So a vote for Obama is a vote against all women?

As a Lifetime Member of NOW, and former board member of Seattle NOW and Washington State NOW, I think that this is a bit much.

Besides, Chelsea Clinton will be a fine President, after Katrina Gore serves her two terms, as the logical successor to President Obama.

If you sincerely believe Obama is the best candidate, then you support glass ceilings, honor killings and rape. And you kick puppies, too. It's a provable fact!

Over the top! I'd gladly vote for a woman president, but for me, Hillary isn't the one.

Women have buried their anger over Bill Clinton's two decades of extramarital affairs. That is your ultimate betrayal, not one little 'ol endorsement by Teddy Kennedy.

Wow. Another reason to not support Hillary.

Hey Hillary folks - keep it up, great work at ruining your candidates chance at getting elected. Your politics are old. And you and your candidate grow more annoying by the day. This is akin to David Della calling Burgess supporters racist in the recent city council elections.

Look, up until last week I was torn. Then the Hillary folks let Bill loose and drove me to Obama. This sort of shit from NOW solidifies that.

Open your eyes NOW. This isn't about black, white, male or female, it's about our future, about someone who can unite our country and get past the exact sort of politics this statement from NOW supports. Your statement is the perfect example of why Hillary isn't and shouldn't be the choice for our next president. And you just don't get why. Pathetic.

This latest move by Kennedy, is so telling about the status of and respect for women’s rights, women’s voices, women’s equality, women’s authority and our ability – indeed, our obligation - to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a President that is the first woman after centuries of men who ‘know what’s best for us.

So as repayment, NOW wants Hillary Clinton in the front office? What the fuck is that going to prove? That a female politician has to have a famous politician as a husband to get elected to the Presidency?

The more strident hysteria spewed by feminist harpies, the less I want to vote for Hillary.

I'd love to see what amazing things they would have to say about Ted if he supported Hillary.

I don't know why anyone would call this press release "shrill" or "emotional." It certainly seems measured and impartial -- one might even say androgynous -- to me.

Remember...

I am woman.

I am strong.

I am not a victim... unless it's politically advisable.

Is this a fucking joke?

It's not just average Baby Boomers who need to go away, it's Second Wave Feminists as well.

For the record: Feminism and feminists are good, and I am eager for us to elect our second, third, and twentieth female presidents.

That NOW statement wasn't written by a feminist.  It was written by a female supremacist.

What the hell is her problem? I mean, we've been letting them vote for, like, years.

Wow... are they on the rag or what?

My initial reaction was going to be, "Is this for real? This press release is awfully strident, and I'm a huge Clinton supporter."

And then I read #8's response, and it put me off. I do think this press release is a little histrionic, but I completely object to the term feminist harpies. Women _do_ have grounds for believing that they _are_ discriminated against. And sometimes people's passion might push them over the top, but harpies? Out of line.

Seriously - did an Obama plant set this up?

As a woman, I find NOW's stance on this issue extremely insulting. Go Obama go!

That's pathetic, and Clinton needs to take charge of her campaign's message NOW.

We apparently have an OBLIGATION to elect her. Says so right there: "our obligation to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a President that is the first woman". News to me; I thought I got to pick my own choice.

anyone who thinks clinton should be the next president simply because she is a woman is a complete idiot.

another nail in the coffin of hillary. you already have the goddamn woman vote hillary, start focusing on men!

@2 miss katrina? hmmm, she would have to hush up a few pics i know of...LOL

See, this isn't man vs woman or black vs white. This is boomer vs post-boomer. Damn right he picked the new guy over her. I'd be overjoyed if we never elect another boomer president again. They squandered their generation's chances already.

"and conveniently forget to mention women and children when they talk about poverty or human needs or America’s future or whatever"

"or whatever?" did someone accidentally submit the first draft to the press by accident?

a little more detail as to why obama would be such an enemy to women's rights might help them prove their point, unless their point is just that they're pissed. this is just embarrassing.

Baby Boomers can go to hell? Well you, my friend, are working your ass off to keep this retired baby boomer in Jagermeister. He who laughs last and all that.
As far as the Tedmeister is concerned, can anybody spell Chappaquiddick?

@16

According to my dictionary, "harpy" is a term for "a grasping, unscrupulous woman". Considering Hillary's embracing of race-baiting, lies about Obama's record on abortion, and attitude of "I'm owed this nomination", I stand by my comment.

the article suggests that if you are liberal you must either support clinton or you are a sexist. i can't agree with that.

of course, when i read some of the insanely sexist remarks that are found even on this blog i kind of see their point.

i think keshmeshi is a feminist (if i am remembering correctly?) and i think @12 is a rational feminist response to this issue.

