ericadawn16: (Optimism)
ericadawn16 ([personal profile] ericadawn16) wrote2008-02-05 09:19 am
Entry tags:

Why I voted for Obama

I may be completely jinxing him with writing this and I doubt it changes anyone's mind, but since so many on my F-List have stated their allegiance to Hillary, I'm copying a defense that I posted last night of what I did.

I HATE being made to feel like a male chauvinist in female form for not voting for Hillary. Even Gloria Steinem, who's one of the most amazing women that I've ever met, says "Yes" when asked whether she's supporting Obama or Clinton.

I guess I should have been a man. I seem to be a traitor to my sex no matter what I do.

Last week, I was misogynistic because I felt women should abstain from alcohol, caffeine and drugs, including smoking, while pregnant.

This week, it's because I voted for Obama.

It all points to the same conclusion that I am somehow less than a woman for not supporting feminism at all costs.

But it's not as though I want females to repressed or support the treatment we've received...if it had been Oprah, I would have supported her, but it wasn't, it's Hillary.

Hillary, who's broken promise after promise and lied to the American people. After watching the Logo debate, I did some research: she and Bill promised a new era of rights for gays if elected in 1992.

What did they receive?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell and a Defense of Marriage Act so they could never marry like their Heterosexual counterparts.

She promised us health care. Instead, welfare spending was cut as was many health care programs. Upon turning 18, I was on Medicaid until it was decided that I was too expensive...

Obviously, having Epilepsy was all my fault...

I was kicked off Medicaid and have given up on having health care despite working full time. My friend, Carolyn, who's a student and unable to work full-time is more tenacious and has been kicked off Medicaid and re-applied five or six times.

I remember 2003. I remember Hillary trying to tell us that Iraq was the right thing to do. I NEVER thought it was the right thing to do and anyone who knows me can attest to that.

Hillary now tries to color her voting as doing the best with what she knew then, but if that's the case, why did she vote that way? It's not as though new information has emerged that she wouldn't have been privy to as senator. Plenty of us felt that it was an incredibly stupid idea that would end in deaths and wasted money, but she doesn't even admit it as a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes and it makes us more human to admit them.

There's a saying that's alluded in Fahrenheit 9/11: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I won't let Hillary fool me again.

At least Obama hasn't betrayed me yet. If he does, then I'll know, but I'd rather take that chance on an unknown than a proven liar.

[identity profile] scribeling.livejournal.com 2008-02-05 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I totally agree. I'm for Obama all the way.

"Last week, I was misogynistic because I felt women should abstain from alcohol, caffeine and drugs, including smoking, while pregnant."

Who said they shouldn't?! That damages the child! Are people complete idiots now? That's not repression, it's intelligence! UGH!

[identity profile] meowbooks.livejournal.com 2008-02-05 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Traitor to your sex? Nonsense, proving you have a mind of your own and are willing to stand by your beliefs proves you're not. If feminism is about equality then you have the right to vote for who you think is best-regardless of what sex they are.

And I agree with you, abstaining from those things during pregnancy is about HEALTH.





[identity profile] ericadawn16.livejournal.com 2008-02-06 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for telling me that, it's absolutely right. In order to truly follow MLK's vision, we have to look past the physical to what's inside. It's what's inside that counts when electing a president.

[identity profile] captainsillyhat.livejournal.com 2008-02-06 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
I'm voting for Obama in the Washington state primary in two weeks(Feb 19). I find Senator Obama's views on Health care refreshing. I don't trust Hilary Clinton after she failed to fix healthcare crisis as First Lady in 1993.

[identity profile] jackdavfan692.livejournal.com 2008-02-07 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
Hey Erica :). Add me to the list of supporters for your voting choice yesterday (I gave my vote to Obama in yesterday's California primary, too). While I haven't yet been given hell for my vote like it sounds you have, I'm also very aware that there's probably a group of individuals of the female persuasion who are/will take those of us who voted for/will vote for Obama to task for doing so :/. Here are bits of the comment I wrote (basically a highly condensed, more brief version of the response I wrote on the candidate quiz you posted a week or so back) on a blog about "Super Tuesday" I looked at on this site called Care2.com:
...what I think we need is a president who completely tosses out the "business as usual" way of leading the country. Unfortunately, Hillary is NOT that candidate. In all fairness, Kucinich is/was truly that candidate, followed by Edwards, but since both withdrew from the race... it came down to either Hillary or Obama. Add to all that the fact that Hillary flip-flopped on Iraq (unlike Obama, who was against the invasion from the start) and hasn't sufficiently admitted voting for the resolution was the wrong choice in the first place, well, for me at least, those things are pretty major marks against her. ...the truth of the matter is that this election is NOT about race or gender, but about who can best set the country on the new, better path it so desperately needs to be after eight disastrous years under Bush Jr.'s administration. In my view, Barack Obama is the individual who can do that... .


As to your friends' comments about your view that women shouldn't drink, smoke, do drugs, and consume caffeine while pregnant, my only response is, "Well, duh B|!" As scribeling said, doing those things is terribly unhealthy for the developing child B/!

[identity profile] serenaprn.livejournal.com 2008-02-07 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
Hey don't worry girl...I'm voting for Obama too and I can't stand Hilary! I agree with everything you said but I have to add one one more Hilary gripe me also considering myself a feminist....

That crying on tv? What the hell was that? That loser set us back 100 years with all this sensitivity crap. No wonder people call us the weaker sex...because of woman like her. Women running for positions in power need to grow some BALLS and be stronger than the men.

What's she gonna do when god forbid there were to be some national crisis...cry on tv? or beg Bill for help? Loser...

[identity profile] ericadawn16.livejournal.com 2008-02-07 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I know!!! Do we want a leader who would become a whiny bitch in front of a foreign leader?

Of course, we did live down the vomiting fiasco...

[identity profile] ericadawn16.livejournal.com 2008-02-07 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
(Applauds)

That was beautiful.

Can we fix America? Yes, we can!!!

Image (http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i61/Ericadawn16/?action=view&current=Bob-the-Builder-tv-01.jpg)

[identity profile] jackdavfan692.livejournal.com 2008-02-08 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
serenaprn (I'm assuming your response was to what I wrote :}. If not, sorry C:)- Yeah, that moment when she broke down was a little much :/. I found it a bit suspicious not because I'm what you'd call a true feminist, but like some others, I couldn't help but wonder if it was staged. It may very well have been sincere, but you never know :?.

ericadawn- Awww..., thanks 8)!
Can we fix America? Yes, we can!!!
Excellent quote :)! Here's hoping change and a sense of optimism will trump experience and "business as usual" when the Democratic nominee is finally chosen, and all the way through to Election Day 8?!

Alexis

[identity profile] random-redshirt.livejournal.com 2008-02-09 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
Commenting a bit late on this...

Not voting for a candidate based on that candidate's past political history is a perfectly valid reason, in my opinion. I don't see why Hilary should be subject to less scrutiny than anyone else just because she's female, or that being female makes her a better candidate. How is voting for her because she's a woman better than refusing to vote for her because she's female? I don't get it.


Last week, I was misogynistic because I felt women should abstain from alcohol, caffeine and drugs, including smoking, while pregnant.

The human race will never cease to amaze me. I can see how one might argue that the woman has a right to drink and smoke (I wouldn't necessarily agree, but that's beside the point) while pregnant. It just strikes me as an unwise and irresponsible course of action to smoke, drink, etc. when the risk of harming the unborn child is so high. I don't see how that's misogynistic. Sure, men may not face the same situation, but that's a biological issue, not a societal one.