Vice President Kathleen Sebelius? What's the Matter With Kansas?
I've been bugged by the stern warnings that Barack Obama selecting a female running mate not named Hillary Clinton (think Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius) would be an unforgivable insult to the hordes of Hill-ions still smarting from her primary defeat. I couldn't put my finger on why, but now I have: Isn't it insulting to women in general and Sebelius in particular to suggest that her defining political characteristic is being a woman? And should the women's movement be subsumed to one woman's movement?
This is not to say that Sebelius's gender is irrelevant if she is in fact the (apparently long shot...or maybe not) nominee. But it's not her sole politically attractive quality: She is a governor, she comes from a state that has gone Republican on the national level, and she has a reputation for working across the aisle. The first quality would bolster the ticket's executive cred, while the latter two would reinforce its message of post-partisanship.
But Clinton supporters have warned that a woman other than Hillary would be an insult. I ask again: Isn't it insulting to define Sebelius solely as a woman? As if her selection would be mere affirmative action rather than a key role well earned by a skilled pol.
And if one wants to focus on gender, isn't the goal for a woman to reach the White House (even if in the constitutional on-deck circle)? Surely Hillary Clinton does not alone embody the women's movement. Surely other qualified female politicians won't have to wait their turn behind her after having to wait their turn behind the other gender.
One other question: Shouldn't it be reactionary troglodytes who make these mistakes?
Tags: presidential election 2008 | running mates | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton | female voters | Kathleen Sebelius
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Reader Comments
A Proud Kansan
P.S. to "of WA" "WE ALL KNOW (caps mine) that out of more than 150 million women in the US, only one of them is capable of handling the rigors of the vice-presidency: Hillary Rhodam Clinton.
Where do you get that "we ALL know" bit? and
"Women across the country know that if Obama doesn't hand her the keys to the VP office, no woman will gain a position of leadership in this country for decades." Pretty strong language and a major assumption without basis in fact (other than your supposition). That's all.
Sibelius
I am an oddity I guess... a Democrat in Kansas. I am a strong supporter and admirer of Kathleen Sibelius. She is intelligent, competent, "works well with others" (<G>) and has accomplished pseudo miracles in working against the blow-hard of the evangelistic, radical right Republicans in Kansas (not all of them are such, trust me). We (?) are flattered that others recognize the excellence of our Governor to the point of supporting her for the VP nomination as well as making her Co-Chair of the Democrat National Convention. That said, she does not have the international experience and knowledge that is needed as an Obama VP OR A PRESIDENT should the most horrible things thrust her into that position. She will be an outstanding Cabinet member in an Obama administration given the chance and I salute her.
Jen
I feel that Kathleen would of made a wonderful VP. She has done amazing things for our state. She is honest and hardworking. Not a typical politician that you can't trust. Kathleen has went above and beyond what was promised when she first ran for Govenor. Honestly the name or the gender shouldn't matter. But I do think he overlooked a wonderful VP. Many Republican voters in our state might have swung a democratic vote had he picked her.
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