6 Comments so far

1. slh on July 9, 2008 2:39 pm

   The important point here is that all women voters need to understand that “maverick does not mean moderate.” A vote for McCain is a vote against women’s health and rights.

   John McCain has voted:
   -against roe v. wade
   -against comprehensive, medically-accurate sex education
   -against requiring health care plans to cover birth control
   -against funding international family planning
   -against funding to reduce unintended and teen pregnancies
   -against restoring family planning services for low-income women

2. kelly g. on July 9, 2008 4:56 pm

   But anyone who says that they’re not going to vote for him because of it has to tell me how they managed to pull it together and bring themselves to vote for John “but you’ve got to have an exception for the life of the mother and the health of the mother under the strictest test of bodily injury to the mother” Kerry in 2004. That is all.

   I voted for Nader in ‘04, and I’ll be voting for McKinney in ‘08. There are more than two parties, y’all!

   Sorry, I’m just smarting over the FISA vote.

3. Cara on July 9, 2008 5:13 pm

   Then at least you’re consistent Kelly. A lot of other people aren’t.

4. Astraea on July 10, 2008 8:40 am

   Cara, I love your blog and your writing, and I have tons of respect for you, but that last part felt like a really unfair dig at women who are really fed up with the Democrats.

   I voted for Kerry in 2004. I held my nose and did what I thought was best at the time, despite that quote, and despite his very weak response to a pro-life woman who didn’t want her precious, pure tax dollars going to pay for abortion.

   Am I inconsistent for witholding my vote for Obama now? Maybe. Or maybe I’m just sick of seeing the Democrats, over and over again, tell me that THIS is not the time for my concerns. That if I just hand things over to hem, don’t worry, they’ll take care of my concerns when they can. When they don’t have to pander to the “center.”

   Well, I’ve seen that that time never comes, as rights to abortion continue to erode.

   I’m not going to tell anyone else how to vote. If voting for Obama is the right thing for you to do, I don’t have a problem with that. I might disagree on some reasons why, but I have no problem with honest disagreement.

5. Cara on July 10, 2008 10:15 am

   As always, Astraea, you’re welcome to disagree. I expected such a response and I stand by what I said. Obama is a much better candidate than John Kerry, who I could not fucking stand. He’s a better candidate than Al Gore was when he ran. Hillary Clinton would have pulled the exact same shit, and everyone knows it. And John McCain is no less dangerous than George Bush. Because of the timing of the presidency of whomever will be in office, he could potentially be more dangerous. And I do NOT believe that Obama will use/fail to use his power in a way that would let abortion rights erode further. He has promised to repeal the global gag rule, so it sounds like he’s going to strengthen them.

   I’m not going to tell anyone how to vote either. I don’t think I did. I think that I asked an important question, and the question is why Obama of all people is the final straw. And I have yet to hear a satisfying answer. I will express disgust at those who choose to vote for McCain, just like I expressed disgust at those who voted for Bush. And I will express my disappointment in left-leaning people who don’t vote for Obama. I think that is an honest disagreement. And anyone is more than welcome to be disappointed in my disappointment.

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