Kool Thing

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=0OdSoKfTP1k[/youtube]

Some song on the radio reminded me for a brief moment of this song, from way back in 1990, Kool Thing, by Sonic Youth. There’s a bit in the middle when they get all political, and Kim asks Chuck D what he’s going to do for the ladies…is he going to free them from white-male-corporate-oppression? He’s all supportive and kool, saying things like “Yeah…tell it like it is”, that kind of thing.

I always liked that song, but here’s the thing. I don’t want a big strong man to save women from white-male-corporate-oppression. I want us to save ourselves. Men can work along with us, but not as our saviors, as our equals. I want the work to be done by women, for women. Which is why, damn it, I want to vote for Hillary Clinton. Because as much as she is clearly an equivocating member of the old boy’s club, and her stance on Iraq and Iran clearly mean we should NOT vote for her, she is still a woman. And having a woman president is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl. Men may or may not understand why it feels important to me, to many of us, to have a face of power that looks a bit more like mine. With a woman President would (one hopes) come more women in powerful offices, more women in the cabinet, more female advisers, more women all around. And with women in positions of power, perhaps some of the men in power might realize that the world isn’t going to end just because she might get PMS or something stupid like that. It could open so many doors, especially in the imaginations of young girls. They could know that their sex no longer holds them back quite as far as it once did. That’s an important thing to know. Damn it, it would be history. So. I admit it. I want a woman president, and it pisses me off that I feel so strongly the desire to defend myself for wanting to vote for her.

And of course, I do feel the need to defend myself, because I don’t really LIKE her, and I’m not sure what kind of a president she would be, and after these last 8 stupid years, we really need a good, strong president. Someone who is in touch with the people, and can relinquish some of the executive powers stolen by BushCo., someone who is willing to stand up for what is right again.

Then, god, if I can’t get behind Hillary, I want to get behind Obama. He’s smart, he’s black, he’s dedicated, and he’s a Democrat. I want a brown face in the Oval Office almost as much as I want a female face. But honestly, Oprah or no, I can’t get all excited about him. I’m not sure why, but he has thus far failed to capture my imagination.

I heart Kucinich, even if he does hang out with Shirley Maclaine. I voted for him in the primaries last time, and I might do so again. But he doesn’t have a chance, it seems, any more than he did last time.

And then there’s Edwards. I love his wife (not enough of a reason to vote for a person, but hell, she seems to be just an awesome woman), and he seems to be willing to stand up to the Republicans, and he seems to want to champion the cause of poverty in this nation, which is a cause that has been ignored as of late. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I’m falling for him.

So…here I find myself, in a race with a black man and a white woman, leaning toward white men as my first two choices. It’s truly pissing me off. I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do.  And just yesterday, Starshine linked me to an election calculator meant to give me all of my answers, and guess what?  I apparantly really like Mike Gravel.  Though I must admit I don’t know the guy from Adam’s off ox.   Next is Kucinich (no shock there, since I heart him), Biden, and Obama.  Edwards still comes out above Hillary.  They didn’t ask me, however, how I felt about having more women in positions of power in our Executive Branch, so I don’t know.  I guess I have until February to figure it out…that’s the CA primaries.

Sigh.

16 Comments

  • joan

    I live in NC and it doesn’t seem the native son Mr. Edwards has a lot of support but then again our state goes Republican. I haven’t made up my mind either.

  • Karen

    I don’t follow American politics much, but your post has me thinking. It is difficult when there are so many choices, but then I guess the great thing about democracy is that there ARE choices.
    Good luck with your decision. I think it’s great that you’re “thinking about” your vote and support so deeply.

  • Maya's Granny

    I feel exactly the way you do. I love Kucinich; he fights for the things I believe in. I would love to be able to vote for a woman or a black man. Both votes would say that things are so much better than when I was born. I would love to have a woman or a black man president. But I can not bring myself to vote for this woman or this black man in the primary and pray I won’t have to in November.

  • Cherry

    Has there ever been a cut and dry person to vote for?

    I too don’t know yet, but I feel the pressure to vote for one of the ones with strong support or else I feel like I’m throwing away my vote.

    I second that sigh!

  • Py Korry

    Right now, I’m leaning toward Obama. But that may change as the campaign progresses. It’s one of those things where I have to dig in and figure out who best reflects my political point of view by going to the websites of the candidates (who are in my top 3) and read what they stand for.

  • Jenny

    I agree with Py Korry. You cant throw away a vote (not implying you were) on someone you dont really believe in, who wont do right by our country. We need a good President for once. We have suffered so long, it needs to get better. But I do wish we had a “white woman or brown face in oval office”. I think it would be a great sign of things getting better in this country, less hate. At least you vote, so many dont, it is truely a shame.

  • Autumn's Mom

    I love the passion in this post. And I’m sad that there is no clear front runner to pour all of this feeling into. I feel almost the same as you do about the candidates…but I’m far less passionate about the whole thing 🙁

  • kookiejar

    We must have similar political leanings, because I got the same results you did. I also would like a woman president but I can’t vote for Hilary because her platform seems to be “Vote for me: I have a vagina!” I mean, it’s not enough just to be a woman, you have to be the right woman.

    I’m not going to vote for Barack Obama because he’s black, I’m voting for him because he instills in me a sort of confidence that he will always do the right thing. I don’t feel that way about Hilary or any of the other candidates.

  • Starshine

    Thank you for writing this post. I don’t think that Hillary would best represent my views, but part of me still really wants to vote for her because she is a woman. I, too, have dreamed of having a female President since I was young. And I agree that it would open doors “especially in the imaginations of our young girls”. Truthfully, I think it would unlock doors in my own imagination. I need that hope. And I desperately want my daughters to have equal opportunities in the world they grow up in.

    It will be interesting to see how this all shakes down. In the end, I will likely vote for the candidate who best represents my views. Still, a woman in the oval office would be so awesome!

  • Wanderlust Scarlett

    AMEN Sister.

    So… Hillary Clinton came and spoke at my college.
    I wasn’t sure who to vote for, kind of like looking at bowls of differently flavored oatmeal, you can’t really get excited about it, but you know you’ll have to pick one before it gets cold and see what kind of good it will do you.

    …em… not sure where that came from.

    Anyway!

    After she spoke, I had no question about who I was voting for – she’s really got a lot of good ideas; realistic ideas that will improve things. Now, if we could get her and Obama on the same bill, preferably with him as her vice president, we’d be allllll set.
    Woman in the oval office, brown face at her side.

    Go team.

    Scarlett & Viaggiatore

  • Jimmy

    I bet if I mentioned “Ron Paul” you could here a pin drop in this comment section?
    I completely understand a woman wanting to see a woman President in her lifetime, and the same with Obama and brown skin people!
    I like Ron Paul over all the candidates!
    I’m from NC and I’ll take Hillary and Obama over that Ambulance chasing Edwards any day!

  • lalunas

    Not into Obama, would be into voting for Morgan Freeman, cause he always plays an excellent President in movies. Kind of like Hilllary, but saw a movie where her daughter was President and thought that sound good.
    Yeah, I am not that thrilled with the choices that we have for the future President.