On the night of the New Hampshire democratic primary, as I was watching my tv set with as much rapt attention as when I watched the Patriots' last game of the season (vs. NY Giants), something dawned on me. I'm pretty sure the next president will be a Democrat. With that, I'm pretty sure that the next president will either be a woman or African American. Wow! Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day when I could even think that.
When I heard that the primary was too close to call for the Dems in NH, I was shocked given the polling data, and thus began my watching MSNBC for every precinct reported. With every point change, I yelled out to my roommate. "Hillary's lead is down to 2% points!" "Oh no, her lead is up to 4% points!"
The pundits kept talking about women voting, Hillary tearing up, the "beer v. wine" vote, the lack of youth vote... the one thing they didn't mention on CNN or MSNBC was race. Having grown up in New England, I wondered to myself "would New Hampshire vote for a Black man?" After all, in my life I have never experienced such racial animosity covered up with the appropriate language than in New England. I've lived in South Carolina and Georgia. I wondered if the polling data leading up to the primary was off because white people were saying "sure I'd vote for Obama," but then go into the voting booth and pull the lever for someone more like them... white. What I didn't realize was that this has a name. It's the "Tom Bradley effect."
This year's election is honestly fascinating for folks who like studying and discussing race, class, and gender. Did Hillary's tears get her the NH victory? Was it the Bradley effect? Is it a class divide? I don't like the idea that people would vote for Hillary because she got choked up. And interestingly, the woman who asked her the "how do you do it?" question that got Hillary choked up actually voted for Obama.
Who would be better for international affairs? I was disturbed recently by one relative's view that he didn't think Mid-east countries would respect a woman head of state. On NPR I recently heard some Middle-east experts mention that people over there believe that Obama would be more open to fair diplomacy with them, as a person of color, and that the election of a Black man would be very shocking to them. Regardless, I think that Hillary would have respect from Muslim-dominant states, and the thought that cuz she's a woman she wouldn't is *sigh* so problematic. Brings me back to where we really are in terms of gender equity.
With regards to racial equity... why is everyone so focused on Hillary, tears, and gender (example: Gloria Steinem)... when the story is equally about race? Lately, I've been really disappointed by the Clintons' rhetoric. Having had a taste of political life, I honestly don't believe there are ever such things as honest mistakes in statements. Everything is always so scripted and rehearsed to make a point. Here are some statements by the Clintons that I have been disappointed about.
*"Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It took a president to get it done.” - Hillary
So if I get her right, it took a white man in office to get anything real accomplished for civil rights?
*"This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." - Bill speaking about Obama's bid for the white house.
*sigh* Even though I've thrown in for Barack, I still have respect for the other candidates. I've always been an admirer of Hillary. This is a big :-/
