There are a lot of my fellow Democrats right now who say that, should their candidate not get the nomination, they would vote for McCain (or not vote at all) before voting for {Clinton|Obama}.
While the pundits and party leaders want us to believe that the party will unify just fine after the nomination is secured, the chances of that happening go down every time there's a new wave of negativity between the two campaigns. I personally am 110% behind Sen. Obama, and will do everything I can to help him become President; but should he, somehow, not become the nominee, I will vote for Sen. Clinton with pride. But even I, on occasion, have muttered in frustration that I would never give her my vote. If people like myself, who fundamentally like both candidates but just prefer one over the other, have those moments of fantasized party disloyalty, then I suspect there are many people serious enough in their dislike of their candidates' opponent to go through with it.
There are a lot of reasons why just about anyone would be a better choice for president than John McCain. I'm focusing here on just one of those reasons -- and one that should be of particular concern to those 26% of women who support Clinton and say they would vote for McCain over Obama:
John McCain hates women.
Ok, maybe that's a little harsh. Let me rephrase that, in a way that can be supported with documented evidence from the straight-talking horse's mouth:
As a senator and presidential candidate, John McCain represents attitudes, positions, and policies that are misogynistic, ignorant, and in complete opposition to reproductive freedom.
To wit:
- Misogyny: According to Cliff Schecter's book The Real McCain, members of the press witnessed (but didn't report out of stunned discomfort) the following exchange between McCain and his wife, Cindy, while on the campaign trail in '92:
At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day.
Via The Raw Story
- Ignorance: McCain recently voiced opposition to a Senate bill that sought to rectify pay inequity by essentially overturning Supreme Court rulings that have severely narrowed the circumstances under which women can sue their employers for equal compensation. Aside from the fact that he opposed the bill, which itself is bad enough, McCain's comments (focusing on undereducated women and lack of childcare¿cómo? rather than equal pay for equal work) reflected a fundamental lack of understanding about the problem:
The Arizona senator said he was familiar with the disparity but that there are better ways to help women find better paying jobs. “They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else,” McCain said. “And it’s hard for them to leave their families when they don’t have somebody to take care of them..."
Via the Associated Press
- Opposition to Reproductive Freedom: This is a core plank in McCain's platform, and in my opinion, the one that
will should most unify the Democrats if Clinton does not win the nomination.
- On Roe v. Wade:
John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench. Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.
(Hello, Pot? Meet Kettle.) Via JohnMcCain.com
- On sex ed:
Senator McCain strongly opposes efforts by the Democratic-controlled Congress to eliminate abstinence-only sex education classes for school-aged children. Senator McCain believes the correct policy for educating young children on this subject is to promote abstinence as the only safe and responsible alternative.
Via CBN.com News
- On contraception: In 2003, McCain voted against a Senate bill that would have improved women's access to contraception by preventing health insurance companies from not covering the Pill and other birth control options. And recently, in a campaign-bus conversation with reporters, he displayed complete ignorance on the role of condoms in preventing the spread of HIV and other STIs.
- John McCain's full, pathetic record on issues around reproductive freedoms has been compiled by NARAL Pro-choice America.
As both Clinton and Obama have repeatedly said, the differences between them pale in comparison to the differences between either of them and McCain. That's true on a whole host of issues: Iraq, Iran, the economy, healthcare, education... I could go on and on. But if you're a woman, or a man who supports women, this should be enough.
The President of the United States is supposed to represent and protect all of its citizens. John McCain clearly espouses disrespect for fully half of the population based on gender alone, and is therefore not qualified for the job or our votes.