Why I can be a feminist--and vote for Obama

As I've been watching and reading the news recently, there has been, as expected, a great deal of coverage of Obama as the presumptive Democratic nominee and of Clinton's loss in the primary. While much of this discussion has been quite interesting, one recurring theme has annoyed me. I have gotten the sense that many Clinton supporters are angry at those women who did not support her in the primaries. Apparently there was the idea that women should always support a female candidate. Gloria Steinem (who is someone I do admire) was on a show recently and made the argument that young women don't understand the urgency of having a woman president. According to her, for my generation, we always think that there will be someone else. A day or so later, I read an article in the Washington Post about how Clinton's loss will force the feminist movement to change its focus as there was a surprise that the women's vote didn't all go for Clinton.

Statements like these really annoyed me. I would love to see a woman be president--but I want it to be a woman I can believe in. I don't think that makes me less of a feminist. Just as I didn't vote for Obama because of his race, I didn't not vote for Clinton because of her gender. If a woman runs for president who moves me the way Obama has, I'll vote for her in a second. And isn't that what feminists should want? The idea that we can truly judge people, candidates, whatever on their merits, not on their gender.

Perhaps it is a generational thing. Perhaps women in older generations do have a sense of urgency, of wanting to see a woman elected president in their lifetime. I do have the advantage of youth, I have plenty more elections ahead of me, and I do strongly believe that I will see a woman in the Oval Office. As a feminist, I strongly believe that women can hold the job of president just as well, if not better, than men. And when that candidate comes along, I'll be right there for her.

So yes, I am a feminist. And yes, I supported, and continue to support Obama as President. And I don't see those statements as contradictory.