After the Election: Our Real Work Together Begins
November 3, 2008
by Amy Siskind
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Tomorrow we vote. Some of our members will vote for the Democrats, the Republicans, the Green Party, the Libertarians; some will write in Hillary’s name; still others will stay home and not vote. Whatever your point of view, after the winner has been decided, after the confetti has been thrown and the concession speech given, after the lawn signs have been taken down and the campaign workers have been sent back home—after that, our real work begins.
The New Agenda was founded on August 11, 2008. A group of Hillary Clinton supporters sat in a room and decided that the grave mistreatment of Senator Clinton had shone a bright light on sexism and misogyny in this country, clearly revealing there is much work to be done to combat it. We set out with four areas of focus: accountability, promoting a platform of women’s rights to the 2008 presidential candidates, grass roots, and grass tops.
The New Agenda has quickly become a national organization. We have members in almost every state. We have members that are ultra-liberal, staunchly conservative and every stop in-between. We have members with all views on reproductive rights. We have members that are mothers, aunts, grandmothers, daughters, grandfathers, fathers and sons.
Looking back on our first three months, a physics analogy comes to mind: The New Agenda is like an atom whose natural state of inertia has been constantly altered by being bumped into by other matter. In other words, we have our objectives, but in the last three months, The New Agenda has been defined and focused by the world events around us.
Our pre-election journey has been shaped by unforeseen factors. First, Senator McCain picked the Republican Party’s first female Vice Presidential Candidate. Within 48 hours, The New Agenda issued a press release that we would act as a watchdog organization for all female candidates. Shortly thereafter, we were again pinged into a new direction as NOW chose to endorse an all male ticket for the first time in the history of the organization: we were again compelled to speak out. Before we could catch our collective breathe, the misogyny against Gov. Palin grew to disturbing proportions. The New Agenda, at this point a nationwide effort, was pinged again and this time our members worked together to speak out and bring about change against a sexist article in Slate, a misogynistic video, and a video of Gov. Palin being knocked unconscious. In all three cases, through our work together, change occurred and we reported: Together We CAN Make a Difference.
We would have thought with all that surrounded us in the last three months, other women’s groups would join in and help. Instead, we were pinged around by attacks by Marilyn Fitterman, former President of NY NOW and Robin Morgan, a Second Wave Feminist, amongst others. These attacks on The New Agenda are important as they define how a non-partisan women’s rights movement differs from the Second Wave. As well, these attacks mark what we believe is the end of the old and the start of the new.
After the election, our work together is to stop being pinged around by matter and instead to create our direction together. For all the bad things that came from this election, there is also some good. We, as women and men, have come to understand that women are truly second class citizens in this country still. No matter how far we think we have come, we have still very far to go. Women make up only 16% of the Senate, Congress, and Governorships, which places our country in an embarrassing 69th rank worldwide for women in politics. As long as we are a divided majority, we will have no power.
The New Agenda’s real work begins now. We invite you all to join us. What can you do? You can spread the word about our group and encourage your friends to join. You can become more active as we grow our nationwide grass roots effort. You can suggest ways to promote women’s rights. You can report sexism (ReportSexism@yahoo.com) when it rears its ugly head. You can join our letter writing, calling, or emailing campaigns. Please pitch in however you can. Together we can and we will make this country a better place for our daughter and granddaughters.
I spoke with my youngest granddaughter tonight. She asked me who I was going to vote for and I told her I was voting to hopefully get a woman in the Vice Presidency for the first time. I flat out asked her, ” why hasn’t there been a woman Vice President or President yet?” She said she didn’t know and asked me why and I told her she needed to start asking questions about that and do some investigating . She is in the gifted student program and when I pointed out that it has only been 80 some years since women could vote, she said it was “89 years”. Some things obviously aren’t being taught in school that should be taught. She said they were making fun of Palin on Channel 3 and I reminded her that Govenor Palin was in charge of the National Guard of Alaska and managed a 6+ billion dollar budget. She didn’t know that and when I asked her if she thought Sarah Palin had enough experience to be a Vice President, she said “yes”. So, what would the young girls of this nation really say when asked why there hasn’t been a woman President of Vice President yet?
I read of 5 violent attacks on and/or murders of women on just one page of the newspaper yesterday. How is this acceptable? More has to be done to prevent this …education,legislation,fundraising for counseling and shelters,etc.
No surprise about the violence. Look what we allow to happen to Gov. Palin and few speak out. It is sadly acceptable. 25% of all women are abused in their lifetime!
My daughter was asking the same. Why is she the only one in class who likes Palin. She thinks Palin is cool and wants to be like her (my daughter also a big basketball player like Sarah).
PA is RED, Fred.
http://www.carpetride.wordpress.com
goesh, your granddaghter sounds informed. It’s been 88 years.
Yes, our work is just beginning. We need to start now to make sure 2020, our Centennial, sees us in a better place.
Today, November 4, 2008, I voted for MCCAIN PALIN.
For the first time in my life, I voted for a female candidate on a national ticket (I was too young to vote when GF was on the Dem ticket). It was a VERY PROUD moment for me and privilege to have this right to vote. I took a moment and focused on the ballot, seeing Sarah Palin’s name as well as Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente.
Although progress for women this election year is dimmed by the hate from the left (including and especially the old feminists), I don’t want to discount the historical importance of this day for me.
To all of you, go vote . . . its your right and your privilege.
