around in her bathing suit from her beauty pageant days. Are these clips really going to make a difference on how people will vote? I personally don't care that she was a beauty queen or what she looks like in her bathing suit. Her views on our country's future should be more important. I am not trying to defend Palin, but I feel that she is being slightly violated and this probably would not have happened to Hillary Clinton because no one would want to see that and Sarah Palin shouldn't be any different. Why is the whole "red swim suit" thing so interesting to the public. I doubt that this footage would be outplayed if Palin was an unattractive person. It's not like we are seeing pictures of Obama or McCain on the cover of magazines under the title of "Best & Worst Beach Bodies." Well, if this has already happened, I'm glad I missed it.

Women In Politics

In the last 88 years, women have come along way in politics. Not until the early 90's did we see women holding political positions. This year's election has been the most controversial in the history of the United States. The first time ever we had a female run for the presidency and now it is possible that we might see the first female vice president. It makes me wonder if Hilary Clinton is out of the primary because of her political views or her gender? Is America not ready for a Mrs. President?