I don't see how voting for McCan't is going to help anything in women's rights or the LGBT community if you elect people that are pro life, and aren't pushing progressive policies like the democratic party is. I accept and respect your opinion on the matter but I don't think ANY CHANGE whatsoever will be done if McCan't gets elected to office. I understand that a lot of women are pissed off that Hillary didn't get the VP slot but seriously, I have to think that a conservative woman (Palin), who has a history of being anti-choice and anti-LGBT is not going to help anything at all; not to mention that McCan't himself is no good for the presidency... the truth is, the country is not voting on the Vice President to run the country (or shouldn't be in the sense of dissenting Hillary supporters in favor of John McCan't now). We are deciding between Barack Obama and John McCain. Not Joe Biden or McCain's surprising (to me)VP choice of Sarah Palin.

The election for presidency is not an american idol contest. It's a race for who can lead us out of the dark ages of bush/chenney.

Before you or your friends jump on the McCain Bandwagon do a little research. She is anti-gay, pro-life (she doesn't care about a woman's choice). I am BIG disappointed HRC voter and I was considering voting for McSame, but with the possibility of three supreme court nominations in the balance during whatever presidential candidates first year let alone first term? You know I am not going to let McSame nominate conservatives to the bench. One other thing (although there are alot) do you really think McSame will lift the ban on gays in the military?

I know, unfortunately, what you're saying is right. My wife is one who feels as you do. She felt that Hillary should have won, voted that way, and felt that, if she couldn't be the nominee, that Hillary should have automatically been veep. I think she'll eventually cast a reluctant vote for Obama in November, since she dislikes Republicans regardless of their gender, and recognizes that Obama's there on the important issues, but I know she's not happy about it now.

Well, it seems that some people in this country don't give a shit enough about LGBT rights, civil rights, women's right to choose, the lives of our young people in the military, the economy, the housing crisis, the price of gas, global warming, veterans' care, good jobs, good health care, our standing in the world, etc, etc, etc. They would rather vote for an asshole who'll give us 4 more years of the failed Bush policies and whine about Hillary not being the Democratic VP then all the things that REALLY ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR EXISTENCE! There is a point where all of this self-centerness can piss a person off and this posting has pushed me past that point. I don't want to see another election like 2000 where Nader screwed us over.

The bitch he picked wants to see us DEAD just like he does. Just because she a vagina doesn't mean she has a brain. She ain't no Hillary, by a million light years. Get a clue! Is that too hard to understand?

So what's in someone's pants matters to you far more than things like policies?

You're a fucking disgrace. Enjoy your McCain vote.

Voting for McCain because of Palin is a woman would be the equivalent of taking a big dump on Alice Paul's grave.

I am a huge Hillary supporter and really wanted her to be my President -- not just because she's female, but because she supported women's rights, LGBT rights, and a whole host of other progressive issues.

Palin does NOT. In any way, shape or form. I don't want her to be the first woman in the Oval office -- No way, no how. It would make Susan B. Anthony cry. Seriously. She will rise up out of her grave to come after you, and I'll probably point out where you live.

Serena,

I respect your opinion, but I hope that both you and your friend have the time to think about the difference between the Democratic Party and Ms Palin.

First and foremost, Ms Palin is anti-LGBT.

Then there's her desire to have legislative control over your body.

Not to mention what she'd offer to the environment, the supreme court, and all of the other issues that should be truly important.

Obama's candidacy alone is a risk. He's the first African-American to be nominated. That alone probably accounts for the 10% of undecideds. There are a lot of backward-thinking people. Do you believe that those racists would have suddenly come on board because Obama compounded the risks by selecting a woman?

Yes, it would have been cool. The right woman, like Governor Sibelius, or even Senator Clinton, would have been fantastic.

But he made his selection to balance out the risks.

Calculated, perhaps. And with Senator Biden's track record on war (especially the war on drugs), disappointing to a lot of people.

But if you really and truly believe that any American woman, and especially an LBT woman, would be better served by a McSame administration, then you are going to need to do some serious convincing on that score.

I tend to go a long way with folks who are upset about Clinton's loss. I stop short of understanding why someone would "hate" Barack Obama. Not only does he share 90% of Clinton's policy goals -- and is flexible enough to alter his goals once in office if the Party persuades -- he and his campaign are also not responsible for the various issues that caused Clinton to lose. This primary played out in every state and the territories. It was a narrow victory for Obama. The Clinton campaign did not plan for a 50-state campaign, and neither did Obama, I'm sure, but his philosophy of campaigning and voter outreach made it easier for him to adjust and succeed when a June end-date seemed unavoidable. The Clinton campaign assumed an early victory and got knocked off their feet when it slipped away.