I can’t wait to get started Amy!!! I sense that once the election has past that there is a real hunger in this country to make things right for women. I am so excited that The New Agenda has redefined the women’s movement to be all inclusive. We can make so many beautiful things happen for our country when women have parity, and I’m optimistic enough to believe that together we will make the REAL change from this election happen. Everyone BE STRONG and onward we go!!!!!!
I’m here and I’m ready to get to work!
Pulling a silver lining out of this ugly election, I believe it could spark a new movement. McKinney, Palin, and Hillary are like a trifeca of women, they span the political spectrum. If we can build some unity between the Right, Left, and Center and put feminism first, we could accomplish great things. I think it’s already begun, this election has created interesting allies and strange bedfellows. If you had told me I would come to love and admire Greta on Fox news, two years ago, I would have laughed hysterically. Now she’s one of my favorite people. Women are building common ground and once we do that, they’ll be no stopping us.
How many times in the past have I voted for a male Democratic candidate without ever bothering to take a serious look at a female candidate, simply because she had the wrong letter after her name? That ends for me TODAY.
This year I became an Independent…and it’s time to re-adjust my thinking in accordance with that change.
If there are women candidates I CAN support in good conscience , I WILL support them. Regardless of party affiliation.
Yes I declare today Independence Day for women!
Let’s hit the ground running tomorrow.
It’s time to stop violence against women in all of its forms.
When, where, how do we meet to get organized?
Mary,
Good question…I’m ready to go. It bears definite discussion.
Members,
I know that you are all chomping on the bit. We have our first action lined up and are working on logistics now. We will write something about it tomorrow.
In the mean time, please spread the word to your friends. We need to build our membership ranks so that when we talk, others will listen!
Amy
I am ready to stand with you and do my part. We have seen too much in this election to go back to being silent and “getting along.”
Valerie
Amy,
Agreed about Gov Palin. I can’t believe the treatment that she and her family have received. She is a prime example of what a feminist looks like, a lot like the original suffragists.
It happened because we didn’t have ability via media outlets in which to protest. But we need to protest. We cannot allow this to continue. We need to boycott media, movies,television and consumer products that are sexist or promote violence against women. I’ve already begun to do this. I am looking forward to hearing more from you tomorrow.
Congrats from a spanish citizen! The best and only option women get is to work for their own interest far away from patriarchal left (and unfortunately that includes feminism NOW). Women are interested in women’s rights and not in old feminism and I hope you can spread your word. I wish you get a big success. Good luck !
[...] After the Election: Our Real Work Together Begins A group of Hillary Clinton supporters sat in a room and decided that the grave mistreatment of Senator Clinton had shone a bright light on sexism and misogyny in this country, clearly revealing there is much work to be done to combat it … [...]
As Anion says, “Women [today] are interested in women’s rights and not in old feminism…”, and this non-partisan women’s rights group The New Agenda sounds good to me.
You can count me in. I have had it with the treatment of women. Being a male I can not imagine the sexism and misogyny they continue to face. I worked very hard and long hours for Senator Clintons’ campaign and I saw first hand the treatment she received from the Obama Campaign and the MSM. I feel 2012 will be the year of a women in Hillary Clinton. I believe now is a good time to start. Send messages in the coming 4 years. Start the donation process right now so that in 4 years we will have a nice bank roll for monitary support of Senator Clinton. If everyone who are members gave $25 a month over the coming years this would be a great help to get Hillary elected. Advertisement is expensive and it will take someone with deep pockets to get her elected. Thanks for sending me the email Bernie and keeping me in the loop. James.
This is an organization whose time has come. We need an organization that will accept ALL women – not just conservatives or liberals. We MUST UNITE to stop sexism. We need to put forth a philosophy – a guide to our actions. I think our actions go beyond any one female candidate – we must embrace women who have the courage to step forth in the limelight and be hazed and battered.
[...] After the Election: Our Real Work Together Begins Before we could catch our collective breathe, the misogyny against Gov. Palin grew to disturbing proportions. The New Agenda, at this point a nationwide effort, was pinged again and this time our members worked together to speak out and … [...]
Misogyny is arguably the foundational issue in our system of male domination and entitlement. In my experience, it has always been ignored by the Leftists (modern and postmodern) who dominate the academy and usurped women’s studies; in fact, their pro-pornography position promotes it. It has never to my knowledge been the focus of the larger feminist activist organizations.
But sexism and misogyny is what has struck home for millions of women and not a few men during this campaign. For many, it has been a stunning realization. It drove New Hampshire women to the polls and handed that state to Hillary. It is what I see them writing about on blogs and in feedback to TNA. It is a issue that connects, affects, demeans, and harms all women, even those who deny it. It is the common denominator.
I would like to see the energy from this anger and outrage harnessed to deal with misogyny. I am not one who puts a lot of stock in laws to change culture, but it is clearly essential that gender be covered by hate crimes legislation and that it be vigorously enforced. The double standard about the “lynching” of effigies of a female and a black candidate says it all. As many groups (feminists and their allies) as possible should band together to get gender covered in hate crimes legislation in the first 100 days. I dk if there are state laws here as well.
Media misogyny is endless. Obviously, people like mathews and olbermann should be targets, but that’s just the low-hanging fruit. Most of the media (and much of the public) don’t even know what sexism is, or don’t want to know. They deny misogyny when it is in their face. The video from this campaign could be the materials for hundreds of courses and trainings on this subject. Training modules need to be developed. The political parties at the state and national levels should undergo training, and make commitments to have the back of future female candidates. I’d like this to be an imperative but these parties are private organizations so it can’t be mandated.
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