What Women Really Want: Top Election Issues from BlogHer Contributing Editors

Morra Aarons Mele — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:40:49 -0500

Yesterday, Cooper and Emily announced BlogHers Act, "a year-long initiative to harness the incredible power of women online. I asked BlogHer's contibuting editors what were their "top four issues that women online want the U.S. Presidential candidates to address in order to win our votes in the â€˜08 Election." One thing (anecdotally) I found surprising: most editors did not name Iraq as one of their top 4 election issues. Many cited anger fatigue, or just lack of hope. Sigh. As Deb wrote: Are you surprised that the Iraq War, the economy, terrorism didn't make the list? While these might be important issues to discuss, I really have little faith that much can be done to impact these issues."

The environment, health care and education/child care were frequently cited. Join in: Please name your top 4 issues for the candidates to address as we approach 2008! These issues will get a hearing at the BlogHer conference in July, and beyond. It matters.

Speaking of, Crafts Editor Deb Roby's 4 domestic issues

Health Care. The whole enchilada: prescription drug costs, universal health care, preventative care.

Protection of Retirement Benefits. Stop allowing companies to cancel retirement plans that employees have paid into for years. If they must, make sure that all management loses EVERYTHING they've been promised from the corporation first.

Environmental Issues. From freeing ourselves from the "corn cartel", to making it economically possible for consumers to "go green" to reducing greenhouse gases. Again the whole enchilada please.

One that I feel strongly about, but that won't make the list:
Infrastructure redevelopment (I see the threat of infrastructure collapse in the next 10-20 years as a major concern. Yet nobody is willing to completely rebuild our power structures, our water supply system, or our roads.)

Academia editor Leslie chose:

Affordable, quality healthcare/health insurance
Environment
Food safety
K-12 education
Affordable housing

The war will be important, but in the end I think most people will vote in their own self-interestâ€”so, for example, if they have family serving in Iraq (military or otherwise), the war will figure more prominently. Iâ€™m not sure where security issues will figure in, at least among progressive voters. My hope is that the general (righteous) anger at the current administration doesnâ€™t quash the optimism that normally comes with electing a new leader.

Pam wrote

Global: Environment.Yes, I know, poverty, war, etc. But environmentalism is something actual humans can actualize at home that has global impact. Oil, anyone?
Election Year: Health care, health care, health care, and oh, yeah, health care and, um, health care.

Mata cited

1. The environmental crisis.

2. The war(s) in Iraq, Afghanistan and soon to be who-knows-where. On the one hand the wars themselves concern me -- on the other hand what gives rise to them concerns me equally. We are in a world of bombs ready to explode - the middle east is dotted with potential disaster, as is Africa, and now Asia -- everyone is arming and polarizing. No one is even discussing disarmament anymore.

3. The global AIDS crisis - just because we do not see it the way Africa sees it, does not mean that it should not concern us. The potential not just in human tragedy, but in the resulting economic destabilization of Africa is horrific.

4. The US Social Security potential collapse, combined with shameful Health Care.

5. Staggering unevenness in education and opportunities in America based on race and class.

Some editors chose singular issues that I thought were stark, crucial, and not on the usual top-4's:

Feminism CE Suzanne highlighted: Early childhood education (Amen, sister)

If I had to pick only one issue of utmost importance to the future of this country, without hesitation I would say it is the need for comprehensive, quality early childhood care and education (ECE). While not all women have children, we are all evaluated â€“whether we like it or not â€“ on whether we will have children and thus drop out of the workforce. ECE is not only a feminist issue because it affects how women make â€œchoicesâ€ about work and family (which are often not choices at all, but usually deciding between unattractive options which donâ€™t meet our needs or the needs of our families), but because it is really about helping the next generation develop their maximum potential as human beings.

We donâ€™t have to frame the issue of ECE through the lens of fairness and justice, though. Some politicians and a large portion of our citizenry, Iâ€™ve sadly learned, donâ€™t find those to be compelling arguments. What talks to nearly everyone, however, is economics (ie - money). Fortunately, the economic rationale for investing in quality early childhood programs for all is very strong.

Mata again: Candidates and religion:

Watch carefully in this election. Be on guard. Religion is starting to get bandied around by all the candidates. The religious right is certainly not giving up its claim to a voice in politics. Religious spin is already starting. This is going to get louder and stronger as the days wear on.

Catherine Morgan: Holding the news media accountable:

I think the number one issue the news media needs to do is...Start reporting the "news". I do not think that even one "attack" ad should be replayed on any news media as if it is an actual news story. These ads end up becoming totally free advertising for a candidate or party, simply because the "so called" news media is using them over and over again as if they are news. Just because these ads are being replayed on news stations, does not make them news. This is not journalism, it is propaganda - information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

The title of this post is a play on a really good book, "What Women Really Want" by pollsters Celinda Lake and Kellyanne Conway. It's a good read on what drives women's voting and political behavior today.

Agree? Disagree?Please name your top 4 issues for the candidates to address as we approach 2008!

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What Women Really Want: Top Election Issues from BlogHer Contributing Editors