What (some) feminists are saying:

“This election represents a turning point for me. I am changing my registration to the Green Party. And I am never again voting for a male candidate except in the unlikely event that a male candidate meets the conditions I outline below. I will vote for pro-choice women from any party…” –V (full text below)

“No more votes for men. No more. My entire professional/public life has been about, because of, by, for, and of "men," and now I'm finished.” -TH

“Maintaining a unified party front is not my responsibility as a voter; it's the party's responsibility.” -E

“In the electoral college system my vote means nothing and I'll probably cast it for McKinney, but I'm doing what I can for Obama and/or Clinton in the purple state 20 minutes north of here.” -M

“This is the hill I am prepared to die on. I'm not voting for men anymore.” -S

“There are 16/100 women U.S. Senators.

There are 87/535 women representatives.

There are 8/50 women governors in 2008.

There have been 0/43 U.S. Presidents.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I do not believe things cannot change. This is my attempt at changing them”. –TH

“I may change my registration to Green, too. I think you might be better off doing that as an initial move. It's going to be a lot more obvious to the Dems that women are deserting them if they start registering en masse for the greens than simply by voting green.” -A

“VP? Many think she should turn it down. Women have had to work subordinate to less qualified junior men too often. It usually isn’t a good idea, and I don’t see this situation as an exception.” –O

“I urge [those of you] who think that feminists shouldn't vote with their feet and EXIT from the Democratic Party's base to think again. This primary campaign has made it clear that the male leaders of the Democratic Party feel they are under no obligation to feminist women who make up part of the Democratic base.” -Vera

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“I do not care which person is your candidate. I don't care what you think of Hillary Clinton as a potential president. What is being done in the press is akin to a pack of rabid 7th graders trying to haze the nerdy girl in school simply because they can. It has nothing to do with her qualifications -- it has to do with gender, and these lemming pundits think that it's perfectly acceptable because everyone is doing it, including women like Andrea Mitchell and Anne Kornblut.
 Treat her with disrespect simply because she is female, then you are treating every woman, everywhere, with disrespect. And we are not putting up with that shit.” -- Christy Hardin Smith, Firedoglake
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Deborah Tannen: The Hillary Factor – why she can’t win
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From the Washington Post interview with Hillary Clinton (2008/5/19)

Q. One of the stories that has been well documented over and over again is basically how you've been treated by the media. Can you talk about that a little bit, because I get the idea that it's really pissed off a lot of women.

A. "I think it has. I think it's been deeply offensive to millions of women.

Q. Do you think this has been a particularly racist campaign?

A. I do not. I think this has been a positive, civil campaign. I think that both gender and race have been obviously a part of it because of who we are and every poll I've seen show more people would be reluctant to vote for a woman to vote for an African American, which rarely gets reported on either. The manifestation of some of the sexism that has gone on in this campaign is somehow more respectable or at least more accepted. And I think there should be equal rejection of the sexism and the racism when and if it ever raises its ugly head. But it does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by comments and reactions of people who are nothing but misogynists.

Q. Isn't that how it's always been though.

A. Oppression of women and discrimination against women is universal. You can go to places in the world where there are no racial distinctions except everyone is joined together in their oppression of women. The treatment of women is the single biggest problem we have politically and socially in the world. If you look at the extremism and the fundamentalism, it is all about controlling women, at its base. The idea that we would have a presidential campaign in which so much of what has occurred that has been very sexist would be just shrugged off I think is a very unfortunate commentary about the lack of seriousness that should be applied to any kind of discrimination or prejudice. I have spent my entire life trying to stand up for civil rights and women's rights and human rights and I abhor wherever it is discrimination is present. <link>

— — —

Using my vote as a protest

“[…] I'm a registered Democrat and I've never voted for a Republican. I've also sent money, every year since I could first afford it, to the Democratic Party. I've sent money to every Democratic presidential candidate for the past several elections. When I worked on Capital Hill, I worked for a Democrat. I worked in the campaigns of two Democratic candidates (male, naturally).

This election represents a turning point for me. I am changing my registration to the Green Party. And I am never again voting for a male candidate except in the unlikely event that a male candidate meets the conditions I outline below. I will vote for pro-choice women from any party.

