Hillary Clinton rocks. She took the stage at the Democratic National Convention and reminded us of who she is — a dynamic, confident, accomplished leader. I was so happy to see the woman whom I once championed valiantly return to me. I sat on the edge of my living room sofa and, for the first time, questioned my vote for Sen. Barack Obama in the N.C. Democratic primary. Early on, I had been a staunch Hillary supporter, even when Obama tossed his hat in the ring.
Under fire from members of my community and men completely comfortable with their sexism — yes, someone actually said to my face that a woman should not be president — I stood with Clinton because I believed in her platform, her record and, more importantly, in her as a leader.
I was mortified when a careless and desperate woman grasping at straws to win the nomination replaced the confident, poised and dignified woman that I championed. Likening Obama to Osama Bin Laden was the final straw for me because this was not the woman that I wanted as my president.
The person whom I wanted as my president had all but disappeared during the primary. She resurfaced at the DNC doing what no man had done prior to her at this convention, taking a hammer to the Republican regime. She did not mince words, dodge issues or focus completely on the wrong things, as did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner. She came to win.
Some of you might ask, win what? Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton came to win back her supporters. I’m not talking about the die-hard supporters in the audience; I’m talking about people like me, people who lost confidence in her ability to lead, when she seemingly lost herself in the primary. Clinton’s strengths were evident at this convention — the old Hillary had returned to gain the symbolic endorsement of the Democratic Party. I would argue that Hillary won new supporters and reclaimed some of us who had defected.
What is most interesting is that she did what only a woman would do, shake off the fact that she did indeed win the popular vote as evidenced by the 18 million votes that she received, which was reiterated at the convention, even by Michelle Obama. In spite of her great sacrifice — she really could have pushed the issue; she decided to do what is best for the collective. Clinton endorsed Obama for the good of the party.
That’s not unusual, as it is women who historically sacrifice for the good of the family. It is also customary that the “runner-up” endorses the chosen candidate. What is unusual is the public’s demand that she do more. Do more?
In true American fashion, people are calling for her to be more apologetic. Haters claim that she was icy and disingenuous at the DNC. Critics say that she did not concretely endorse Obama and never said that he is ready to be president. Whatever.
The same would never be asked of a male candidate. Do you think that Sen. Joe Biden is going to get up and apologize for what he said about Obama early in the primary? Hell no. That’s why many of us like him for vice president, because he gets to say exactly what he wants, when he wants and how he wants. That is a very male experience that some women will never know.
As you can see in this instance, people are always telling women what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. It is not enough for some people that Clinton showed up and stood up for Obama and the Democratic Party, many of whom turned their backs on her, including me. And somehow, that still isn’t enough. This is a very female experience. Absolute sacrifice and humility is demanded of women even when they have given more than can be expected of any normal, thinking, feeling human being.
I guess it would be too much to ask that sexism not play a major role in this presidential election. Here we are again, and here it is again, rearing its ugly head even at the DNC. Just as sexism will not go away, neither will our ability to rail against it. So I will not let the negativity distract me from the real issues or Clinton’s phenomenal speech.
For those of you who think that her die-hard supporters are zealots, think again.
They are doing what women do — being fiercely loyal to each other, even to their detriment. That’s not something to champion, but that is the way that it is in many circumstances. Clinton’s goal was to unify the party and, unlike many media reports, I believe that she did that. But more importantly, I believe that she helped to restore faith in her abilities as a leader in the Democratic Party and in the world.
Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of communications and media studies at Goucher College and editorial director for RushmoreDrive.com.
This article appears in Sep 2-9, 2008.
