The Blog Watch: A selection from the region's blogosphere

Clinton's victory

Posted by Bettina Duval

www.californiaprogressreport.com

Sen. Hillary Clinton's victory in New Hampshire was the (second) time in our history that a woman won a presidential primary. Her win was a momentous achievement that the early suffragettes could only dream of. It was a triumph for all women – a giant step forward in the drive for equality.

The nation's political attention has wrongly focused on why Sen. Clinton won New Hampshire. The most important fact, that she is the (second) woman ever to win a primary, has been lost. (Shirley Chisholm won the 1972 New Jersey primary.)

Does it matter that Hillary Clinton won the primary? Yes. Sen. Clinton's victory cannot be brushed aside with political positioning or media downplay. Make no mistake, it was an historic moment. …

When a woman becomes a candidate she brings a different voice to the conversation and valuable diversity to the political process. She will inevitably face challenges because of her gender. After all, it took more than 40 years for California women to gain the right to vote. In 1912 when suffrage finally passed in California, it did so by fewer than 3,600 votes – an average of one vote per precinct! Women's rights have been born out of struggle not privilege. …

The full impact of Clinton's win in New Hampshire on her run for president is as yet undefined, but I hope it will, at the very least, encourage more women to run for office. Seeing a Democratic woman governor in California is a dream. When Clinton won the primary she moved us closer to that goal.

Women need to run and win on every level of the political pipeline, from the local school board to the presidency. Their voice is critical to the balance of decision-making and the future of our state, our country and our world. Reversing the decline in the number of women candidates and office-holders, not only in California but across the country, is essential to the health of our political process.

I see it as our moral opportunity as well as our moral obligation to continue the fight for individual liberty. It is my belief in Democracy – a Democracy that is made stronger by diversity – that motivates me to encourage you to applaud Hillary Clinton for her achievement.

Bettina Duval is the Founder of the CALIFORNIA LIST, an organization dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to California state government.

Political bickering

www.blog4boomers.com

The presidential contests are close and the constant bickering reflects this. Oh, my. Please talk about today's issues and not the 1960s. I was there and would prefer to look to the future. The future for my daughter's education and employment. The future of my retirement. The future of future generations … I am not interested in listening to Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama bicker about the importance of history, even if it is regarding the great, very great, Martin Luther King Jr.

Please move forward candidates. The voters of America are looking for leaders, not historians.

Where have the grown-ups gone?

Posted by Steve Soto

www.theleftcoaster.com

After the New Hampshire primary and seeing how the Democrat's quest for the nomination has devolved into an ugly pie fight, am I the only one who wishes Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden were still active candidates?

With a brokered convention ahead of us after a nasty and divisive process between three candidates who have no incentive or inclination to give ground, all I can ask is this:

Al, stay by the phone. You might be needed in Denver.

About the writer:

• The Blog Watch will be tapping into the voters' sentiments on issues and presidential candidates. If you know of a regional blog we should be watching, contact Gary Reed, Forum editor, at greed@sacbee.com.