Thousands of women have been organizing, throwing house parties, canvassing and phone banking for Barack Obama over the last year.
And today is the first day of Women's History Month, so to celebrate, take a look at some of the nation's most prominent women on why they support Barack Obama:
Caroline Kennedy in the New York Times, January 27, 2008:
"A President Like My Father" Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
"A President Like My Father"
Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
Toni Morrison's letter of endorsement, January 28, 2008:
Dear Senator Obama, This letter represents a first for me--a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.
Abigail Pogrebin on the Huffington Post, January 30, 2008:
"Family Politics"My close liberal family is now officially divided. My parents, Bert and Letty Cottin Pogrebin, support Hillary Clinton. My brother, David, and I are ardent supporters of Barack Obama. My twin sister, Robin, has yet to declare herself. Everyone is obviously entitled to his or her opinion. But as the daughter of one of the creators of Ms. Magazine, someone who is considered one of the founders of the Women's Movement, I am frustrated by NOW’s (National Organization for Women) contention that not supporting Hillary is a sexist choice.
Ellen Bravo on the Huffington Post, February 1, 2008:
"Why So Many Feminists Are Deciding to Vote for Barack Obama"Something's happening in these elections that feels like a tipping point. From a national women's media training to my local women's book club, from exchanges among long-time feminist activists to conversations with my feminist son, I hear a buzz about why so many feminists are deciding to vote for Barack Obama. Count me among them.
"Why So Many Feminists Are Deciding to Vote for Barack Obama"
Something's happening in these elections that feels like a tipping point. From a national women's media training to my local women's book club, from exchanges among long-time feminist activists to conversations with my feminist son, I hear a buzz about why so many feminists are deciding to vote for Barack Obama. Count me among them.
Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's widow backs Obama, February 2, 2008:
Another member of the Kennedy pantheon is now behind Barack Obama. Ethel Kennedy, widow of Bobby Kennedy, announced her support for Obama today, comparing the Illinois senator to her late husband. “Barack is so like Bobby, who struggled for the rights of the poor in the Mississippi Delta and Appalachia, traveled to California to stand in solidarity with Cesar Chavez and farm workers, and fought to end another war that cost so many lives," Kennedy said in a statement released by the Obama campaign. “Over these past few years, I’ve watched Senator Obama inspire Americans from all walks of life to believe in real change and a new sense of hope and possibility. He’s a magnetic force, drawing the nation together for the common good and galvanizing us all to help shape our country’s future," Kennedy added.
Susan Eisenhower in the Washington Post, Saturday, February 2, 2008:
"Why I'm Backing Obama"…The biggest barrier to rolling up our sleeves and preparing for a better future is our own apathy, fear or immobility. We have been living in a zero-sum political environment where all heads have been lowered to avert being lopped off by angry, noisy extremists. I am convinced that Barack Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.
"Why I'm Backing Obama"
…The biggest barrier to rolling up our sleeves and preparing for a better future is our own apathy, fear or immobility. We have been living in a zero-sum political environment where all heads have been lowered to avert being lopped off by angry, noisy extremists. I am convinced that Barack Obama is the one presidential candidate today who can encourage ordinary Americans to stand straight again; he is a man who can salve our national wounds and both inspire and pursue genuine bipartisan cooperation. Just as important, Obama can assure the world and Americans that this great nation's impulses are still free, open, fair and broad-minded.
Kate Michelman, Former President, NARAL Pro-Choice America on the Huffington Post, February 3, 2008:
"Why I'm Endorsing Barack Obama"The question I have been asking myself and others during my entire life in public policy and throughout this 2008 presidential Campaign -- the question which tens of millions of women and men have also been asking -- is how do we best bring America together in shared purpose, prosperity and, especially, equality…And so today, with every passion and enthusiasm I have, I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama to be president of the United States.