And there's very little use in going into sexism versus racism in this dialogue, either. Both were present. The media gave no pass to Obama. Obama took his fair (or unfair) share of hits for simply being who he is. And I'm not saying he's the first woman president, a la the Toni Morrison comment on Bill, but he is a man surrounded by women (a strong wife, two daughters, and, in spirit, a single mother who faced incredible racial and gender odds in the mid-20th-century America and who taught him those lessons). But he's certainly no McCain, calling his wife a cunt in public (or anywhere, for that matter) and laughing when an audience member at a fund raiser called Hillary a bitch.

Hate sexism, hate misogynists, hate people like John McCain whose new female running mate equates being tacked on as VP to breaking the same glass ceiling that Hillary would have broken after nearly 2 years and 3 decades of hard fought battles at being a strong, independent woman taken seriously for her intellect and her talents.

Hate Obama? Vote for McCain, a third party, or no one? Respectfully, I just don't get it...

I'm sorry, but we are not voting for a single person- we are voting for an administration and set of ideas. Look beyond "I don't like Obama" or "Hilary was better" or "Palin is a woman."

The question is simple: do you most agree with preserving and expanding women's rights, moving forward on LGBT issues, and moving beyond the failed policies of the past 8 years? Then vote. And vote your conscience.

This talk about voting for McCain because Hilary didn't win or isn't on the ticket really is exactly the same as what got us into all the trouble in the first place. Our country is so concerned about "liking" someone or being able to "sit down and have a beer" with them. That's how Bush got elected- TWICE. I don't know Obama, Hilary or McCain as people at all- I know their politics. And that's why I'd never vote for McCain or let him get elected by staying home.

I'm baffled by voters who are so angry about Hillary not winning they'll vote for McCain. If a Log Cabin Republican were running, I wouldn't vote for him just because he's a gay man. As a progressive, stonewall-era gay man, my views would be contrary to his in just about every single way.

I thought either Hillary or Obama would be just fine as a candidate.

However, I never felt her candidacy was truly a breakthrough for feminism. Her primary fame came because she was a wife, not as someone known for her own accomplishments. Even though she had an extremely impressive resume by the time she became first lady, Average Joe saw her first as a wife. I see that as a kind of backdoor positive message for young girls. Marry someone successful and then you can be too?

I very much want to see a woman at the top of the national ticket, but not the wrong one. I would think voting for a fundamentalist christian woman would be an insult to everything Hillary stands for.

Serena, I'm going to say to you what I have never considered saying to other Clinton supporters because I believe it's disrespectful: GET OVER IT! If you are foolish enough to even consider voting for a McCain simply because he chose a woman who's policy stances are COMPLETELY antithetical to Hillary's, then that's you're right. But please, spare me the lecture on role models and honoring the women before you since Palin obviously isn't the former - at least not if you consider yourself a liberal - and has done absolutely nothing about the latter.

Get over yourself.

Obama didn't reject women or even a woman VP. He rejected the corporate democrat machine - currently embodied by an intertwined Hillary AND BILL Clinton - a machine which was so arrogant during the primary process that it would not adapt to the reality that the entire party populace was not going to uniformly vote for Hillary via mass genuflection and that most of the people it thought would seal the deal for Hillary by Feb. 5 actually would love to see a woman president or vice president but recognized Hillary as being a corporate democrat hack and instead went for Barack Obama.

As for Hillary for VP? All of that corporate hack baggage would be along for the ride - and nothing of substance would actually happen during the Obama administration. And even less if HRC's HRC were to go on to the top job.

McCain-Palin?

And then just Palin?

Perhaps Palin-Huckabee?

Welcome back sodomy laws.

Welcome back Amendment 2.

Hello mandatory reparative therapy.

Goodbye to what's left of the Constitution.

If you're GLB or T and vote for that monstrosity of a ticket because Obama didn't want to deal with the Clinton mahine, you deserve all of that.

Problem is - the rest of us don't.

Serena,

Please do yourself a favor. Listen to Barack Obama's speech from last night. After watching it, ask yourself if what Obama said last night is more in line with what you want for our country or if McCain is.

One of the many things Obama said was that the election wasn't about him. It was about us. I understand your hurt over Hillary not getting the nomination. She wasn't my choice for the nomination and not because she was a woman. I would love a woman president. Al Gore was my first choice followed by Obama.

