One Good Idea in a Generation

After the Civil War there was an opportunity to pass an amendment to give suffrage to African-American men. Women who had been working for decades for suffrage asked that their fellow abolitionists not settle for suffrage only for men, but push for universal suffrage. Women were rebuffed with the claim that there was one good idea in a generation and this was not our turn.

To men who had the vote, to men who had all the rights in our society: it was a merely good idea. Would they have been so cavalier if men were the disenfranchised class? It wouldn't have been a good idea, it would have been an urgent necessity. Left unaddressed, it would have been a critical threat to our democracy. It would have been cause for Civil War.

Less than a year ago, women were poised to make history. It was almost certain that Hillary would be the Democratic nominee and easily beat any potential Republican challenger. Finally after 200 years, we would have a woman President. While many women were rejoicing at the realization of our hopes and dreams (yes--women have hopes and dreams too), many male leaders in the Party were working to sabotage her.
To them it was a good idea easily supplanted by another good idea.

They bring out Obama. He is young and inexperienced, but a good idea to supplant our good idea. Obama could have and should have waited. He should have rejoiced at this opportunity for women to make history. Instead he stole from us the greatest opportunity of our generation.

Now they expect us to rejoice with Obama that he is making history. I will rejoice with Obama and his supporters as much as he rejoiced with me when women were poised to make history and were once again told: Sorry one good idea in a generation.