Joan Baez in the San Francisco Chronicle, February 3, 2008:
"Leader on a New Journey"Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break. Through all those years, I chose not to engage in party politics. Though I was asked many times to endorse candidates at every level, I was never comfortable doing so. At this time, however, changing that posture feels like the responsible thing to do. If anyone can navigate the contaminated waters of Washington, lift up the poor, and appeal to the rich to share their wealth, it is Sen. Barack Obama. If anyone can bring light to the darkened corners of this nation and restore our positive influence in world affairs, it is Barack Obama. If anyone can begin the process of healing and bring unity to a country that has been divided for too long, it is Barack Obama. It is time to begin a new journey.
Ruth Rosen, journalist, historian and professor at University of California and UC at Berkeley, February 5, 2008:
"Why Would a Feminist Vote for Obama?" 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? The reasons are not all that complicated. Before I was a feminist, I worked in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Supporting Obama fits those life-long commitments.
"Why Would a Feminist Vote for Obama?"
Patricia Wald, Retired Chief Judge, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, February 8, 2008:
"Why This Older Woman is For Obama"I have spent more than 40 years of my near-80 in public service as a federal judge, international judge, public interest lawyer and government official. A veteran of the woman's movement since its infancy in the 1960's, an ardent Democrat and an equally ardent supporter of women's rights-to-choose, to work, to live as we see fit, and yes, one day to elect a woman President, I hail the advances in my lifetime that have resulted in Senator Clinton's dynamic bid for the Presidency. But women my age fought for the opportunity to be judged on our skills, talents and abilities, not on our gender, and that is the standard by which Senator Clinton's candidacy should be judged. Perhaps we were naïve, but legions of us believed that if we were allowed to enter the game alongside men, we would prove our worth. Which is a prelude to why I now support Barack Obama…
"Why This Older Woman is For Obama"
Helen P. Howell and Vickie Wallen in the San Francisco Chronicle, February 14, 2008:
"Obama Represents Women's Best Hope"Like many women, we would be excited to help elect a woman president. At this pivotal moment in our history, however, the gender of our next president is not our foremost concern. Because of the troubled state of the union, our priority is for the Democrats to select as our nominee the candidate who is best positioned to win in November, and to navigate our nation out of the current morass, unite us and move the country forward. We are a diverse group of women who have spent years working for equal rights, social justice and a powerful political voice for all women…Sen. Barack Obama is the candidate with the energy and vision to lead our country in these difficult times -- to make our nation safer, restore our standing in the world and inspire Americans to be active participants in our democracy.
"Obama Represents Women's Best Hope"
Lisa Gans on the Huffington Post, Feb. 27, 2008:
"Why I Think Obama is the Best Candidate on Foreign Policy" Barack Obama is better equipped to handle the United States' foreign policy on the world stage than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain. As an international human rights lawyer who has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand better than most the security situation facing Americans and the world. Recently, I survived a large-scale attack by the Taliban on a hotel in Kabul, so my sense of urgency about national security and the safety of Americans abroad is based on a very real understanding of the dangers we face. I plan to return to Kabul shortly, and I know I will feel safer and more confident of success in Afghanistan if Barack Obama is in the White House.
"Why I Think Obama is the Best Candidate on Foreign Policy"
Barack Obama is better equipped to handle the United States' foreign policy on the world stage than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain. As an international human rights lawyer who has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand better than most the security situation facing Americans and the world. Recently, I survived a large-scale attack by the Taliban on a hotel in Kabul, so my sense of urgency about national security and the safety of Americans abroad is based on a very real understanding of the dangers we face. I plan to return to Kabul shortly, and I know I will feel safer and more confident of success in Afghanistan if Barack Obama is in the White House.
Naomi Wolff on the Huffington Post, Feb. 28, 2008:
"Why Barack Obama Got My Vote"…Gender has nothing to do with it. Race has nothing to do with it. Integrity has something to do with it.That is why Barack Obama has my vote. Of all the leading candidates, he is the only one on these issues who has consistently acted like a true American. And if I hear -- as I am likely to -- from legions of US feminists outraged at me for choosing this man over that woman, I will gladly sit down and explain why I am certain that these issues are so urgent that they overshadow absolutely everything else. Anyway, the man is a feminist; he has a woman-friendly policy vision. And while it would be a thrill to see the first woman elected President, in the last analysis, a real feminist need not define people or support on the basis of gender. Certainly not when our house -- with the precious Constitution held without representation within it -- is burning down.
