The good news in this campaign is that most Americans, including pundits and political analysts, seem to feel it is socially unacceptable to use overtly racist stereotypes or innuendo against Barack Obama. Though I still believe that racism is pandemic in American society, people appear to keep their beliefs and feelings about the color of Barack Obama's skin to themselves. At least, so far.

Restraint against making sexist comments, by contrast, is not yet apparent. Fortunately, the outcry from both men and women has been loud enough to force Chris Mathews to apologize for implying that Clinton would never be a candidate if her husband hadn't messed around in the White House. I'm also delighted that MSNBC's David Shuster has both apologized and been suspended for asking a guest if Chelsea Clinton was "being pimped out in some weird sort of way" by the Clinton campaign?

These are only two of a long list of sexist comments noted by Media Matters, feminist scholars and activists across the country. This list would bore you.

But the one moment that sill sticks in my throat happened quite a while ago. On November 12, 2007, a McCain supporter asked, "How do we beat the bitch?" Laughter erupted among the crowd and McCain joined in. After a few moments, he replied, "That is an excellent question." Then, he went on to say that he respected Senator Clinton.

Oh really?

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Some people are stunned that I have already voted for Barack Obama and that I signed a "Feminists for Obama" statement which now includes over a thousand rather distinguished names. They know I've been involved in the women's movement since 1967 and have spent my life teaching and writing about the history of women and gender ever since. So why, they ask, didn't I cast a vote for Hillary Clinton?

Am I filled with self-hatred as a woman? No. In fact, there is nothing I'd rather do than vote for the first female presidential candidate. I still remember hearing--on a remote Greek island--that the Democratic party had chosen Geraldine Ferraro as a vice-presidential candidate. To my great surprise, tears flooded my face.

So why haven't I cast this historic vote?

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