By the way - this WILL appear on Fox News tonight. Count on it.

@15, This kind of talk "is she on the rag or what," is the kind of misogynist non-humor that seems so rampant on so many political websites and it's exactly this kind of thing that turned me off of Obama (who I considered supporting about a year ago.)

Your comment was misogynistic, but what's more it was tired and completely not funny. Come up with something less tired.

I was going to go off on this one, but everyone else has covered every comment I could make.

Touche, 5280.

But as to laughing last... anything can happen, but you are probably closer to the grave than I! Drink deep of that Jager, knowing that I will be paying, in part, for your liver transplant.

Meanwhile, and of much more interesting note, Mary Chenney is endorsing Mitt Romney.

@26, you said:

"The more strident hysteria spewed by feminist harpies, the less I want to vote for Hillary."

Hillary didn't make this statement so actually you're calling the NY chapter of NOW feminist harpies. Given that I don't believe you know enough of their character to term them unscrupulous, I'd say yes. Uncalled for and out of line.

This kind of talk "is she on the rag or what," is the kind of misogynist non-humor that seems so rampant on so many political websites and it's exactly this kind of thing that turned me off of Obama

Odd, arduous, because in post 33 you seem to recognize a distinction between a candidate and the sentiments of individual supporters. And here you don't seem to.

think of being a harpie as shrill and venomous. this fits the bill.

And a big ZING to Arduous.

What, ECB got a night job doing PR for NY state NOW?

@33

Brandishing the implication that we must support Hillary's candidacy solely because she has a vagina and it's about damn time someone with a vagina occupied the Oval Office is utter nonsense, and is at the very least grasping.

Considering the definition of "unscrupulous" includes being dishonest or unfair, then I still stand by my comment. After all, there's little that's less fair than saying we should ignore the qualifications of the people running and instead support one of them only based on her gender.

I'd be happy to vote for a female candidate, and have done so in the past. But Hillary isn't going to be one of them (unless it's her or a Republican).

I can imagine it is pretty tought for the Kennedy's to support a candidate especially since one is a Woman and one is an African American. They have an important place in American politics whether we like it or not and their opionions and ideas carry weight.

Would African Americans sent out a press release raging against Ted Kennedy if he endorsed Clinton over Obama? They have been supporters of him and his family for generations, too.

With all his family history and his own status, I trust Ted Kennedy considered this carefully. That is why this is a big deal.

Personally, I agree with not voting in a boomer. I hate being that way, but I feel we cannot, must not go backwards in time (McCain). Their day are over. Men like Romney and Huckabee are religiously dillusional and, at least Huckabee, are hellbent on making us the United States of Jesus. This is, after all, "God's country."

Is Clinton's agenda better for women than Obama's? This letter barely speaks to that. Sounds more like "we funded your coffers, you didn't deliver". Ahhh, democracy.

Has simply being female even been relevant to the vote since Thatcher?

Support the candidate that speaks best for women, it's not always going to be a woman.

@28L It's already on the Corner on NRO. They're going to eat this up. Radical feminists, etc.

Jesus, even when Hillary's not talking, she's screwing the Democratic chances to take the WH.

And lo, it came to pass that, into the Valley of Faith, there came unbelievers. And The LORD sayeth among them "go forth, and spread my truth, knowing that ye are the chosen ones."

@34, tsm, you make a fair point. Obama himself I like. I'm not voting for him, but I like him fine. But there are numerous Obama supporters who really rub me the wrong way because they often strike me as incredibly misogynistic.

What I was getting at was more this: when Obama supporters behave in a misogynistic way, they do not help their case. (See New Hampshire.) You are very likely to turn off women who would have voted for your man when you make cracks about how ECB should get laid or how feminists are harpies or how the entire NY NOW organization must be on the rag.

You might think you're being funny, but you're not.

Hillary Clinton, in her quest for her Presidential nomination, has in fact endured infantile taunting and wildly inappropriate commentary.

The NY NOW press release page is my new favorite web site.

@23 - I'd be overjoyed if we never elect another boomer president again. They squandered their generation's chances already.

fuckin' eh.

@25 - we're going to pick your nursing home, buddy :p

arduous, criticism of certain feminists is not de facto misogyny.

@46, I was referring to the comment "Wow... are they on the rag or what?"

