Regardless of party affiliation, women saw the coverage of both Clinton and Palin as “too negative” and without adequate substance…In what could be characterized as two extremes, Clinton was labeled as “anti-male and a she-devil,” while Palin was assigned the role of “a ditz and an airhead.”
The National Organization for Women (NOW) Political Action Committee and the Feminist Majority Political Action Committee made a joint announcement endorsing Congresswoman Carolyn D. Maloney to take over Clinton’s seat.
Questions from the audience reflected a hunger to examine a wider range of issues. One frustrated attendee prefaced her query with, “Look how much time we’re spending on Sarah Palin, and what does it say with her as a choice?”
With questions from moderators Deborah Roberts and Al Roker, the topic of women and power was engaged; both relating it to the male version and qualifying that power could be used for positive purposes.
The scene felt like a contemporary version of 1960, when John F. Kennedy captured the imagination of the country. The nation was swept with a tide of idealism, and the belief that every individual could make a difference.
Why was one of the most solid Democratic voting blocs, the Jews, ever in doubt? There are a number of factors. Yet one element that the purveyors of fear did not count on was the incredible push back to their actions, spearheaded by the use of new media to fight the deception and vilification.
“By stark comparison to Senator McCain, Senator Obama will take the long view. He will look before he leaps. He will not sacrifice American lives lightly or use force to prove a point. He will restore an honor to the American Presidency that is based on mutual trust.”
At Stonestreet Studios in the heart of the Flatiron District in Manhattan, performers will read almost 600 letters that reflect a spectrum of responses to McCain’s vice-presidential choice.
Augmenting McCain’s commitment to overturn Roe v. Wade, Palin ratcheted up the discourse with her position of no abortion exceptions in the case of rape or incest. “She can’t keep the women’s vote if they actually know what she is suggesting,” was the popular wisdom. Yet, there were a lot of female voters who weren’t clear about her record. That’s when a core group of women, using new media and an approach that has defined the 2008 election, jumped in to present another point of view.
With the understanding that women do not getting their narratives adequately told – if told at all – the need for a fresh playing field is palpable. In the new media, women have an opportunity to create their own communities and their own brands.
"The Jump Rope Line" by Marcia G. Yerman is included in the Seal Press anthology Dancing at the Shame Prom.
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