http://herhistory.org/2008/10/15/how-were-the-debates-tonight/ Tue, 22 May 2012 09:34:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 http://herhistory.org/2008/10/15/how-were-the-debates-tonight/#comment-11238 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:01:29 +0000 http://herhistory.org/2008/10/15/how-were-the-debates-tonight/#comment-11238 well as the debates have gone it was certainly the most entertaining. the stakes were high and mccain especially was on the offensive. There were two interesting things to note when it came to women. The first was how McCain talked about Palin. Slate has a great write up about it (http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2008/10/15/whole-new-ways-to-not-get-it.aspx) saying more or less that his feminism is stuck in the 60's in this 'aren't women great, let's see what they can do' kinda way. It's not equality it's patronizing. the other thing of note was that the word abortion was actually used for the first time in a debate. I thought that Obama tried to play it very fair, acknowledging the moral issue, and personal suffering and sacrifice but saying that a woman's body should be her own and she should have the right to choose. McCain was horrible talking about abortion mainly because he kept using the phrase 'pro-abortion' he even said that Obama was aligned with the extreme aspects of pro-abortion movement. The phrase made me imagine a group of pro-abortion terrorists roaming the streets forcing pregnant women to get rid of their babies. Obama was quick to respond that no one is pro-abortion it's a matter of being for a choice but McCain just kept right on going, pro-abortion, pro-abortion. well as the debates have gone it was certainly the most entertaining. the stakes were high and mccain especially was on the offensive. There were two interesting things to note when it came to women. The first was how McCain talked about Palin. Slate has a great write up about it (http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2008/10/15/whole-new-ways-to-not-get-it.aspx) saying more or less that his feminism is stuck in the 60’s in this ‘aren’t women great, let’s see what they can do’ kinda way. It’s not equality it’s patronizing.
the other thing of note was that the word abortion was actually used for the first time in a debate. I thought that Obama tried to play it very fair, acknowledging the moral issue, and personal suffering and sacrifice but saying that a woman’s body should be her own and she should have the right to choose. McCain was horrible talking about abortion mainly because he kept using the phrase ‘pro-abortion’ he even said that Obama was aligned with the extreme aspects of pro-abortion movement. The phrase made me imagine a group of pro-abortion terrorists roaming the streets forcing pregnant women to get rid of their babies. Obama was quick to respond that no one is pro-abortion it’s a matter of being for a choice but McCain just kept right on going, pro-abortion, pro-abortion.

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