Last night, during Michelle Obama’s amazing speech, I was amazed by the number of women crying — clearly, emotionally moved by this strong, smart woman/mother/wife. When Michelle gave a shout out to Hillary and the 18 million cracks she put in the glass ceiling, even I got goosebumps. I didn’t vote for Hillary, but I remember feeling this sense of excitement and pride when I watched her video announcement. Her campaign elevated the status of women to a new height. I know it’s sort of corny sounding … but what she did matters.
Tonight, it’s Hillary’s turn to shine at the convention. I can only hope that she “finds her voice” — that same voice her campaign handlers (stupidly) stiffled … but a voice that inspires.
Four years ago, who would have thought that a woman or an African American would be president? But, here we are in 2008 — and how times have changed. An African American woman opened the convention with a bang bringing listeners to tears of hope. And tonight, another woman — one who was this close to being her party’s nominee — will make perhaps the most important speech of the convention. She needs to make sure everyone understands that John McCain stands on the wrong side of issues important to women. Healthcare. Pay equity. Reproductive rights. Just for starters.
The difference between Democrats and Republicans are clearly illustrated by how each party treats women. At the Democratic convention, women are in the spotlight, driving the discussion. On the other side, 20% of GOP voters are less likely to vote for McCain if he picked a woman to be VP. Really? Knowing that, it’s totally beyond my comprehension that there are Hillary supporters who would even consider voting for McCain.
Hillary’s on in 20 minutes. I can’t wait.