Victim of Sexism? Women Rally 'Round Clinton

May 24, 2008— -- Many women were driven to vote this week in Kentucky following fierce comments made by Sen. Hillary Clinton.

"Some have said your votes didn't matter, that this campaign was over..." the New York senator said over and over on the campaign trail in Kentucky in the days before the primary there on Tuesday.

If you talk to voters at her rallies, you will find women who resent what they view as Clinton being pushed out of the presidential race. A Clinton support group formed last week and has run full-page ads in newspapers stating, "Not so Fast."

Many female Clinton supporters are suddenly galvanized and are angry at what they call blatant sexism in this presidential race.

"If you can read racism into something someone says, the media is all over it, but so many blatant sexist things have been said," Clinton volunteer Robin Rowlinson said.

Clinton supporter Cynthia Ruccia is part of a grassroots movement comprised of many people who say that if Clinton isn't the nominee, they'll try to stop her Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama from being elected president.

Ruccia claims there are more than 25,000 members of her group. These female Clinton supporters point to comments Obama has made that they feel are sexist.

Among those remarks are comments such as: "You're likeable enough, Hillary," and "Suddenly her claws start coming out."

Members of the Obama campaign say they're keenly aware they need to reach out to these women and keep female Clinton supporters from turning away if he does win the nomination.

"For we women who are probably 55 percent, at least, of the Democratic Party, this was such a betrayal," Ruccia said.

Clinton herself told the Washington Post, "It does seem as though the press is at least not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been endangered by the comments by people who are nothing buy misogynists."

To some, the timing of the complaints is suspicious.

"Right now, Hillary Clinton supporters want to try to find something to blame for why this nomination didn't happen, other than Hillary," Democratic strategist Jenny Backus said.

In fact, exit polling is indicating Clinton's gender is helping her win votes.

But if Clinton does drop out, many diehard Clinton fans say they simply can't bring themselves to vote for Obama. Some have stated they would even vote for Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Historically, even though many people say during the primary campaigns that they'll never vote for the enemy, by the time November rolls around, they often seem to have changed their minds.