by
addiestan, The Media Consortium:
Thu., Aug 28, 2008
Filed under:
Democratic National Convention 08 •
Media Consortium: journalism project DENVER–Today’s meeting of the Democratic Women’s Caucus featured a surprise guest: Michelle Obama.
The potential first lady is making a concerted effort, it seems, to reach out to the different women’s constituency groups in the Democratic party, including those closely allied with Hillary Clinton. (Earlier this week, Michelle Obama spoke to a gathering sponsored by Emily’s List, the organization that bundles donations to fund pro-choice candidates.)
In today’s remarks, Ms. Obama offered Hillary Clinton some major props, saying, “Thanks to her, my husband is a better candidate.” The ballroom full of women echoed with cheers and applause. “Thanks to her,” Michelle Obama continued, “his campaign is a better campaign. And thanks to her, my daughters — and all of our daughters — have the freedom to dream bigger dreams…”
Michelle Obama went on to list the causes dear to the hearts of caucus-goers: healthcare, equal pay, reproductive rights. She spoke rather poignantly of the tensions of being a mother who works outside the home, saying she often feels she short-changing her daughters when she’s at work or on the campaign trail, and feels she’s giving the job and the campaign short shrift when she focuses on her girls. “We all known that guilt,” she said, “and I know I can get an ‘amen’ on that.” The audience shouted back, “Amen.”
Her remarks ended in an appeal to the party’s women activists to redouble their efforts on behalf of the Obama campaign. Predicting the upcoming election to be “a tight contest,” Michelle Obama told a roomful of admirers, “Women are going to make the difference in this campaign…I am going to need you every step of the way.”
See more tagged with: Barack Obama, bigtentdenver, Democratic National Convention, DNC, gender gap, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Womens Caucus and womens issues
by
addiestan, The Media Consortium:
Tue., Aug 26, 2008
Filed under:
Democratic National Convention 08 DENVER–At the DNC Women’s Caucus meeting at the Colorado Convention
Center, Donna Brazile whipped the crowd into a frenzy with stirring
remarks that invoked a host of iconic African-American women leaders
in the Democratic party, and expressed respect for Hillary Clinton, as
well as pragmatic politics.
Throughout the primary season, Brazile, the CNN commentator who ran Al
Gore’s popular-vote-winning presidential campaign, remained neutral.
Many assumed a certain sympathy toward Obama, and Brazile was one of
the first to publicly object to Bill Clinton’s remarks in South
Carolina, when the former president compared Obama’s prospects in the
state to those of Jesse Jackson in 1984 — remarks Brazile called “depressing.”
At today’s gathering of Democratic women, Brazile made an announcement
that began with a bit of a fake-out. “I am honored that I had the
chance now to circulate a petition some 24 years ago to put Jesse
Jackson’s name in nomination,” she said. “Last night, I signed my name
to place Hillary Clinton’s name in nomination.” The crowed roared in
appreciation. “I did it in honor of the woman who was unbought and
unbossed: Shirley Chisholm,” Brazile continued. “I did that in honor
of the first black woman to ever deliver the keynote speech at a
Democratic National Convention: Barbara Jordan. ” And then, calling
the name of one of Hillary Clinton’s most stalwart supporters, the
late Ohio congresswoman who broke barriers of race and gender, she
added, ” I did that in honor of Stephanie Tubbs Jones.”
But always pragmatic, Brazile made a point that seemed to be directed
at the early Obama supporters in the room, saying she signed the
petition for Clinton’s nomination “because Barack Obama understands
that a united Democratic party is a victorious Democratic party in
2008.”
–Adele M. Stan
The Media Consortium
See more tagged with: 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama, bigtentmedia, Democratic National Convention, DNC, Donna Brazile, Hillary Clinton and Womens Caucus
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