An article today in the San Francisco Chronicle by Tammy Bruce is titled "A feminist's argument for McCain's VP"
http://www.sfgate.com/...
She states that the sexism of the Democratic primaries have pushed her to consider voting for McCain. She states that Voting for a McCain - Palin ticket gives women <-" a chance to vote for a someone who is her own woman, and who represents a party that, while we don't agree on all the issues, at least respects women enough to take them seriously.">
I was someone who initially supported Clinton, and then, after being disappointed by her campaign and tactics used therein moved over to Obama, so this article by Bruce prompted this response from me.
When Tammy Bruce asks, referring to the 18 million cracks Hillary Clinton put in the glass ceiling, "How many cracks does it take to break the thing?". My answer is, whatever the number would have been to get the majority of elected, non-super delegates.
Hillary would have been the nominee if she had gotten the majority of non super-delegates. The Democrats, even those that supported Obama as the polls showed, would have supported Hillary's candidacy if she had won the majority of delegates, which she probably would have done if she hadn't run out of time and states.
The Democrats were a hair's breadth away from nominating a female Presidential candidate and, no doubt, supporting her unanimously. It took a nod from the already nominated McCain to unilaterally bring a woman to the Republican ticket - on the bottom. They're still so far behind the Democrats who nominated Ferraro decades before.
There may have been sexism in the Democratic primaries, particularly from the press (including those who are now telling everone to "lay off" Sarah Palin). Personally, I didn't hear it from Obama, but I did get the scent of racism as well, so that discussion is an open one, as far as I'm concerned.
But to consider supporting the party which brought you a Supreme Court which knocked down a woman's ability to challenge pay inequity because it wasn't challenged within 30 days (if I recall), not to mention McCain's lack of support on this issue, as well as the minimum wage, universal health care, and many other so called women's issues, is to cut off your nose to spite your face.
Maybe the abortion issue isn't the deal breaker for possible defectors to Palin, or maybe her lack of support for global warming science, comprehensive sex education, stem cell research, and support for banning books (including, if I'm not mistaken, "To Kill a Mockingbird"), teaching creationism in schools, etc. ... but giving your vote to McCain because of her candidacy would be setting the agenda for women - not to mention the country and the planet - back decades.