Today is Leap Day, February 29th, the last day of February. It is the last day of Black History Month and tomorrow Women’s History Month begins. We are on the cusp here as much as the electorate and campaigns, as we wait for that fateful Tuesday to come. On this improbable day I would like to discuss a little about a missed opportunity almost 150 years ago, and ask you to consider a leap of faith on Leap Day by suspending your disbelief and objectively considering a Unity Ticket 2008. Join me below the fold for more.
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution:
provides that governments in the United States may not prevent a citizen from voting based on that citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude (i.e. slavery).
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Surprisingly, two of the biggest names in Women's Rights at the time refused to support this amendment because it did not include women: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. I happen to believe they were wrong, but they were not alone among women in the movement, and their supporters. Prior to the Civil War, abolitionists and women's rights supporters were virtually indistinguishable. In fact, many of women's firsts, such as the first woman to speak before a US legislative body (Angelina Grimke, 1838) were realized in the pursuit of abolitionist goals.
Once the Civil War began, much of the work of pushing for Women's Rights was rightfully set aside for the work of the war effort. Once the war was won by the North, the push for Women's Rights was renewed, and many women and Northern abolitionists naturally assumed the causes could be joined to secure voting rights for all. Accounts differ on how what followed played out, and many of those accounts on all sides are bitter, so we won't rehash them here. Suffice it to say that it is easy enough, in hindsight only, to see how the addition of the word "sex" (or gender) to the 15th amendment would have saved 55 years of heartache and injustice, and was the right thing to do. Certainly it was a missed opportunity for our nation.
I can't help but think there is some analogy to the current fight between Obama and Clinton. I do not blame either of them, but I do think it's unfortunate that women's progress and African American's progress are so pitted against each other. Almost everyone I know is excited about this race because of the identity nature of the race, and the inherent progress that represents. They are all involved at a deeper level, but that is the root of it for many people. I know my own support for Hillary Clinton has been nurtured by my desire to see that progress for women. I have heard and read many Obama supporters, both black and white, who are motivated by the change Obama's race brings to the office. Both would be noble achievements.
For some time I have been toying around with the idea of a Unity ticket, in whatever configuration. My girl doesn't have to be up top on the ticket. I'm alright with an Obama/Clinton ticket or a Clinton/Obama ticket, though I realize most here would want the former.
I know, I know, right about now your eyes are glazing over and you're about to change the diary, or you're about to launch into an anti-Hillary tirade, but WAIT! Hear me out just two more minutes. Please?
Let's go with Hillary as VP, okay? I think I can sell you on maybe thinking about that anyway. First, the other day GreyHawk came up with a few brilliant ideas in his or her Clinton-as-Obama's-Cheney diary. I like to call this the Firewall strategy. She's such a boogey man to the right, he is safe from a trumped-up impeachment and worse. As GreyHawk rightly pointed out, from this perch she could direct any number of congressional investigations that will keep the Rethuglicans preoccupied and unable to fight back, as well as make what's happened these last 7 years see the light of day. She can also keep Blue Dogs and DINOs in line. Does anyone doubt she would?
Obama and Clinton can also offer each other plenty of protection in the GE. She can boost his experience and record deficits, he can boost her charisma and negatives deficit. Their policies are already complimentary. Their abilities seem well-matched, him with his ability to move people to action, and her knowing exactly where all the action is needed, and all the secret hiding places to look for Bush administration impropriety.
An Obama/Clinton ticket also provides a unique solution to the issues of delegates, of which there are two. John King, among others, has said that neither candidate can win enough pledged delegates at this point to secure the nomination, and it will be left to superdelegates. But if they ran together, there wouldn't have to be a superdelegate battle or a brokered convention. Bullet dodged. Additionally, consider that MI/FL would no longer be problems. With a Unity ticket, we can seat those delegates, no problem.
If they ran together, we would stop yelling at each other, and accusing each other of destroying the party. They could stop tearing each other down and bickering on national TV.
Finally (I did say 2 minutes), a Unity ticket offers us relief from Primary Fatigue. Once this is all over, if they do not unite, one of these groups is going to feel cheated. That's a simplification, really, as the set of emotions will be complicated. Maybe it's more accurate to say that one group will feel left behind in that pursuit of progress. Most will vote for the Dem anyway, many will join the momentum already building, but some will not vote, or worse, vote for Nader or McCain.
We can't afford to lose even a few. We need every vote we can get, if not for the win, then for the mandate. If they ran on one ticket, they'd bring all those waves of Dem voters and independents, and disenfranchised Rep voters together, and I believe that is the way to crush the Repthuglicans in November.
And I think an Obama/Clinton ticket will go a long way towards not missing another opportunity, and no one will feel left behind. Isn't that what the Democratic Party is all about anyway?
Thank you for reading. Also, if you're interested, I'm going to do a series on women and events in women's history during March. I'm planning two or three diaries a week, kicking off tomorrow with one on Seneca Falls, 1848.