Yellow Bird: Race and gender in presidential race
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Filed Under:
Opinion
"This year, as we all know, there are new elements in the mix - a leading contender who is a black man and another who is a white woman. I might be stepping out on thin ice here, but the absence of a standard white, Anglo-Saxon, Christian male front-runner seems to cause concern among some voters.
Instead, it's black Sen. Barack Obama and female Sen. Hillary Clinton who are leading the pack for the Democratic nomination for president. And maybe for the presidency itself: Throughout history, life's pendulum never stands still, but President Bush's two terms gave the Democratic candidates a big push forward.
I am at odds over the question of who is the best. I am a woman of color, so you would think I'd understand each of these candidates - at least superficially Yet, I'm on a teeter-totter. First, I think Sen. Hillary Clinton is the best candidate, a candidate who's good for the country because she has the experience. She also has at her side a partner who has experience in all aspects of the presidency. That can be a plus for her.
What also pushes me to the her side of the teeter-totter are the comments about Hillary that are unfair. For example, ABC News anchor Charles Gibson asked Hillary, “Would you be in this position were it not for your husband?” Did he mean former president Bill Clinton GAVE her the position of successful senator and candidate for the presidency? Or did he mean Bill's marital indiscretions made Hillary so mad that she needed to show herself and the world what she capable of?"
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Dorreen Yellow Bird: Race, gender cards enliven '08 deck
(The Grand Forks Herald 1/23)
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