Hillary As A Champion Of Women

My dear friend Louise wrote to me to explain why she and women in general support Hillary Clinton fervently, and why they don't want her to quit the race:

I was one of the girls who played basketball when girls were allowed to
playonly on one half of the court and not cross the half-court line...a girl was
selected to be either aguard or a forward. I was always selected to be a guard,
which means I nevergot a chance to shoot the ball at the basket. Hillary Clinton
is doing what Iwas never allowed to do...

Louise's point simply put is: Hillary's candidacy in an of itself represents a sort of victory over the oppression of women. If I understand where my friend Louise is coming from, it seems as though many women want her to win because she is a woman, i.e., because of WHAT she is, rather than because of her political record or her positions on the issues, i.e., WHO she is.

Women are oppressed to be sure. This is undeniable and wrong. However, I find it sad that they now find a champion in a woman who was herself publicly embarrassed and emotionally battered by her husband, and whose record on the issues of importance to Americans leaves so much to be desired (her support of the Iraq war, etc.)

The fact is that if Barak Obama's remaining opponent were a man, he would probably have been forced to drop out by now for the sake of Party unity. Hillary cannot win the nomination. She is behind by all measures: pledged delegates, superdelegates, states won, and the popular vote. Obama is the nominee. The Democratic primary race is over. All that remains is for Mrs. Clinton to exit the race gracefully and in such a manner as to insure that her supporters, including women who consider her their champion, support the Democratic Party nominee, Mr. Obama. Destroying Obama now and in the coming weeks with race or class-based innuendo is not the path for her to take. She should leave now while taking the high road, thereby remaining a worthewhile champion of women like my friend Louise.

Jim