Race v. Gender redux

I wanted to share this excellent analysis by Betsy Reed (The Nation) of the way Hillary Clinton's campaign has used race as a wedge issue against Barack Obama.

Reed deftly looks at many sides of the race/gender divide -- and implicates Hillary in helping to create that divide, which was not a major issue at the beginning of the primary race. She gives voice to my own misgivings about Hillary, as well as my suspicion that some men support Obama because they are more comfortable with his gender.

The support Obama has seen in Teton County is revolutionary. Growing up here in Jackson, I heard tales of one black resident being roped and dragged on his bicycle through town. My 8th grade buddy, Colin, lasted only a year here in 1983 before his family decided it was too isolating. (I don't know the specifics about racism they faced, but I imagine it was significant.)

So we've come a long way, and I'm proud of Jackson for that. Still, in such a macho town, I have wondered if some people are dismissive of Hillary because she's female. Or perhaps the overriding issue is that her being an east coast, Washington insider doesn't play well in the libertarian-leaning West. Obama has certainly built bridges and found ways of reaching westerners along with people all over the country.

Your thoughts?

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Obama's Wyoming Win

I had to be out of town for the Wyoming caucus last week, but I hear from my peeps that the turnout in Teton County was as inspiring as in the rest of the state. Of my friends and family, some are die-hard Obama supporters, while some of us see-saw between the pulls of the two Dem candidates. My girlfriend expressed her struggle between wanting to elect a woman president and noticing that our peers are voting Obama. I've been leaning O-ward, myself, thinking that I could "get beyond gender" and vote for the candidate I trust more. But honestly, I think Hillary Clinton would do a bang-up job as prez and I won't be sorry if she wins the party nomination.

What is most exciting about Obama is the way he is galvanizing citizens -- including US, citizens of Western states.

On the day of the March 8 Caucus, Wyoming First Lady Nancy Freudenthal told the L.A. Times "This is nothing I expected... At Democratic events in Wyoming, you tend to see the same worker bees over and over. Today I see tons of new faces. This has great potential to revive the Democratic Party."

And in a recent Nation magazine blog post, Laura Flanders reported from Butte, Montana, saying that "Even from Butte, it's clear to organizers: Obama's not the savior: we are. He opens a door. We push."