@43 please remember, the the stupid sexist jokes on this blog are not coming from obama supporters. look at who posted them -- you gotta be kidding me is a conservative who only posts on this blog to be contentious. and if they suddenly say they happen to like obama it is only because of obama's wide appeal. i'm disgusted by those jokes.

These woman, they are bitter because they haven't a man in their lives.

Get them married, get them a house and a few babies, and they'll forget about all this nonsense. They won't have the time.

The dishwasher and automatic washing machine, it spoils the ladies. Too much time on their hands makes their heads fill up with the nonsense.

ugh, as an ardent feminist and hillary supporter (for a thousand million reason other than her vagina having), this stupid statement even annoyed me. why did they do that? then again, it's not the first time i've thought NOW crossed a line.

@8: I hear ya there Meinert.

No two ways about it- I'm an Obama fan. I haven't been enthralled with the Clintons for a while. However, this is further strengthened by how the Hillary campaign is operating as well as getting their advocates to stir feelings of guilt and discontent amongst fellow Dems.

If Hillary wins the nomination, I fear it will be more of the same. We'll get politics as usual in Washington as well as the divisiveness she'll bring to the country. It's too bad, but as many sloggers have noted above, I'd gladly vote for a woman for President. I won't vote for Hillary in the primary because I think she, regardless of gender, is a picture postcard of what is wrong with this country.

Give me any other woman and I'll gladly look at her details and background. No poll or anything the Clintonistas have to say can cover up the historical facts that have occurred over the past 20 years.

As for Obama's "lack of experience" let me say that the job of President is 100% OJT. New things come up every day. However, showing a direction, giving hope to a country, and leading the way out of the divisiveness that has infected this country for the past 2 decades is a breath of fresh air in a race that in my opinion has a lot of has beens wanting that office, including Senator Clinton.

also - i think many people (men) were waiting for clinton -- or someone supporting her -- to make such a statement. it is very easy to be sexist when given such a clear opportunity to be so without seeming like one.

...to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a President that is the first woman after centuries of men who ‘know what’s best for us.’

I am so sick of Obama apologist and supporters straight LYING about things like this on the slog. This is not a Hillary campaign message, so when people say things like "this turns me off to Hillary" it just proves how unengaged in the process you really are, because you can't even be bothered to get your fucking facts straight. I am not a blind Hillary follower, but please research candidates before posting such vitriol for someone just because they are running against your chosen candidate. Obama has been EQUALLY as nasty in this whole campaign, but he has gotten a completely free ride in the press. Do your research! Don't let others think for you! Do not get your political news from the fucking slog for christ's sake! Go factcheck.org or other sites that offer unbiased information on all candidates instead of only reading things that Eli and ECB post and then letting your stupid barbs fly. Christ, the political slog comments have gotten so old and predictable it is time to put them to rest.

i think it's absurd that gang bangs are used in a derogatory manner by NOW.

whatever, has a point. This is the handiwork of the psychotic Marcia Pappas, President NOW - New York State. Hillary's campaign is not this stupid. Hopefully Hillary can text message "STFU" to Marcia on her way to tell Bill to pipe down.

Oh, and at 38, it's not dishonest to want a woman president and want to support the first viable woman candidate.

It might be an opinion you don't share, and it might not be your primary criterion, but wanting a woman president does not make you a harpy.

@22 - that's what gives her the voting edge. Ooh la la, la Presidente elle est magnifique!

Wanting one doesn't make you a harpy, no. Insisting that everyone else should want one too, well that's a little different. YMMV.

But I don't remember NOW going out and trying to get Mary Carey elected governor of California a couple years ago and she DEFINATELY has a vadge...

@59, while I think the post was over the top, I think it mostly expresses anger and resentment at Ted Kennedy not endorsing Hillary.

This statement is emotional but it isn't dishonest. It comes from an honest place from the writer- one of very badly wanting to see a woman president. It's her right to want a woman president and to want everyone else to want a woman president. Once again, it does not make her a harpy.

@39 - McCain is not a boomer. He's a decade older than the boomers -- the first Boomers were born in 1946; he was born in 1936.

@52

Fuck you.

Whatever,

Has Obama or his campaign used gender the way the Hillary campaign used race in S.C.? How has Obama outright lied about Hillary's record the way Hillary lied about Obama's record on abortion rights? Has Obama broken a deal made with all the candidates and lied about where they would and wouldn't campaign like Hillary has done in Florida?

I don't expect either candidate to not engage in ANY negative campaigning. But Hillary has taken it to a new level for a party primary, and the result isn't that she is hurting Obama, it's that she is hurting the Dems chance to win the Presidency, including her own.