I feel as though I've spent most of my life working for men, helping them to advance their careers and obtain promotions and raises that I seldom see. My ideas have been appropriated, I've seen twenty- and thirty-something CEOs spend their start-up's money on questionable entertainment (guess what kind), and I've reported to many men who didn't have my smarts OR my experience. When I worked for a member of the House of Representatives, I was constantly harassed, culminating in the day I was locked in a closet and told that I couldn't come out until I "showed my legs" (I always wore pants, you see). That's the main reason I left Washington, many years ago, and decided that a political career was not for me.

I thought my eyes were open. But this past year has opened my eyes wider. I had truly underestimated the amount of woman-hating that the combined media and political punditry of our culture could produce.

So here's what I expect of the party to which I have shown allegiance all these years. I expect the leaders of the Democratic Party to stand up and loudly decry and reject the misogyny we've seen in this primary campaign. Barack Obama will soon be the leader of the party. I expect him to speak out and show that he understands that misogyny is a huge problem. I expect him to serve the women of this country, especially the women who have been hurt and disappointed by this primary campaign, by pointing out sexism and misogyny whenever and wherever it shows up. I need to see some sign that he gets it.

Here are the conditions under which I'd vote for a male candidate: He must give a speech similar to Hillary Clinton's statement to the UN's fourth world conference on women, in which she proclaimed that "women's rights are human rights." He must object, loudly, publicly, and often, when some misogynist sexist media tool refers to a woman as a bitch, or compares her to a nagging ex-wife, scolding mom, or punitive schoolteacher, or comments on her clothing, hair, thighs, age, or lack of "femininity," or suggests that she's got male organs, or says she is too aggressive, too argumentative, or too ambitious. In short, I will only support a male candidate who shows me that he understands that misogyny is poisoning our political discourse.

Whatever one thinks of Hillary Clinton, she is a leader of the Democratic Party and has worked as hard or harder than anyone on its behalf. She has given up a lot to lead a public life. The nearly all-male Democratic Party leadership owes it to her to express indignation at the way she has been treated by commentators in the press, television, and Internet, and by individuals within the party and within some campaign organizations.

If the nearly all-male Democratic Party leaders do not indicate in some effective way that they understand and reject a system by which women leaders are attacked, mocked, and undermined, then they do not deserve the support they have had from feminists, and I hope that millions of women depart, en masse, from the Democratic Party.” –Vera


“I urge [those of you] who think that feminists shouldn't vote with their feet and EXIT from the Democratic Party's base to think again. This primary campaign has made it clear that the male leaders of the Democratic Party feel they are under no obligation to feminist women who make up part of the Democratic base. Feminists can always be counted on to suck it up and vote Democratic. But I think feminists have got to get angrier, make that anger visible, and become a lot more strategic.

California is a perfect place to start. Obama will carry California. He doesn't need the votes of radical women like myself to do that. I am free to use my vote for another purpose: making my EXIT from the Democratic Party. My individual action will be noticed only if it is part of a larger movement, and I suspect that it will be. I would like to be part of a movement that makes the Democratic Party leadership wake up and realize that if they want our votes, they must show us that they take us seriously.

It's not correct that third party movements are pointless and ineffective. In the U.S., a shift in the focus of a major party occurs when a third party, or some other phenomenon (such as the recent rise in identifying as Independent), becomes a vehicle for carrying away some segment of the party's base. That sort of thing makes a party straighten up its priorities. If, in California, there's an increase in women registering as Green and a commensurate decrease in women registering as Democrat, the Democratic Party may notice.

Furthermore, if enough people lend money and energy, a third party can win office on the local and state level. The Democratic Party has communicated to me that I am excluded from the political conversation taking place on the national level; I'm only needed when it's time to cast my vote for the man who's going to protect me from government-owned uterus laws. On the state and local level, however, I could help elect some Green candidates who stand on a party platform that's much more aligned with my views.

Here's a portion of the Green Party's platform: "Since the beginning of what we call civilization, when men's dominance over women was firmly established until the present day, our history has been marred with oppression of and brutality to women. The Green Party deplores this system of male domination, known as patriarchy, in all its forms, both subtle and overt - from oppression, inequality, and discrimination to domestic violence, rape, trafficking and forced slavery. The change the world is crying for cannot occur unless women's voices are heard."
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This primary election has been an incredibly painful show to watch. But up until now, I always believed that attempting to vote strategically, as a feminist, would have been tilting at windmills. Now something has happened to mobilize our anger. It's a nascent anger, and I hope at least some women will step up to nurse it along until it's big enough, and powerful enough, to be HEARD.” -Vera

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I am never again voting for a male candidate. -Dawn Coyote

Ha! But seriously, you indicate a very real phenomenon. The focus has been on the possible erosion of the black vote with a Clinton nomination. There are, however, lots of angry women over this.