The person who turned me off on Hillary more than anybody else is one of the brightest people that I have ever known and has been one of my dearest and closest friends from my hometown in new York) that I have known for over 40 year. She detests Hillary for many reasons and has for a long time. My friend has faced discrimination, is fed up with corporate America and detests Bush and the Republicans.

So trust me, my support for Obama was because I thought him to be the best choice and I would bet that the overwhelming majority of folks for voted for him and not Hillary voted for Obama not because Hillary is a woman.

McCain is terrible on all LGBT issues, all women's issues and all issues that Americans who are not staunchly conservative hold dear.

Next, ask yourself why McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Do you really think it was because of her experience, her talent, her vision, her ability to run this country in case she needed too? McCain chose her for one reason and only one reason. She is a woman. He is using her. He is using her as propaganda.

It reminds me of the corporation who appoints a woman or African American to a management position to fulfill and EEOC quota. The person is shuffled off to a back office and ignored. They reach the glass ceiling and they are only there to be used. They are joked about disliked by others (of their same gender and race) and will never progress further. They are also used to keep other talented more threatening women and Blacks who deserve promotion in their place. Personally I find that an insult. Would you really want this person to run the country?

Palin has been Governor of the State of Alaska for under two years (Alaska's population is approximately 670,000 which has about as many people as the city of Memphis, Tennessee). Prior to that she was the Mayor of a town of 9,000. At the moment She is under investigation by an Alaska State Legislative Council that will find out whether Palin was angry at and fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan for not firing an Alaska State Trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister.

Like McCain, she is terrible on GLBT and Women's rights issues. Like McCain, Palin will appoint ultra-conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who will hurt our rights. Is your anger and bitterness that deep that you are willing to support something so destructive to yourself and others and ideals you hold so dear?

Again, I empathize with your pain. I have had to back candidates I didn't like anywhere near as much as the one I backed. Like you I have faced discrimination. I have been held back in my career because I a was raised a Jew and because I am gay. If Obama held political views that were harmful I could understand voting for another candidate. But Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's views are as close to identical as one could hope.

Does it make sense to vote for somebody just because they are the same nationality, have the same religious preference, sexual orientation or live in the same state as you? There are plenty of gay people I wouldn't vote for. I am ethnically Jewish and I sure wouldn't vote for Joe Liberman who is as much a war monger as Bush and McCain.

I understand your feelings of hurt. I have had to accept my second or third choice after primaries many times. I understand the importance of having a woman in the White House. I was the one who wrote the post last weekend using the term "moron." I wouldn't call your friend and you morons. I think the best term is one that out lesbian progressive Rachael Maddow used the other night on MSNBC. Rachel has been on Air America and a frequent guest on Keith Olbermann's show and she is starting her own show after Olbermann's on September 8th. The term that Maddow used is "post rational." Rachel's term implies a meaning the that one is so upset and blinded by their anger and pain that until they have time to mourn their loss they aren't making rational choices. This is understandable but it can be dangerous.

You, your friend and others are hurting. I understand. I am sorry that you didn't watch the convention. Most who attended and watched who were strong Hillary supporters found it to be cathartic. I did too. My respect for both Hillary and Bill Clinton plummeted during the primary season (as did that of many). During the convention my respect and admiration for both of them skyrocketed above where it was when before the presidential election kicked off. I want good things for both of them. I would love to see Hillary get a plum appointment or take Harry Reid's spot. I hope that Obama appoints some strong women to key positions in his cabinet so that one of them could replace him when his time in office is over. Personally I wish Madeline Albright could be president as I think the world of her (since she wasn't born in the States she isn't eligible).

I encourage you to take the time you need to mourn Hillary's loss. Watch her speech, Bill Clinton's speech, Joe Biden's speech, Al Gore's speech and finally Barack Obama's speech. Read the Democratic Party platform. Then tune into the Republican Party convention. Will they have an out lesbian perform like Melissa Ethridge? Will almost every one of their key speakers talk about LGBT rights, equal pay for women, a woman's right to choose? Listen to John McCain's vision for our country vs. Obama's. Then read their party platform.

Then ask yourself if you really want to vote for John McCain who is using your disappointment to hurt you and the rest of us.

My warmest regards,

John

My 74 year old mother (who is gay and a Physician) decided to vote for McCain after the Palin pick. I asked her why and she said that as a practicing OBG who was practicing before Roe v. Wade that to play fast and loose with these hard fought rights, like the Dems did with Obama, will serve them right. I asked her what about all the suffering that would occur and she said that's their problem now........she is really despising the Dems here in her golden years