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Why I’m Voting for a Woman in the Primary

And why your sexism argument doesn’t hold water

Lisa Renee
4 min readApr 25, 2019

I will vote for a woman in the democratic primary, without regard for the male candidates. I don’t care if he has a sterling political resumé or activist credentials. I don’t care if he spouts appealing policy or uplifting rhetoric. I don’t care what color he is, or how old, or if he’s a good dad. It doesn’t matter if he was in a band or is “folksy.” The very best of men will not get my vote because time’s up. I’ve had it. I’m exhausted.

What if men just shut up for awhile? What if men just listen and learn? Especially the white ones. No opining and pontificating, shouting or explaining. No proposals, ideas, suggestions or questions.

What if men stop jockeying for more power, just for a bit, and pay attention to the needs and desires of their communities? What if they study the policy proposals of their sisters and elevate those ideas, instead of their own?

To be clear, I have heaps of respect for many men. They have often brought brilliance to the table, and we are lucky to have them. They are my family, and my friends. I agree with many of them, often. But if all of them could just be quiet for a bit, we’d hear some other voices. Women’s voices, the voices of those who do much of the work for little of the pay; the…

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