The exit polls ("I am astounded at Norah O'Donnell's figure" - Pat Buchanan, sorry, that still gets me) show some alarming never-gonna-vote-Obama statistics. About a quarter said they would vote McCain, and another quarter said they would stay home or go to a third party.

Now, part of that McCain vote was Operation Chaos volunteers. However, not much of it (see my earlier dissection of Operation Chaos, proving that it has maybe a 2% effect; enough to swing Texas and Indiana, but not huge). And McCain is an attractive candidate to many conservative Dems and Indies.

Sure, as Jack says, many Hillary supporters are blowing off steam in these polls, and will be sucked in to the black hole that is the Democrat party by November. But some of them won't. And "some" is crucial in an election that hinges on turn-out.

But what the women must do as their final act, is to decapitate the democratic party, The Dnc and Howard Dean if Obama is the nominee and VOTE THEIR LAST VOTE FOR MCCAIN, before voting for another.

Otherwise, there might be the chance that Obama can sneak into the WhiteHouse...

the only way to show that is to change your party's registration to Green, BUT VOTE McCAIN!

Unless all women who are offended so deeply show the democratic party and the DNC and Howard Dean and Obama how their treatment and attitude to Hillary Clinton has affected the women of this nation, and thus decapitate them as a viable party to make them lose this general election, they won't budge.

It's not enough to change your registration to Green...YOU MUST KILL THEM!

Decapitate the DNC, Obama in the general elections so that they can learn the lesson you feminists want to teach them by changing your registration to Green.

And don't forget, DON"T VOTE THE DEMOCRAT DOWN BALLOT in the general election.

That will be the greatest message and voice you can show this nation, and all those guys...that you have the power TO DESTROY!

How many though? If these voters feel this way and do indeed break from the party, then they will have to be replaced by some other block, a new source of support. In this case, its the youth and previously apathetic non-voters. They are projecting their sorrow at losing this election to the party and the winner. In fact, their candidate lost the election despite an overwhelming advantage as late as January 08. As someone who has felt the wrath of these Hillary supporters personally, I say let them go and live in peace alongside that crazy black woman from Georgia who is the Green Party candidate. Then they can show they are for both a gender and racial minority at the same time. Good riddance.

Since we cannot win it, we will destroy it. Isn't there an incredibly sexist saying, one that I do not support btw but only post as another egregious example of sexism that sums this up:

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

I cannot believe that this is true, who ever wrote it must be a truly sexist, horrible, despicable person. A man, you know, those guys who stole this from Hillary.

Generally, it's a bad idea to say farewell to a good chunk of the base. Just historically. But there's always room for opera:

«Nel mare solca e nell'arena semina
E il vago vento spera in rete accogliere
Chi fonda sue speranze in cor di femmina.»

- Don Alfonso

("One might as well try to sow the ocean with grain, or catch the wind in a net, as found one's hopes on the hearts of women.")

Then again, founding one's hopes on the youth vote has never worked. Obama girl didn't even vote in the primaries.

Maybe when men and not just women start to protest that shit, we'll start voting for y'all again. Until then, sayofuckingnara, bro.

I'd have voted for Hillary if it were not for the fact that she voted as she did regarding Iraq and cluster bombs.

People don't register as a particular party affiliate in Washington state. If we did, I'd be willing to go re-register to show solidarity toward women.

We do, though, have a number of women in high positions in politics here in Washington, including governor.

I believe, or at least I want to believe, there are men in positions of political power who are not misogynistic. I hope Barack Obama is one of them, because that is who I plan to vote for for President. Unless, of course, Hillary Clinton somehow pulls this thing off. I will vote for her if she does, despite her votes regarding war and cluster bombs.

But when does division end? Black versus Brown versus White, male versus female, Republican versus Democrat, old versus young.

Too bad we can't all just be people.

Good post, "girlie".

I don’t vote for gender. Or religion. Or race. I don’t vote for friends or pastors or family members. I don’t vote for class. I don’t vote my wallet. I don’t vote for (or against) military service or hobbies or sports or things people did in college.

