The Sex of the Revolution

On the eve of 14 Democratic primary elections

We have the big money (Bloomberg), the voice of financial services (Biden), the democratic socialist (Sanders), and the woman's candidate (Warren) who is also a social democrat. Biden and Bloomberg have both been sexist in their careers. Sanders has been a decent ally of women, but his main focus has always been his socialism. And Warren, who is a social democrat by choice and a feminist by necessity.

Warren is being asked to step aside by both the Wall Street Democrats and the Sanders faction. The Wall Street faction is simply sexist. The Sanders faction believes she should take one for the team.

My mind goes back to the hippie girl who said in frustration, “The only place we women have in this revolution is on our backs.” My mind goes back to figures like Jenny Marx and Mary Burns, socialist leaders, both less known than their famous lovers (Burns was Engels long-time paramour and has been almost erased from history.) My mind goes back to the geisha who helped make the Meiji Restoration in Japan and were then outlawed by the government they helped bring to power. My mind goes back to Sybil Ludington, who rode twice the distance Paul Revere did to warn the colonial militia that attack was imminent and yet is almost forgotten.

Women help make the revolution, are necessary to the revolution, and then are thrown under the bus after the revolution.

Does anyone believe a victory for any of these men will be a victory for women? Certainly not Biden or Bloomberg. Sanders is in some ways very good for women – for one thing, he is adamantly pro-choice – but he would be leading the government and will have to make compromises.

I want Warren to stay in the running as long as she thinks appropriate. I want her to get a bunch of votes tomorrow. I want her to stick.