If any of us thought that the end of the Democratic primary meant the end of Hillary talk, woo, boy, were we wrong!
We have Michelle trying to woo Clinton supporters as well as Hillary & Barack to campaign together this week, and lastly the GOP is trying to woo them as well. For me, any woman who was supporting Hillary who even considers voting for McCain was never a good Hillary supporter to begin with. Just about everything that Hillary stood for McCain is against and Obama supports.
Yet, there is speculation that the McCain campaign is thinking of selecting a woman for the Veep position. Would this really pull more women to the campaign? Perhaps. Politico has picked the top three women for the Veep spot. Considering McCain’s age, you know that whomever is chosen as his running mate will also go through a “Would they be a good President?” process. So let’s look at the candidates:
1) Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is a fixture on the political talk shows, so she’s the most familiar to all sides of the election. She’s not a hard-core anti, thus as Politico notes, won’t be bringing the uberconservatives that McCain has a problem with to the party. She’s a mom and a stepmother.
2) Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina has been in on the wooing of Hillary supporters. While she has something to prove to the fiscal conservatives of the party, I think she does has a good reputation among women in general. Her rise to CEO of HP was a proud moment for a lot of us especially those of us who work in technology circles. She is a step-mother.
3) Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is a mom and a recent mom to boot. While, as Politico points out, she has strong anti-abortion/choice credentials (They note that her having a child with Downs is somehow proof of her anti stance, because ya know, no pro-choice woman has EVER had a child with Downs on purpose. *eye-rolling*), I do think that her status as a mom of very young children will not bode well for her. While our society likes to think that we love our moms, we actually don’t - policy wise. I think the more conservative voters will think that she should be home caring for her children, especially her newborn who requires some extra care.
If McCain does choose a woman and it is any of the above, it will be a step forward for moms, that’s for sure, especially if we have an infant on the campaign trail. I wonder if she’s breastfeeding? Whether it helps him win over the women’s vote will depend on which woman, how she presents herself & the campaign, and how the Obama campaign responds. While I know that the best candidate for women is not always a woman, I truly do believe that Obama needs to pick a woman for the Veep spot - And no, not just Hillary.
Readers - Especially those of you in the moderate end of the political spectrum…Will having a woman as the Veep sway you?
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Asking whether women voters can be swayed by a woman Veep is like asking, is the Pope Catholic.
Of course women voters, the largest constituency and voting block in the USA, will range from actively and excitedly wanting a woman to trending to vote for a ticket with a woman on it. Any way, now is the time for a woman on the ticket, and being on the GOP ticket, all the better, and of the three you mention, it seems that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the best by far.
Jackie | June 23rd, 2008 at 7:15 am
I don’t think McCain has it in him to choose a woman.
PunditMom | June 23rd, 2008 at 11:06 am
Well, it’s time for me to be the unpopular one. I am not a women’s libber-never was and never will be. A woman president? Well, we kind of already had that when Bill was in, so I guess we have a small taste of what’s to come, even if she does campaign with Obama.
You know, I’ll never forget when my daughter begged me to be in Daisy Scouts when she was in Kindergarten. I was going to let her. Well, guess what happened?! There were NO moms with time to volunteer because they were all working, including me. It broke her heart, and it broke mine. Where are our priorities? There was a time when a second income wasn’t an absolute must. I am determined to find a way to get home with my kids.
Do I want a woman president or veep? NO WAY!!! I’m a pretty conservative thinker, and since there are no other choices, it’s going to have to be McCain for me. I’m not too impressed by that, either.
Angie Cowling | June 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Well I hope he reads this from another blogger:
“The following is addressed to John McCain urging him to select Sarah Palin for a VP.
“First and foremost, Sarah Palin shares your values. She killed the bridge to nowhere. Need we say more?
As for the politics, Sarah Palin transcends geography. Her constituency, like yours, goes beyond state lines.
She will get your ticket access to voters all over the country based on who she is and what she stands for. Because she’s young, a woman, a mother with young kids, she will grab media attention more than any other potential candidate.
Gov. Palin also has a son in the active duty military. You have very wisely taken your son’s service in Iraq off the table as a campaign talking point. That is and should be respected. But others can talk about it and reflect on what it means.
A McCain-Palin administration would be the first in memory, which has family members in uniform during wartime from both the President and Vice President. That would be a powerful statement as to the importance of national service, especially in uniform.
Most importantly, any Vice President should be ready to step up and serve in the event she is needed. Frankly, who is really ever ready? Gov. Palin is as ready as anybody, she is a quick learner, and in her public career has exhibited the courage and decisiveness needed for a great leader.
Godspeed to you in your campaign and in making this important decision.”
Ted | June 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I can’t see McCain choosing a woman for the ticket - his base would see it as pandering. But I can see Hutchison stealing some Dems who are more socially conservative (as Democrats go). But I just can’t see it happening.
mommapolitico | June 23rd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’m with PunditMom, and wondering even if he does pick a woman, will it even matter if he’s in office? I’m all for seeing women in positions of high power, but I’d rather see the most qualified candidate take the job, not necessarily the female.
selfmademom | June 25th, 2008 at 12:30 pm