Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver, and Michelle Obama talk at a campaign rally Sunday, Feb. 3 in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Women should not feel guilty if they prefer Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton… so says Oprah Winfrey.
During a rally in Los Angeles, Winfrey said, "Every part of me believes in the empowerment of women. But the truth is I'm a free woman. Being free means you get to think for yourself and you get to decide for yourself what to do." She said women who had already planned to vote for someone else – that would mean Hillary – ahad "the right to change their mind."
Winfrey described how she was criticized by some women after she campaigned for Obama in Iowa. She says they called her a traitor to her gender.
Oprah participated in a huge rally for Barack Obama yesterday along with Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver – wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This is all part of a push by the Obama campaign to reach out to women voters. That's because women are expected to make up about 55% of Democratic primary voters. And in a state like California, where Obama has now come within striking distance of Clinton, more support from women could make the difference.
Here’s my question to you: Should women feel obligated to vote for Hillary Clinton just because she's a woman?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Carrie writes:
No, women should not feel obligated to vote for Hillary. I fully support Barack Obama in this race and it is partially because I am a woman. As a female, I feel that Hillary "stood by her man" which in my mind, was not the right thing to do. As a female, I cannot vote for someone (particularly a female) who would support a cheating spouse.
Holly writes:
I am voting for Hillary because she is a woman and I don't care if that's an "ignorant" reason to vote for her. I want a woman in charge, and she is as qualified as any of the men.
Sheila writes:
I'm a 62-year-old woman who has waited for a long time for the opportunity to vote for a woman to be president. This is definitely not the woman I have been waiting for and she will not have my vote. I am not looking for a woman who at 60 years old and in New Hampshire finally found her voice. Whose voice has she been using to speak through for all her years of experience? If it takes you that long to find your voice exactly what experience are your talking about?
Diane writes:
No we're not obligated to vote for Hillary, Jack, but I am obligated to tell you: you're gonna get kicked in the teeth for this question! Were you up too late watching the Giants win? What's up with this? Any woman with half a brain is looking at all the candidates and their stand on each issue. Race and gender should not enter into any of this. Get a good night's sleep tonight Jack, you need better questions tomorrow.
Mary Lou writes:
Sorry, Oprah, your bigotry is showing. Playing the gender card is beneath you. Perhaps the majority of women voting for Hillary Clinton just know that she is the best, most qualified, most experienced candidate for president of the United States. Women are not wrong if they disagree with Oprah.
Sandy writes:
Obligated? No. Proud? You better believe it.
Debbie writes:
Only blond ones.