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You know how you can only remember seven of the eight reindeers' names? Or 11 of the 12 Jewish tribes?
Well, I find that "year in review" posts work in the reverse: I never have trouble coming up with what to review. The trouble is in keeping the review to a manageable size.
So consider this post a Starter List for the Progressive Year in Review. What's included or excluded could easily vary from progressive to progressive, let alone folks who don't consider themselves progressive but have insights nonetheless. I've been called everything from a Neo-con to a radical progressive, and I've also been told that I should have my personal blog removed from the Progressive Women's Blog Ring because I'm not progressive enough.
But, if there's one thing I love about BlogHer, it's its ability to entertain opinions from across the spectrum. So, after you read this post, feel free to let 'er rip, no matter where you see yourself on the spectrum, and share where you think Progressives have been this year.
WOMEN
Let's start with the top ten moments of Feminism in 2008, by Jen Nedeau at the Women's Rights channel on Change.org. The list might be a bit controversial and the post has received several comments, but it's hard to argue that more than a few of the noted moments result from and advance the efforts of progressives: Hillary Clinton's 18 Million Cracks, the Sex and The City movie inspiring new and old generations, and Ingrid Betancourt's release from captivity in Columbia.
Other notable moments in feminism which are inextricable from progressive causes, with Jen's explanations, include:
Gov. Sarah Palin: Firing Up Feminists
The nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as Sen. John McCain's running mate during the 2008 election certainly got everyone to sit up and pay attention - especially the feminists. With her "five children, successful political career, $1.2 million net worth and beauty pageant looks" - she seemed to be the candidate that every woman and man in Republican Party was looking for. However, her nomination also fired up the women's rights movement and brought it front and center within the street fight for the Presidency. While some perceived Palin as part of a post-feminist world, her candidacy turned out to be nothing more than a shallow attempt by the GOP to partake in identity politics. In a historical essay written by Gloria Steinem she helped women understand the severe Catch-22 about Palin:
Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.
But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.
Think about the conversations we wouldn't have had or be having if Palin hadn't been in the race.
Unmarried Women Tip 2008 Election in Favor of Barack Obama
Unmarried women delivered a stunning 70 to 29 percent margin to Barack Obama and delivered similarly strong margins in races for Congress and the U.S. Senate. The 2008 election represented the highest margin recorded and a 16-point net gain at the Presidential level from 2004.
Efforts like Women's Voices Women Vote have been working tirelessly to bring out the best in this demographic. This year saw very obvious results.
Bitch Magazine Forges Ahead in Fiscal Crisis
With the struggling economy, it almost looked like feminists would lose one of their favorite publications - Bitch Magazine. However, when Andi Zeisler and Debbie Rasmussen turned to their friends on the Internet, they were able to exceed their fundraising goal of $40,000. Rasmussen writes on the Bitch blog: "This tremendous and
