"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?"
Get the Story:Dorreen Yellow Bird: Race, gender cards enliven '08 deck (The Grand Forks Herald 1/23)
pwpwd More Dorreen Yellow Bird:
Yellow Bird: Barack Obama is my choice for 2008 (1/16)
Yellow Bird: Artman right on off-reservation gaming (1/9)
Yellow Bird: Barack Obama's big win in Iowa (1/7)
Yellow Bird: Wild animals in our environment (12/31)
Yellow Bird: Russell Means makes a point (12/24)
Yellow Bird: Christmas can be depressing too (12/19)
Yellow Bird: It's McCain v. Clinton in 2008 (12/18)
Yellow Bird: UND graduates Indian nurses (12/12)
Yellow Bird: Candy shop in Grand Forks creative (12/11)
Yellow Bird: Teachers and cultural sensitivity (12/5)
Yellow Bird: Instant wealth in a poor community (11/29)
Yellow Bird: Don't feel guilty about Thanksgiving (11/22)
Yellow Bird: Indian people take care of their own (11/19)
Yellow Bird: From 'Nutcracker' to a 'Beat Down' (11/14)
Yellow Bird: Ghosts haunt Standing Rock veteran (11/7)
Yellow Bird: Reservation center helps those in need (11/5)
Yellow Bird: Put an end to 'Fighting Sioux' nick (10/31)
Yellow Bird: Generosity of Shakopee Tribe (10/24)
Yellow Bird: Foreign journalists shared cultural gifts (10/22)
Yellow Bird: Domestic violence happens every day (10/15)
Yellow Bird: Indian adoptees find their way home (10/10)
Yellow Bird: The BIA and its broken promises (10/8)
Yellow Bird: Halloween marks coming of winter (10/3)
Yellow Bird: Diabetes too common among Indians (10/1)
