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Let's see how women will welcome Obama's pick, Joe Biden
Not long ago, I was under the impression that Sebelius from Kansas would be the pick in order to prevent a backlash against women who might be upset if a woman were left out of the race.
Even Caroline Kennedy's name was floated by Michael Moore.
But now, it looks like it will an all-male battle.
Hopefully women will not be bothered by this choice.
And I'm not talking about TPM women, who are hard-core Democrats who will support any male short of Joe Lieberman as long as they have a (D) next to their name. I'm talking about women in general.
We'll see.
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Comments (36)
Here's the Obama logic as I see it.
He has a problem with white boomers - not really with women in general at all.
Clinton's the obvious pick to reel in the white boomers. BUT...the vetting, and WJC, and possible backlash from his more zealous supporters, and GOoPer attacks...
So, Sebelius. Lots of advantages besides being a white female boomer. BUT...not much experience, very new to the national scene, doesn't address Obama's most glaring resume gaps.
So, Biden. Hits the white boomers, addresses experience. Potential backlash from those who wanted a woman (a large subset of which specifically wanted Clinton). But he's solid, non-controversial and will stay on message relentlessly.
Biden's the pick you'd expect from a poker player who plays very conservatively. (My pet theory is that people play poker much like they live their lives. I think it's definitely true in Obama's case.)
August 23, 2008 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I've noticed that poker analogy as well. I also don't think it leads to any big changes policy-wise, which might actually be comforting (presuming we clear half of the previous executive orders out).
August 23, 2008 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, Obama's specifically promised to review every Bush executive order. If he doesn't, that'll be a major disappointment for me.
August 23, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama doesn't have a problem with women (he has more support from them than Kerry had and certainly a lot more than McCain has). He has a problem among older working-class people, some of which are women. Now while they're may be the generation of die-hard feminists (a lot of those were really turned on by Hillary), they're also skeptical about Obama because of his relative youth and inexperience, like older working-class people generally are. And in this respect Biden is a great reassurance.
As about them wanting a female president at all cost, well, now this option is off the table, they're naturally disappointed, but that doesn't mean that "Obama has a problem with women", it's just that there'll be less enthusiasm among them. It's somewhat like how black people are fired up for Obama. If Hillary was the nominee, they would be less fired up, but it wouldn't mean that "she has a problem with blacks" - most of them would still vote for her.
August 23, 2008 8:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now Obama has a problem with women.
August 23, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think Obama/Biden have a slight problem if McCain chooses a woman. Are there any possibilities out there--I haven't kept up?
August 23, 2008 9:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hutchinson. Rice would have been a killer pick for him, but, apparently, they worry she may be a lesbian. Too much, too soon. Whitman. But her career stalled during first GW Bush administration.
August 23, 2008 9:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Billy. I was doing some research and how about this Palin out of Alaska, she has a 80-90% approval rating as Governor. ??
August 23, 2008 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think she'll be really hot in the future, but for now it would be difficult because McCain is attacking Obama for being a young fluff, so someone 50+ with more experience seems a minimum.
August 23, 2008 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think there's Fiorina, Snowe, Sarah Palin (probably too young, but interesting for her anti-corruption moves), Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Blackburn (too few years)
August 23, 2008 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
I also think Obama/Biden is too east coast. Hutchinson would make it west-vs-east, while Fiorina is pretty balanced herself between east coast and west coast roots. I still think Fiorina would be by far the most interesting choice even though she's ruffled some feathers and of course was rather visibly fired.
August 23, 2008 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, I shouldn't leave out Hillary, just to keep our conspiracy aligned brothers and sisters in stitches. Yep, that's right - Hillary will speak at *BOTH* conventions.
August 23, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I basically with your points regarding picking Clinton, eastside.
Hillary probably would have brought the most positives - as her many supporters have eagerly said - but she also would have brought the most negatives.
August 23, 2008 9:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Should have read: I basically AGREE with your points....
August 23, 2008 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't understand the baby boomer references. Joe Biden is not a baby boomer. He was born before the boom.
In any case, women have been thrown under the bus with the choice of Biden. What I mean is, by choosing Biden, Obama demonstrates he is going after the testosterone vote. Biden is the closest thing Democrats have to a "maverick." After Biden, you're in Chuck Hagel territory.
It doesn't matter how women will react to the ticket. The female vote clearly wasn't taken into consideration. But it's not hard to predict that more women will vote Republican this year than in the last two elections.
August 23, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Gasket:
I have great respect for your opinions, even though we often differ, but I think you are missing something here.
