Women Superdelegates

The AP published an article by Laurie Kellman last Friday about female super-delegates' struggle in endorsing Barack Obama without having their "sisterhood" questioned, quite the same way that black Democrats have received criticism for endorsing Hillary Clinton. Many women believe that if Clinton doesn't win the White House this year, no woman will reach this goal in their lifetime (although it seems that this belief faces a bit of a generational divide, with younger female voters more eagerly and less guiltily voicing their support for the youthful Senator Obama). Some super-delegates fear the possibility of losing their seats over these endorsements. As Ellen R. Malcolm, founder of EMILY's list, states, "They feel that they elected the women and have gone to bat for them, so they want every single woman [super-delegate] to vote for the woman candidate." In the midst of such strong sentiments, some female delegates have decided to remain neutral until a clear winner emerges; Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick of Michigan, who is black and a woman, is one such delegate. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California is another.

In the absence of major differences between the two Democratic contestants, race and gender loyalty can become pivotal factors. Former lawmaker Pat Schroeder points to the media's portrayal of Hillary Clinton as a sort of "female legend." "There's a feeling, you know, of sisterhood," she explains. "There's really a general consensus that Clinton's gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the media, and you have women knowing all along that women have had a tough go in politics."