Look at Senator McCain! Please, look closely. You can do just that at the website of The Real McCain.

Two days before Governor Palin’s nomination. I turned to my girlfriend and said, “Y’know what? McCain is going to nominate a woman.” True story. I bet if Senator Obama had chosen a woman as a running mate, McCain would now be running with an African American man on his ticket.

It’s a mostly successful Right Wing tactic to splinter the Left into small groups of focused advocates, each grabbing for a seat at the master’s table. Unlike the different special interest groups of the Right Wing, race and gender activists haven’t worked together for decades building coalition. Gender versus race is costing the Democrats votes, damnit.

For my part I’m not going to be divided. I voted for Clinton in the Democratic primary, and I’m supporting and voting for Obama in November. Senator Obama is our best hope to push back the tides of racism and sexism that were unleashed and nurtured under the Bush administration.

I bet he doesn’t mean to do it, but Senator McCain most closely represents the interests of both racists and sexists. McCain is probably well-schooled in race politics, as much as any rich, white, Christian old man can be schooled in the complexly oppressive system of racism. And from his point of view, Senator McCain is no doubt respectful of woman as a gender. But the fact is, the Democrats are going to do a better job than the Republicans in dismantling the systems of both racism and sexism.

With the simple stroke of selecting Governor Palin as his running mate, McCain’s campaign has effectively splintered off two large voting segments of the Left Wing: advocates for racial equity, and advocates for equal access regardless of gender. We’ve been pitted against each other. I’m voting for Obama, because I think he gets the parallels between feminism and race politics.

Senator Obama is simply the best hope for for equity and equal access of any kind. Please do take a closer look at Senator McCain and what he stands for. Please, don’t allow his divisive campaign tactics to succeed. Please, get the word out to ten American citizens of voting age. Take the time to remind them that voting a Democrat into the White House is the best hope for any people oppressed by conservative politics and ideologies. Thank you, and bless your heart.

Kate