"Why Barack Obama Got My Vote"
Ellen Bravo on Women’s eNews, Feb. 28:
"Obama's Call For Change Speaks Loudly to Women""Women Hungry for Solutions"I hadn't intended to declare support for a candidate during the primaries. Like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I'd love to see a female president. Anyone who thinks gender doesn't matter hasn't seen Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin or Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton before a room full of women hungry for solutions to low pay, unfair treatment and lack of time to urinate, much less care for loved ones. Women are looking for political candidates who get these issues, who see women not as a "special interest" group but as essential to family and national security: candidates who will not just support but champion solutions…like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I also understand that male supremacy does not stand apart from white supremacy or any other form of injustice. People of color of both genders have been excluded from power. Any form of oppression that profits the powers-that-be (the ones I call the Big Boys) and allows them to maintain the status quo hurts women. Every challenge to that domination helps women. Like many other women's rights activists, I decided to support Obama as someone who offers a greater opening for tackling injustices faced by a wide range of women.
"Obama's Call For Change Speaks Loudly to Women""Women Hungry for Solutions"
I hadn't intended to declare support for a candidate during the primaries. Like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I'd love to see a female president. Anyone who thinks gender doesn't matter hasn't seen Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin or Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton before a room full of women hungry for solutions to low pay, unfair treatment and lack of time to urinate, much less care for loved ones. Women are looking for political candidates who get these issues, who see women not as a "special interest" group but as essential to family and national security: candidates who will not just support but champion solutions…like many women's rights activists supporting Obama, I also understand that male supremacy does not stand apart from white supremacy or any other form of injustice. People of color of both genders have been excluded from power. Any form of oppression that profits the powers-that-be (the ones I call the Big Boys) and allows them to maintain the status quo hurts women. Every challenge to that domination helps women. Like many other women's rights activists, I decided to support Obama as someone who offers a greater opening for tackling injustices faced by a wide range of women.
And if you have not seen these videos of Lorna Brett Howard, former President of the Chicago chapter of NOW, on why she was compelled to switch from supporting Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, please watch these immediately. For anyone concerned with a woman's right to choose, this is very important:
Please pass this post on to everyone you know who cares about women's issues.
And finally, if you have an extra moment, here's a great video about all the Women for Obama in this incredible grassroots movement:
And right now, you can help make calls to women in Texas and Ohio by clicking here for Texas, and here for Ohio.
We're up to over 700,000 calls already -- our goal is 1,000,000 by March 4th.
We can do this.
Happy Women's History Month everyone -- let's call some women!
Women.BarackObama.com
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Help the most powerful, intelligent, strong Women have their voice heard in the White House Vote for Barack Obama!!! No other candidate out there can do it!!! Haz que las mujeres mas inteligentes y fuertes tengan voz en la Casa Blanca Vota por Barack Obama Ningun otro candidato puede lograrlo!!!
YES!!! WE know WHO is the candidate that is ONLY WORDS! There is only ONE candidate that has shown HE can deliver CHANGE and that candidate is Barack H. Obama!!! WE are NOT confused!!! WE KNOW who is READY and who is not WE KNOW who is ACTION and who is only words Barack Obama WALK his TALK!!! Vote for Obama!!! Ahora es cuando Texanos!!! Ohio!!! O hi O OOOOOOOOBAMAAA!!!!
Help the most powerful, intelligent, strong Women have their voice heard in the White House Vote for Barack Obama!!! No other candidate out there can do it!!! Haz que las mujeres mas inteligentes y fuertes tengan voz en la Casa Blanca Vota por Barack Obama!!! Ningun otro candidato puede lograrlo!!!
