So far, the Big Tent has been about the environment and the economy with a dash of healthcare thrown in. Nothing wrong with these topics since they all affect families. But what about – dare I say it - “women’s issues”?
Well I got to be with my “peeps” today on the Fifth Floor:Open Space of the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s building for “WomenCount in the 2008 Election.”
It was a small, personal discussion with Jehmu Greene, Political Director of WomenCount and former president of Rock the Vote. As a group we discussed how the historic candidacy of Hillary Clinton changed the conversation for and about women in America, but uncovered serious challenges to our political process in the form of sexism and gender bias.
WomenCount officially launched yesterday with a big reception featuring Senator Hillary Clinton and more than 700 supporters. Here’s the video courtesy of EchoDitto.
Jehmu talked about how WomenCount is engaging younger women using the MoveOn.org model. Then we all shared how we engage other women and engage action and women online and off, whether it’s via email campaigns, advertising, or blogging.
We discussed how the women’s movement needs to go from “Chicken Little” and the sky is falling, to “The Little Engine that Could” and I think I can, I think I can. Another discussion revolved around sexism and class and creating cultural change not just movements.
My contribution to the discussion
I shared how I became involved in the mom blogosphere and how I find that it’s very competitive. There’s an attitude among many mom bloggers that if you make money via your blogging, you’ve sold out, pimped your kids, or you’re not a good mom because you’re ignoring your children while you write. Or that if you blog about your family life you’re putting you and your children at risk from pedophiles, kidnappers, and stalkers or that you’ve invaded your children’s privacy.
I believe that this feeling from some parts of the blogosphere is due to jealously, especially to the “rock star” bloggers like Heather Armstrong of Dooce. But it’s also wanting to put others down because women do not feeling confident in their roles as mothers and women.
We touched on this previously at MOTHERS Book Bag in the MOTHERS interview with Amy Richards, author of Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself
Along with Jehmu, I met several people from NOI, the New Organizing Institute who sponsored the event. I also met women from EchoDitto, DC WebWomen, and Lisa Witter, who wrote The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- And How to Reach Them. (She ducked out before I could tell her that her book is on my Amazon wish list, darn it.)
These organizations are all ones I want to keep in touch with and I recommend that you check them out, too.
Other happenings at The Big Tent
Afterwards, I quickly grabbed lunch and headed over to the Big Tent to see T. Boone Pickens of the PickensPlan, Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, and John Podesta, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Progress. All talked about their plans for alternative energy and getting off our addiction to foreign oil.
If you watch television I’m sure you’ve seen Mr. Pickens’s commercials. He’s someone to watch and he’ll be in the forefront of the alternative energy discussion no matter who wins the White House in November. From what I’ve heard, I like his plan so far. He’s doing practical things, and trying to create sustainable jobs for Americans that cannot be outsourced to other countries.
The Digg Stage room on the second floor of the Big Tent was packed. I had to eat my lunch standing up. In the crowd I noticed Daryl Hannah and Joan Blades from MomsRising.org and MoveOn.org.
Afterwards I stayed a little while for Netroots: Past, Present, Future, but wasn’t impressed with the navel gazing by bloggers from Daily Kos, et al. Yes, you’re awesome for doing great political blogging before many of us knew what a blog was. Still, I want to hear about how blogging and other forms of social media can help get the word out now.
Around town at the DNC
So, I decided to take a walk and see what was going on in LoDo (lower downtown Denver). The men were either dressed like Secret Service agents or like they were going to the beach. But it was nice to see so much diversity – people of many colors and many ages. There were moms with tweenagers and younger children buying Obama t-shirts. And there were a few childre dressed in their Sunday best going to the convention with their mom or dad. Talk about your young Democrats!
In front of the barricades to get to the Pepsi Center were a bunch of Hilary supporters protesting. What they were protesting, I’m not sure since by this time she had given her unity speech. You think they would have gotten the message by now. Oh well.
But my favorites were the “Rednecks for Obama” two older gentlemen who had come to Denver from Rolla, Missouri to support Obama. I love those guys!
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