Yeah, Kennedy hates women! Not as much as the 54% of South Carolina female caucus goers who voted for Obama though. But they're just part of the 70% strong phalanx of women-hating women voters in South Carolina who didn't vote for Clinton. Those women must really hate women, right?

The tone of the press release is reasonable, given that Ted Kennedy is a misogynist, passively in his politics and actively in his private life. That some feminists have stuck by him over the past decades is a bit disturbing.

lol @24, I totally missed that the first time through.

I'm sorry, I meant personal life. A lot of TK's personal misogyny is far from private.

@63 difficult to handle the truth? your counter point started off with such great potential... but i guess i miss how it refutes the point i was making. but perhaps you didn't get my point... i'll try to restate it in a way you seem to understand: why don't you go suck your dick. and no, a question mark is not needed in this case.

Contrast that with this statement from the President of NOW (i.e. the national organization not the zany NY chapter):
"Neither women nor African Americans are a monolithic population when it comes to voting or anything else. The insinuation that women owe Hillary their allegiance or blacks owe Barack not only leaves African American women, white male Democrats, and any other minority within our voting electorate in an impossible quandary, it is a disservice to the larger political debate about who is the most qualified candidate with the strongest political agenda to lead our country – now. And while our willingness to finally engage the race and gender conversations as a nation is encouraging, we're talking about electing the person in charge of the most powerful nation in the world, not identity politics."

I liked Barbara Jordan for President. Now I don't know. Feinstein is too right-wing; I don't think Boxer could handle it. Jennifer Granholm, maybe.

Having another Y chromosome in the White House shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

@70. that is a great statement... thanks for posting that here. it's good to have a clear view expressed from time to time.

66 - careful, you're throwing stones right next to an *extremely* large glass house...

@71, I believe Granholm is a naturalized citizen like the Gubernator, which means she can't become president.

god!! shut the fuck already, ECB.

oh..jeez...uh...sorry there eli, i just assumed.

@73 - I'm assuming you're refering to Bill, no? Because I'm not sure if any of his mistresses have ended up dead.

76 - so a man has to kill at least one of his mistresses in order to be a full-fledged misogynist? is that how it works?

I agree, the statement you link @70 is a much better one, and more representative of current feminist thought.

@77 Couple that with a pretty low interest in women's rights and you're on your way.

79 - got it, thanks!

Keshmeshi is right; the NOW NY post is a great example of the worst kind of second wave feminist myopia, from its hysteria-confirming exclamation points to its essentialist view of "women" as a homogeneous mass (complete with an "obligation" to vote correctly). It sounds like it was written thirty years ago. Hey, NOW NY -- what the hell were you thinking? Smart feminists let that shit go in the 80s, and we deserve better representation than that.

So I second the thanks to Jacob @70 for posting that statement from the president of NOW, and I encourage anyone with an opinion to read it in full if they want to hear an intelligent feminist response to the Democratic primaries.

Unfortunately, we all know which statement will get the most press.

*sigh*

Clinton and her supporters are vile. Disgusting. It says a lot about her and her campaign that her supporters consistently try to divide people. WTF, yo? WTF.

@24:

Apparently NY NOW has been taken over by valley girls...

Ridiculous. Is Caronline Kennedy's endorsement a betrayal of womankind?

FIRED UP! Let's Go OBAMA!

Well written satire, in the style of "A Modest Proposal", starts out plausible and become increasingly preposterous until it's laugh out loud funny and you realize it's a joke.

This is a spoof, right?

Okay, it's not satire.

But shouldn't the NOW be venting their anger at Bill Clinton over this? Apparently, if he hadn't been such a douche over the past couple weeks, Teddy probably would have sat quietly through the primaries.

The NY NOW is a bunch of fucktards and they make Hillary look bad in the same way the McClurkin makes Obama look bad.

However, if anyone thinks that the Republicans are going to magically allow Obama to unite the country are living in a dream land.

Uhm, arduous, why do you think the "on the rag" comments and the like come from Obama supporters? Did that commenter say he was for Obama?

No.

15 is just a random misogynist. Can you point to an actual Obama staff member, or a single thing he has said that is misogynist? No. Which means that you are an idiot with a victim complex.

Oh, and arduous, one more thing.

No, it is not dishonest to support a candidate for president just because she is the first (barely) viable woman candidate. It is, however, incredibly stupid to use gender as your only reason.

why do children have to be linked with women? what about all the women that don't want children?