"This is what a feminist looks like," said Shelly Mandell, Los Angeles NOW chapter president, in her introduction of Gov. Sarah Palin at a campaign rally in California over the weekend. Mandell endorsed Palin as "an individual and a women's rights activist" and not as a representative of NOW. ABC's, Jake Tapper, has portions of the transcript and a Youtube vid so here's the story via Tapper:
Shelly Mandell, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin over the weekend in California, speaking not on behalf of NOW but "as an individual, as a woman's rights activist for 30 years who has worked for all those years to see this day."
Going through her feminist bona fides -- the International Women's Year, the Equal Rights Amendment, Geraldine Ferraro -- Mandell said she is "proud to support Sarah Palin, a woman who will fight for women's rights ... a woman who will, Lord knows, shake things up."
"Make no mistake," Mandell said. "I'm a life-long Democrat ... I don't agree with Gov. Palin on several issues." And yet, she said, "I know Sarah Palin cares about women's rights, she cares about equality, she cares about equal pay, and as Vice President she will fight for it. She cares about our children and she cares about women's lives. She's an athlete and she knows what Title Nine did for girls like her."
Watch the vid for the whole introduction.
Mandell's appearance at Palin's rally and endorsement has caused minor tremors in California's NOW state chapter, which quickly issued a statement in support of Obama. Whether you agree with Mandell or not, her actions are certainly bold by breaking with the NOW herd. I don't agree with Palin on some issues either, but I applaud Mandell for her independence and expressing her vision of what feminism looks like. In the not too distant past, women of color and lesbians were marginalized by NOW. Just saying.
"Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you?re knocked down, get right back up. And NEVER listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on."
Hillary Clinton - June 7, 2008