Boomer women love Joe Biden, not just because we recognize his foreign policy expertise and years of experience, but also because we find the combination of his inner strength, capacity for passionate advocacy and physical vitality (for his age) extremely appealing as a package. Incredible as it may seem to those who are younger, we respond to Joe not only intellectually but viscerally -- to us, he -- not Obama -- is the man who can set our pulses racing. This is a good thing for molifying the disaffected and undecided. Smart move.
August 23, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huh? Are we over issues now and onto school girl crushes? Sorry, boomer mid-aged crushes? If only we'd known earlier, maybe we could have gotten Tom Selleck or is it Tom Cruise?
August 23, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Desidero:
Have you always been a contemptible prick, or did you require special schooling?
WW voiced legitimate, intelligent opine. Reply in kind or back the f up.
August 23, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Couldn't have said it better myself.
August 23, 2008 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, it still strikes me like a crush. I guess I'm just more in touch with my inner prick than most.
August 23, 2008 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mayhaps it comes with your having such a tiny one where it counts??
August 23, 2008 6:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a butt...no where did she say she had a crush on anyone...Play nice, or don't play.
August 23, 2008 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I put the words together and took away the impression. She did not say crush, I did based on her description. Sorry if that's the impression it evoked.
August 23, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're beginning to fit right in. You might want to think about it before you start telling people what to do around here. You're the one who's obsessed with letting people know you're not a troll, aren't you? Why would anyone think that?
August 23, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Desidero:
I'm delighted. I knew when I wrote this that someone would seize the opportunity to make the predictable "schoolgirl crush" putdown because the target I offered was so tempting. I am surprised, however, that it was you who took the bait, as I would have thought shooting at it beneath you. Never mind.
The real point I was making is this: people are subjective about their votes. And any tipping point factor that boosts numbers in Obama's direction -- for any reason -- is fine by me. So, if Biden's appeal to some older women causes them to make a commitment to Obama/Biden rather than fuming about HRC's loss, or moving towards McCain, I say "Allrighty,then."
August 24, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Desidero:
Freudian slip? Unlike the older men who openly lust for young women young enough to be their daughters, most women have the dignity to keep their high profile/celebrity "crushes" in their own age group, and in perspective.
So, whereas Angelina Jolie (or equivalent) may be an object of ill-disguised lust for 50-something men, the fact is that Tom Cruise does nothing for Boomer women because we are mature enough to recognize that: a) he is almost young enough to be one of our children; and b)he's an uneducated nutcase control freak. Oh, and he's also way too short.
Tom Selleck? Are you kidding me? left-over 70's moustache, whiny voice and a gun freak? Thank you, but no thank you.
August 24, 2008 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Readytoblow...you're not going to be surprised that I disagree with your assertion that women weren't taken into consideration. Hillary has WAY too many negatives to balance out the positives. Her selection for vp would have almost certainly mobilized the right to get out and FIGHT rather than just go out and vote. If he had picked another woman it would have been a monumental insult to women...
August 23, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
She went on Fox and the right liked her better than Obama. She defanged them. And I guarantee you, whatever the issues and all the screaming about negatives, in the privacy of the voting booth there will still be great temptation to pull the lever for the first woman VP or Presidential candidate, especially for the 50%+ female electorate.
August 23, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Logically, if I was a woman, and I had a choice of two people I thought were going to put a foot in my ass(not that its true, but hypotheticaly), I would probably chose the person with the smallest shoe size.......
McCain will do nothing for women rights or causes and on a Democratic Blog I would hope that most people give women in the general public more credit for knowing this when it becomes time to vote.
August 23, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
AGREE, AGREE, AGREE...If women are really willing to give McCain the opportunity to name a couple of Supreme Court Justices just because they are pissy about Hillary losing, then they don't really care about women's issues, they're just, well, pissy about Hillary losing and will cut off their noses to spite their faces...Are we women really that dumb? Dear God in Heaven, I hope not.
August 23, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
And will Obama appoint some right-to-life Supreme Court justices just to reach across the aisle and woo independents and moderate Republicans?
August 23, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, in this world, anything can and does happen, but I would doubt it...I sincerely believe he will tilt left. If I didn't believe that I would have just sat the election out.
August 23, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
But you're stillidealistic, I never was.
August 23, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ya got that right, and at my age I'm darn proud of it!
August 23, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
ROFL.
Good one.
August 24, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is that right? I wouldn't have guessed "contemptible prick" was your style. Does "Boots" know you talk that way?
August 23, 2008 8:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
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