Elizabeth Warren has risen far enough to face the same tired, sexist attacks women always face

[turbinetree]

Laura Clawson
Daily Kos Staff
Thursday November 07, 2019 · 10:05 AM EST

Here we go again. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has risen in the polls to the point where her rivals are using the tired old likability attacks, even knowing that much of the coverage about it will involve questions of sexism. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign is also recycling a Republican talking point straight out of former Sen. Scott Brown’s (losing) campaign against Warren in 2012: that she’s an elitist Harvard professor. Is it possible to yawn and rage at the same time? Because those are the conflicting impulses I’m feeling from these attacks.

The elitism attacks are particularly rich coming from the campaign of a man who was in the United States Senate for more than three decades before becoming vice president, and whose much-touted middle-class family did not struggle any more than Warren’s family. But congrats (or something) to the Biden team for getting Politico to run a story on the elitism angle that, while it makes clear that the charges come straight out of Brown’s campaign and have been endlessly pushed by Republicans, also quotes a former Trump campaign staffer in an average-Republican-on-the-street role.

And can we contemplate the likelihood that a woman who graduated 76th out of 85 in her law school class, as Biden did, would be elected to the Senate just four years later?

Beyond elitism, both Biden and Mayor Pete Buttigieg are working hard to brand Warren as angry—a potentially devastating charge for a woman, since women are not allowed to be angry without being punished for it. According to Buttigieg, who spent the last Democratic debate launching angry attacks on competitors and then concluding those attacks with calls for unity, Warren is “so absorbed in the fighting that it is as though fighting were the purpose.” According to Biden, who once suggested he’d like to physically fight Donald Trump but also believes that, post-Trump, congressional Republicans will have an “epiphany” and clamor to work with Democrats, Warren is part of “an angry unyielding viewpoint that has crept into our politics.”

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/11/7/1897822/-Elizabeth-Warren-has-risen-far-enough-to-face-the-same-tired-sexist-attacks-women-always-face

[mcar]

1. Biden and Buttigieg are branding Warren as "angry?"

I sure hope this isn't true. Another tired, old sexist trope.

I would be greatly disappointed in Biden if this is the case.

[SharonAnn]

2. Never pick a fight with a woman older than 40.

Never pick a fight with a woman older than 40.
They're full of rage and sick of everyone's shit.

Caption under a photo of Kate Blanchett that a friend sent me.

[trueblue2007]

7. i sure agree with that one !! thanks for posting.

[Demsrule86]

3. Warren did call Biden GOP (running in the wrong primary) for not supporting M4A.

What he is not supposed to defend himself? So now Biden is supposedly being unfair in his response to Sen. Warren's attacks? And Mayor Pete is being unfair also? I promise you no one will be worse than Trump and the GOP smear machine. Every candidate will be vetted one way or the other.

[Progressive2020]

4. Warren

Warren is only going to get more flak as time goes on, I think. She is a front-runner, and her rivals want to take her down. That said, the Dems need to not consume each other in the Primaries. Going after each other without civility and respect is dangerous and helps the Republicans. I hope that this Primary stays civil.

[elias7]

5. Yeah, but how's she going to pay for it?

The MSM has been hounding her for that precious sound bite- raising taxes on the middle class - so much so that financing her plan is always the first question and first challenge. This is fairly unprecedented in my mind and also fairly narrowly centered on Warren, despite every candidate having this plan or that plan, it’s never, “how are you going to pay for it”.

[corbettkroehler]

6. When They Can't Attack The Message, They Go After The Messenger

Elizabeth Warren would be an AWESOME president. I prefer Sanders and differ with Warren on a few points. However, not a single one of the differences is based on gender. In fact, I am thoroughly convinced that the nation would benefit from having more women in leadership positions.

I DEMAND A SWIFT AND PERMANENT END TO ALL MISOGYNY IN POLITICS AND EVERY AREA OF PUBLIC LIFE! COME ON, CHAUVINISTS! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE MILLENNIUM!