Vote for Tears or Vote for Hope?

So Hillary wins in New Hampshire because, according to an AP report, women voters were moved by her emotionalism at a press conference, her eyes brimming with tears because of the stress of running for president.

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Excuse me?

I'm sorry, but that's a stupid reason to vote for someone. I don't think women are that stupid.
I hope not.

Used to be women were soundly criticized for their tears, and considered unfit for the office because they were too emotional. That was stupid too.

When Hillary got teary, I thought, well, yeah, she's under a lot of stress. I'd probably cry now and then too. Mostly I was annoyed that the press even bothered to report it. Oh my god, look, she's a human being! Big news! Big news! Hillary Clinton has tear ducts, and they function!

Tears are not a reason to dismiss a person running for president. But they're also not reason enough to vote for someone.

Was the AP reporter just offering conjecture - or did some women actually say Hillary's tears made them want to vote for her? "Umm, hmm, let's see, health care, global warming, oil prices, the war in Iraq - oooh, look, she's crying! Well, that's it, she's got my vote!"

Then there's the woman who said she voted for Hillary because she, the voter, is a feminist. Okay, well, fine, I guess. But does being a femininst automatically mean you can only vote for a female contender? Because if it does, I guess I'm not a feminist. I thought being a feminist meant making up my own mind.

I don't have anything against Hillary Clinton. She's smart, she's able, she's experienced. I just like Obama better - he's calm, self-assured, soft-spoken, grounded. He's also smart, able and experienced.

As my friend Monique said this morning, "I still have hope."


Here's a link to someone else's opinion: http://www.vote.com/magazine/columns/dickmorris/column60530264.phtml

Tim Pettigrew for President

When I was in 4th grade, in 1963, our next door neighbor, gave me her children's old issues of Treasure Chest magazine, a Catholic comic book. I loved to read and these mags were pretty good. There were stories about saints and artists (I especially loved the story about Michelangelo), and a serial story at the end of each magazine about a man named Tim Pettigrew who was running for president in 1976. Tim was always drawn in silhouette, so readers never saw his features. In the last installment of the series, Tim wins the election, and readers get a chance to see what Tim really looks like : a slender, light skinned black man with short hair. He resembled Barack Obama.

The Obamians

So I went to the caucus on Thursday night and stood up for Obama. In our caucus group, it wasn't even close - The Obamians expanded over half the room (the high school cafeteria), leaving the other groups smushed into little corners, an edge by the wall. I was next to a woman recently moved to Iowa from Illinois. I told her why I supported Obama, his clear headedness, his authority and leadership, the way he thinks through issues, the way he listens, the way he inspires and motivates others. She nodded and said, "yes, I've been watching him for some time now and have observed how he has matured." Oh yeah, duh, the lady's from Illinois.

Meanwhile the precinct captains and officers counted and re-counted. "Stand up," they cried, followed by the head count in which each person sat down (most on the sticky cafeteria floor) when the officer pointed at him or her. Counts were tallied, checked against the voters registered, viability decided, groups shuffled about, then everyone stood up and counted again. Sway to the left, sway to the right, stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight!

I used to vote in a primary - so simple. Walk down the street to someone's two-car garage, wait in a long line (maybe there were coffee and cookies available). Sign your name, grab your paper ballot and go to a booth. Come out, tear the corner off your ballot ("I've voted, have you?" to pin to your lapel), stuff the ballot into the cardboard box, go home.

But in Iowa, we caucus - we get together in big neighborhood groups, and for an hour or two, we wave fingers across the room at acquaintances, chat with people we just met, smile, yawn, move closer together to make room for more Democrats (the Republicans do it a little bit differently), and feel very American and grateful to be able to do this at all.

And now we wait and watch and hope.