Do You Really Not Like Hillary Clinton, or Are You Just Sexist?

[72DejaVu]

After years of navigating political land mines as a woman, one wonders : How could an ambitious woman rise in politics, if not with dogged persistence and guardedness that Clinton has demonstrated? That's why the criticisms wielded against Clinton from the younger generation right now seem unfair and yes, even sexist. As Lena Dunham, who is campaigning for Clinton, told Jill Abramson in the Guardian, "It feels so gendered, even from women, so harshly sexist. We never throw claims of too establishment or too stiff or even too selfish at male politicians. It's unfair in the deepest sense."

Clinton hinted at some of her gender-specific hardships in her response to Gipple. "I've been around a long time. People have thrown a lot of things at me. And you know, I can't keep up with it ... I just keep going forward, because there's nothing to it. I'm still standing," she said.

It's easy to like Sanders, who has rendered apt comparisons to comedian Larry David, and who has come into the race with lots of gusto and idealism and a strong grasp on income inequality. But when evaluating candidates, it should not be forgotten that Clinton has had to play within a far stricter set of standards simply to participate in the same game that Sanders is playing so well right now. It may explain, in part, why she has developed a reputation for being scripted and even dishonest, and it may also explain why she is not willing to take as many risks with her campaign. Her avowal of feminism may not seem so revolutionary in an era where "FEMINIST" blazes behind Beyoncé performing at the VMAs, but let's not forget that it is, in no small part, thanks to Clinton, that young people today can imagine a woman in the White House. We may be used to Clinton, but that doesn't mean that her presidency would not be revolutionary for America.

[link:http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a52707/why-dont-young-people-like-hillary-clinton/|

[pnwmom]

1. Thank you. Yes, she is the subject of a great deal of "gendered criticism."

[Metric System]

2. As someone said on DU a while back, Bernice Sanders wouldn't be where Bernie Sanders is now.

[Thinkingabout]

3. Good anology, Hillary just continues to the next block,

Determined not to allow shouting three blocks ago to affect where she is planning on going next.

[procon]

4. From girlhood to old age, it's a problem that affects most women.

No doubt it is much worse for women in the public eye and especially prominent, powerful women like HCR or Pelosi and other successful political figures who are subjected to snide and subtle sexism as well as the more blatant and vicious attacks coming from those who feel threatened by strong, intelligent, and assertive women.

Sexism isn't only coming from men, but other women too. Older women remember life in the era when we were nothing more "housewives", creatures of little worth with no dreams, no job skills, no future, no voice, and no life outside the duties of producing children and homemaking. Things have improved somewhat, but I am dumbfounded to still see such medieval behaviours crop up in today's youth.

[TDale313]

5. Thanks for posting this. It's a good article.

It makes some really good points. I'm glad I read past the headline (I almost didn't)