Wall Street Journal Examines Women's Advocacy Groups' Support For Clinton, Obama

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 12 Feb 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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The Wall Street Journal on Saturday examined how some women's advocacy groups and their affiliates are supporting Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.). According to the Journal, some groups are "divided" over whether women's rights advocates "should automatically support" Clinton because she is the "first woman with a real shot at the presidency."

Two state chapters of the National Organization for Women, which is supporting Clinton, recently have been criticized for questioning Obama's record on abortion rights and accusing Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) of betraying women by endorsing Obama. However, Mandy Benson, head of NOW's California chapter, joined other women in "denouncing" the notion that women's rights advocates are "obligated to support a woman's bid for the presidency," the Journal reports.

According to the Journal, NOW's national organization has "struggled to stay above the fray." Kim Gandy, president of NOW's national office, said that the group recognizes that both Clinton and Obama support abortion rights but that NOW believes Clinton has "a better leadership record" on abortion rights, in part because of her gender. "She's female, so does it make a little more sense that she'd be out front on reproductive rights? Yes," Gandy said.

According to the Journal, the disagreement among NOW chapters on whether to support Clinton or Obama "underscores a broader dispute among feminist leaders over whether women should support" Clinton "out of solidarity," the Journal reports. Martha Burk, former chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations, said gender does play a role in which candidates women's rights advocates support. "A lot of feminists want to see a female president in our lifetime," Burk said. Ann Friedman, editor of the blog Feministing and deputy editor of American Prospect magazine, said that few women's rights advocates would support a female candidate solely because of her gender. Friedman added that if a conservative woman were running against a man with a strong record on abortion-rights and related issues, "we wouldn't be having this debate" (Wall Street Journal, 2/9).

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