Last night, Sen. Last night, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), admitted to feeling a bit guilty, as a woman, for her support of Barack Obama in the contest for the Democratic presidential nominee. Appearing on MSNBC's "Hardball", McCaskill conceded that Hillary Clinton would make "a terrific president," but that an Obama presidency would best suit the historical moment America faces right now. For weeks now, a heated debate has taken place between feminists who find an onus to support, based on her gender, the presidential aspirations of Hillary Clinton, and those who do not. I am not one who subscribes to the notion that a vote for Clinton is the only feminist option, and, following American Prospect Deputy Editor Ann Friedman, have not hesitated to say so. However, I do believe it to be high time that a woman appear on the Democratic ticket, and strongly suggest to the Obama campaign that, if their man wins the nomination, he choose a woman as his running mate. Call it a return to affirmative action. It's not just the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do. Since the mid-1970s, the health of the Democratic Party has been reflected in the strength of the women's movement. When the women's movement moves as a cohesive force, the Democratic Party benefits, both in electoral politics and the mechanisms of governance. A divided feminist movement threatens to divide the party. Should Obama prevail, putting a woman on the ticket would shore up his own feminist cred, showing himself willing to take up the work the party abandoned more than 20 years -- the two decades it has allowed former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro to stand as a flash in the pan. For Obama, a more pragmatic reason to do so would be to generate excitement among one significant group he seems to have trouble convincing: white women over 50. --Adele M. Stan
