Time for the "gentle sex" to fight back

[Maddy McCall]

By MEREDITH C. CARROLL
March 6, 2008


snip/

My parents instilled in me the belief that among the most important choices I ever will make are where do I want to go, and what’s the best and most efficient route to total achievement. As such, the most pressing decision I was forced to make recently was paper or plastic (I know, I know — I should’ve used a reusable organic cotton bag), and the only thing I’ve had to balance is my checkbook.

I get the feeling Hillary Clinton operates on a similar philosophy (although the checking accounts she oversees probably have much more favorable interest rates). Which is why it’s so irksome that lately she’s been treated as if she’s got a bull’s-eye tattoo on her forehead. If I thought she was being picked on because she has lousy ideas or she’s given some indication she’d be an ineffective leader of the free world, then I wouldn’t care. But it’s become increasingly obvious that she’s a target mostly because she’s a strong woman. (Cue the smoke coming out of my ears.)

While even some of her harshest critics have applauded her policies, Hillary has been incessantly ridiculed for her wardrobe and hairstyles. And there’s little doubt she’ll be judged until her last breath for defending and sticking with her husband after he lied about and then ultimately admitted to an extramarital affair.

John McCain cheated on his first wife (the mother of three of his seven kids) and left her for his current wife. Whispers of him engaging in yet another extramarital affair grew to a roar recently in The New York Times. But amazingly, he had defenders on both sides of the aisle universally aghast that the questionable relationship was made public. And barely a word ever is spoken about McCain’s teeth or Barack Obama’s ears.

Hillary takes heat for personal decisions that kept her family intact. She’s accused of having ulterior motives (the nerve!). She’s been dogged for tearing up before the New Hampshire primary. Forget that she’s incredibly bright and extraordinarily qualified. She’s apt to start sobbing if the President of Ireland breaks a teacup at a White House State Dinner, so off with her head.

snip/

It’s no secret that overt racism has long been considered socially unacceptable. However, somehow it’s never become a faux pas to wear sexism as proudly as this season’s It bag.

Still, the critics have misjudged Hillary. And I know I’m being underestimated. Thankfully, the latest word is that bitch is the new black. So bring it on. Because this bitch is in the house. And in the office. And the other one is in the Senate, and maybe someday the Oval Office. Either way, I can promise neither of us is on a path off which we can easily be pushed.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080306/COLUMNS/851617599

[TwilightGardener]

1. Hillary Clinton as Martyred Feminist Hero. Stale meme.

[awaysidetraveler]

61. Flavorless, meaningless and pointless, considering that Hillary's already lost the election.

Do the math any way you like:

http://www.slate.com/features/delegatecounter/

This election is over, and Hillary lost.

[roguevalley]

67. I want my women candidates to be stand up, not wilting into the

female thing when things fall apart. Enough of the wiles shit, the poor female loses to the man thing. If she wins, fine. If she loses, lose with dignity, not casting around for excuses.

[OzarkDem]

111. That's why I support Clinton

She's weathered a phenomenal amount of attacks and undeserved criticism over the years and come through it like a pro.

I can't think of any man who has been able to stand up to so much and still keep doing a superb job.

[annie1]

120. I want my female canidates standing up too. "Maybe we should be asking Barack...

if he's comfortable, does he need another pillow." lol. i mean c'mon, you know that takes cajones to say some shit like that on national television to the very people who have the ability to try tear you down. and she said it anyway. BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK! woot!

[rodeodance]

143. Hillary will win with dignity

[0007]

96. Like a peice of sale bread that has lost its freshness & palatability

.....and to think that I at one time rooted for the old woman. Now its like a thing lacking originality or spontaneity, much like a stale joke.

The tide will turn. It always does.

[tandem5]

141. I actually use the meme-clip - keeps my memes nice and crunchy and fresh!

[islandmkl]

2. most likely, hillary will not win or lose because of anything female...

NO ONE in America deserves to become the leader of anything just because they are of a color, a sex, a anything....

This isn't about 'not her, she's a female'....

This is about whether she is the best PERSON to lead us in these troubled times....

and you have failed to address that very issue

[leftofcool]

3. Excellent Post!

Thank you

[Maddy McCall]

4. If you have a moment...

go read all of Meredith's article.

