The last time the National Organization for Women endorsed a presidential candidate in the general election was 1984, the year Democratic nominee Walter Mondale made history when he asked former New York Rep. Geraldine Ferraro to run alongside him as vice president.
In the quarter century since then, NOW has endorsed candidates in primary elections, backing New York Sen. Hillary Clinton this year and Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun in 2000. But no general election candidate has met the group's high standards since 1984 in a general election; at least, not until now.
"It's very unusual for us to endorse in a presidential election, but this is an unusual election," NOW president Kim Gandy said at a Sept. 16 news conference in Washington, D.C. "For more than a decade Barack Obama has consistently said 'yes' to women's rights; Sen. McCain has said 'no.'"
Women's rights groups' support for the Democratic ticket goes beyond the top slot; Gandy and other women's rights leaders fawned over vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, a Democratic senator from Delaware, and rebuked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the first Republican woman to become a vice presidential nominee.
"Women know they need to cast votes based on the policies the candidates set forth, regardless of gender," said Betsy Clark, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, a group in Washington, D.C., that lobbies for social workers, more than 80 percent of whom are women.
Palin is a social conservative who opposes same-sex marriage, comprehensive sex education and abortion in all cases except to save the life of the woman; positions that go against stands taken by NOW and other women's rights groups.
Women's rights advocates also criticized Palin after news reports revealed that while she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the town charged sexual assault victims between $300 and $1,200 to cover the cost of their rape kits and forensic exams to collect criminal evidence. Alaska has the highest sexual assault rate in the nation.
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- aswift1
- added this
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This article was pretty long, so read more if you're interested.
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Yay Im so excited to hear this! Maybe this will be a wake up call to all the women fooled by McCain's dirty trick. Women need to realize that voting a woman into the VP slot does not necessarily advance women's rights, in this case its a big step back. Barack will help womens right's progress and Im confident he will place many strong women in his cabinet.
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I am a female voter in Colorado and would really like to support Obama and Biden. Who is Joe Biden? In Colorado we hear about and from Sara Palin till the cows come home but not a word about Joe Biden. Help!
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- gardengirl
- 1 year ago
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I am so tired of the politicians that think that all we women care about is the right to have an abortion! There are other issues that are a whole lot more important than that to most women I know. And by the way, just because I am a woman, and a democrat, and I believe a woman should have the right to decide about their own body, doesnt mean that I think that abortion is so great! Or that I think that we SHOULD do them, and shouldnt reduce them. Or that we shouldnt question them or make them more difficult to get. Or less necessary. As long as this issue is still on the table and people feel as strongly as they do about it, we will never get anywhere! Lets all grow up and start thinking like adults! And could somebody please tell the politicians and the media and we care about other things too? How about the environment, safety, keeping rapists off the streets so they cant continue to do it again and again, education, equal pay for equal work, health...oh wait, its election year again, the only one you will hear talking about stuff like that is the guy that has fought for those things for years. The guy that you would vote for if you REALLY wanted CHANGE...Nader! Not only has this guy fought for the American people for years without all the fanfair and fame and money, but he has cared enough about it to put his own money into starting not for profit groups to help people fight for their rights and their health and safety. Not to mention all the big companies he has confronted for us. We dont have to question if he is experienced enough because all you have to do is look at his past and all the things he has done, with not even a thank you from the American people that he is fighting for! HE is all about change and always has been and he has proven it with ACTIONS not words!!!
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Women need to open their eyes and see the Republicans for what they really are.Do you really have time to wait and see what will happen to the economy to your job and to your families in the next eight years if you pick McCain.The women I know are people of positive change and not stagnation.They continually improve themselves with education and trade and over all hate persons that tell them they cannot do this.
If you are like them you have the same dreams and ambitious spirit as the democrates.Don't be fooled and used as Sarah is being.You all are stronger than that.Obama the man of positive change suited for you and your family.The choice is clear and don't go back.
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NOW is washed up. I have a trivia question for you.
Who is the President of NOW?
Don't know neither do I, or the rest of America.
NOW wouldn't be an issue in this election if it weren't for Sarah.
What Woman state governor is a member of NOW?
None.
NOW last convention could not even fill a convention center in Ohio.
NOW is a defunked organization that only exsists in the Liberal Media.
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If you previously wanted to vote for Hillary, but now you want to vote for McCain and Palin...
You are either:
racist,
sexist,
or BOTH...just think about it.
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- sunkisthappy
- 1 year ago
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