Hi Dawn. I understand—or at least, I hope I do. I too support Hillary and felt her to be the best qualified but two things jump out at me. The first is that the party while being cognizant of concerns over misogyny also has a responsibility to follow the process. Right now, it looks as though Obama will have the required delegates and that’s the process. If the position were reversed we would rightly resent those whose reaction was to the detriment of long term strategic goals. I understand the urge to pick ‘the hill you are willing to die on’ but I’ve also found single issue voting deeply unsatisfying as a result of the consequences whether it’s rooted in support or opposition to abortion, homosexuality or the myriad of other single issue concerns that tend to trump other policy concerns.

Maybe such a protest won’t change electoral outcomes (many thought the same of Nader in 2000 and lodged just such a protest—unintended or ignored consequences sometimes have steep prices).

My problem is this; I’m concerned. About a lot of things. My protest won’t (I suspect, though am not certain) make it easier on my daughters—or my son. It won’t stop us from torturing people or from intrusively monitoring our citizens. It won’t stop arrest and seizure without sufficient grounds or provide hearings and trials for those imprisoned. It won’t stop the monetary sink hole that has undermined the economy not just here but everywhere. It won’t stop $4.50 a gallon gasoline—or more alarmingly—milk. It won’t stop another life from being squandered. It won’t provide sufficient capital on hand to investment firms to provide credit and stabilize real estate markets, or loans for families and businesses. It won’t improve education. Or healthcare. It won’t renew the promise of America for the hardest working lowest ranking among us and it won’t look to their children. It won’t provide an economy that creates more jobs or better jobs or lets me spend just a little more time with those small kids over what promises to be the fastest decade of my life—before they have lives of their own and precious little time for their father.

It won’t put more food in the pantries increasingly used by those who used to donate to them. It won’t provide more accountability or transparency. It won’t provide more freedom for the press or less censorship. It won’t relieve the sneaking suspicion that if you get frustrated and make a snide comment to an unhelpful customer person that someone could arbitrarily restrain you, question you, prevent you from going about your business or put a marker next to your name making the rest of your life immeasurably difficult. It shouldn’t be a country where stopping out of line is something that makes you fear the government.

It won’t provide lower cost prescriptions for my father’s diabetes or my mother’s heart condition. It won’t address the issues in the world that have led us to support one tin pot dictator to the next or look the other way when they behave abominably—or worse when we join them in that behavior. And it won’t secure our ports, railways or infrastructure.

I realize it’s an unimaginable amount to ask—I really do. But then (at the risk of engaging in a little gender stereotyping myself) the women in my life have always been great reservoirs of strength, resolve and sacrifice with a clear understanding of the longer term good and needs. They never let me indulge my petulance; but insisted that I take my joy where I could find it and constantly work to rectify the disappointments life always slings our way. It has its merits.

I'm not sure those are all women. Yeah, there are surely a lot of disillusioned feminists. On the other hand, other than on this board I literally don't know any woman, no matter her age, who supports Hillary. Of course my experience is idiosyncratic, but it never ceases to amaze me that when I meet someone I think is a reasonable prospective Hillary supporter, they aren't.

The "never gonna vote Barrack" votes I suspect have more to do with white men.

In either event, assuming BO is the nominee, you heard it here first, he will win Pennsylvania, whether she's on the ticket or not. He'll follow the Rendell strategy, turn out votes in the Philly burbs (which Fast Eddie will help him do) and those margins will fix those in the state who either vote McCain or stay home.

I do, in fact, know Democrat women (three, one of them black, all older) that swear they will never vote for Obama. Thinkin it's a real phenomenon.

Republicans always hope to win Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Been skunked so far, though I think Michigan may be in play this year. Pennsylvania should be in play, but for the Rendell Machine.

Hard not to like Rendell. He's a big fan of Fox News.

... the only candidate to vote for.

A vote for McCain is a vote for more of what we've had these past eight years. And worse.

The text of your message does not fit the essence of your moniker. Too bad, that.

Then hopefully, for you, John Kerry, John Edwards or maybe Jimmy Carter will decide to run again.

Jack

the ladies!

Dear Vera,

I heard you. I hear you. I will hear you later.

Now that you've been heard, what are you going to do?

Sincerely,

Third Wave Feminism

(And, again.)

And I'm not giving up my penis to get your vote.