Yesterday's Yesterday's New York Times featured a story on Barack Obama's explicit attempt to convince women voters that feminist goals aren't necessarily best served by a female politician. I think most feminists are open to this argument -- as long as male politicians rely upon policy proposals, not personality, to make the case. Unfortunately, the Obama campaign appeal, as outlined by the Times, over-relies on the fact that the candidate was raised by a single mom, as well as the stereotype that women prefer a leadership style of compromise. The campaign's COO, Betsy Myers, said, "His message is about listening, bringing people together, the skills women appreciate." There are some powerful feminist arguments for Barack Obama, in particular when it comes to his foreign policy. Of course, Obama's emphasis on diplomacy instead of force could be understood as a different rendition of the "listening, bringing people together" argument that all women supposedly respond to. But in general, I don't think it's a great idea to attempt to appeal to feminist women by suggesting that they don't want a candidate who fights, fights, fights. --Dana Goldstein
