Sent by "Feminists for Obama" to The View
May 5th, 2008
Dear Ladies of the View,
Tonight as I watched another victory/concession speech by Senator Barack Obama, I was impressed yet again by
the candidate's ability to look beyond his own ego. He again appealed to what Abraham Lincoln once called "the
better angels of our nature," challenging the Democratic Party and the country as a whole to overcome our real and
perceived divisions and unite to share responsibility for our country and for each other. I have always appreciated
Obama's commitment to complex thinking, to actually answering the question, to addressing the voting public as
intelligent human beings and challenging us to take ownership for our communities and our country. I have seen
him do this again and again, perhaps most forcefully in his speech on race in March.
The movement he has built is truly heterogeneous. As someone who has been active in a variety of left-leaning
political causes, bringing to them the expectation of shared assumptions and worldview, volunteering for the Obama
campaign here in New York was a shock to the system. Obama supporters come from all over the geographic,
philosophical, economic, ethnic, religious, and political map, bringing our differing perspectives to our support and
learning from one another's experiences. My interactions on the group listservs formed through
mybarackobama.com have been perhaps even more impressive in the diversity of perspectives and experiences
offered. The positive energy the candidate has generated, including among previously apathetic individuals and
tested cynics, is evidence that Obama's commitment to seeking common ground and recognizing shared humanity,
working toward actual solutions rather than showy but ineffective short-term "fixes," embracing a foreign policy of
diplomacy over bullying, can and will create positive change.
In contrast, the underhanded tactics employed by his opponent, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, seem reflective of
a personality intent on gaining power at any cost, even to the detriment of her party and her country. I have been told
by some women who support Clinton that "it's time for a woman President," but I do not feel that Clinton's approach is
representative of me or most of the women I know. Nor do I think it would be effective in inducing Americans of all
political inclinations to work together for positive change. Her refusal to commit to leaving her self-satisfied bubble
long enough to attempt diplomacy with "unsavory" foreign leaders and comments like her recent threats toward Iran
seem to be consistent with the attitudes of the Bush Administration and will do little to improve our country's image in
the world or make us safer. As a feminist, I believe that it is my responsibility to judge candidates by their merits, not
their genders, and I support Senator Obama as the best person for the job.
Sincerely,
Lauren Russell
Feminists for Obama
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/FeministsforObama
May 5th, 2008
Dear Ladies of the View,
Tonight as I watched another victory/concession speech by Senator Barack Obama, I was impressed yet again by
the candidate's ability to look beyond his own ego. He again appealed to what Abraham Lincoln once called "the
better angels of our nature," challenging the Democratic Party and the country as a whole to overcome our real and
perceived divisions and unite to share responsibility for our country and for each other. I have always appreciated
Obama's commitment to complex thinking, to actually answering the question, to addressing the voting public as
intelligent human beings and challenging us to take ownership for our communities and our country. I have seen
him do this again and again, perhaps most forcefully in his speech on race in March.
The movement he has built is truly heterogeneous. As someone who has been active in a variety of left-leaning
political causes, bringing to them the expectation of shared assumptions and worldview, volunteering for the Obama
campaign here in New York was a shock to the system. Obama supporters come from all over the geographic,
philosophical, economic, ethnic, religious, and political map, bringing our differing perspectives to our support and
learning from one another's experiences. My interactions on the group listservs formed through
mybarackobama.com have been perhaps even more impressive in the diversity of perspectives and experiences
offered. The positive energy the candidate has generated, including among previously apathetic individuals and
tested cynics, is evidence that Obama's commitment to seeking common ground and recognizing shared humanity,
working toward actual solutions rather than showy but ineffective short-term "fixes," embracing a foreign policy of
diplomacy over bullying, can and will create positive change.
In contrast, the underhanded tactics employed by his opponent, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, seem reflective of
a personality intent on gaining power at any cost, even to the detriment of her party and her country. I have been told
by some women who support Clinton that "it's time for a woman President," but I do not feel that Clinton's approach is
representative of me or most of the women I know. Nor do I think it would be effective in inducing Americans of all
political inclinations to work together for positive change. Her refusal to commit to leaving her self-satisfied bubble
long enough to attempt diplomacy with "unsavory" foreign leaders and comments like her recent threats toward Iran
seem to be consistent with the attitudes of the Bush Administration and will do little to improve our country's image in
the world or make us safer. As a feminist, I believe that it is my responsibility to judge candidates by their merits, not
their genders, and I support Senator Obama as the best person for the job.
Sincerely,
Lauren Russell
Feminists for Obama
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/FeministsforObama
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