:hi:

[Skidmore]

5. Maddy, I literally cringe with this sort of stuff anymore.

The women's movement has been made a caricature of itself by this campaign.

[Maddy McCall]

8. Only to the people who were never comfortable with empowered women, to begin with.

If this makes you uncomfortable, that says more about you than it does about the author.

[Skidmore]

12. I disagree with you, friend.

Hillary's problems in this race have nothing to do with gender, as far as I'm concerned.

[OzarkDem]

106. What is your problem, then?

People complain about her, yet they have nothing specific to offer.

Offer something.

[nels25]

19. Bet this gets me in trouble

but here goes, the womens movement lost all of my respect when it bent over back wards to ignore, placate or enact a double standard when it came to the conduct of William Clinton concerning women in any number of areas.

Others would have been sued, jailed or scorned by the authorities and the same womens movement who at best remained silent.

NO not going to get me to vote for Saint Hillary because she is a poor picked on women.

[Maddy McCall]

34. It's no surprise that misogynists flocked to Obama's campaign.

Your opinion is only one of hundreds that demonstrate that.

[nels25]

38. I do not consider myself a misogynist

I believe that women should be allowed to pursue any legal occupation they desire and become trained for (might be a good idea to know something about plumbing for example before redoing pipes in a house).

I do not and did not want my wife as a slave of anything other than a equal, we are to walk beside each other and work as a team in shouldering the burden of being parents or running a household.

As it has developed over the years my wife has an occupation that allows her to make significantly more to me in salary.

Would you have me be insulted or troubled by this fact??


Would you have her lord this over me?

Or perhaps she should just leave me since I am inferior in my ability to bring home the bacon??


Strange I thought the whole idea was a equitable treatment of both genders??

How come it always seems to come down to a double standard in favor of women in the last 20 years??

I still have a hard time with Hillary, I do not think because she was first lady that mean she is automatically able to be President.

And no I do not consider myself sexist, you can if you choose to, it's up to you.

[Phillycat]

39. "I believe that women should be allowed"...

Well, there you go.

[Maddy McCall]

40. Isn't it just amazing?

:rofl:

[WinkyDink]

48. ALLOWED?? WTH?! I'll do what I please without any consideration of BEING ALLOWED.

Your BLINDNESS to the male-centric world-view of that simple phrase shows you are, indeed, a misogynist.

A nice one, perhaps, but one just the same.

And many men are lousy plumbers. Read that any way you want.

[OzarkDem]

108. And racists don't consider themselves racists either

If you have a candidate in a race who is far more qualified and electable, yet you can't bring yourself to support them because they are a woman, that's a problem.

[rodeodance]

144. allowed??-- by who?? What century do you live in?

[surfin]

97. Your right

Women's groups, EEOC, OFFCP and others would tell us executives that we would have to fire people in our company if they did what Bill did. If you came back with both people agreed to do it, they would fry you. They said it could be used to trade sex for promotion over other woman and you cannot do it.

I saw what hipocrites they were.

Just think, if everyone that believe in women rights had help impeach Bill, Gore would still be President. Do you think we would be better off?

[OzarkDem]

107. GOP talking points, long ago debunked

Yeah, you just lost any hope of credibility on that one.

[rodeodance]

145. simple minded thinking.

[lumberjack_jeff]

23. Not true.

It makes many HRC supporters cringe too.

[surfin]

90. No problem with women, just negative people

We need to pick a women governor who is postive and has experience. Hillary has no experience that I can find for this office.

You would have no problem in this party electing a women governor who is postive.

[OzarkDem]

104. Exactly - overcome the "discomfort"

of men and male dominated institutions who rant and rave and try to make women feel inferior for supporting the best candidate - a woman.

We wouldn't have the right to vote today if some very strong women didn't have the strength to stand up to men who wanted them to feel "discomfort" about their roles.

[DURHAM D]

16. So states a sexist male. What a surprise. eom

[Skidmore]

33. LOL!

How's that stereotyping working for you? I'm not a male.

[DURHAM D]

44. Thanks for the response - why don't you fill in your profile?

Let me restate - So stated by a sexist female.

How does a female become a sexist chauvinist pig? I have always been fascinated by women with this problem. Usually they are either fundamentalist christians or Repubs or both. Could you give me a little background?

[Skidmore]

46. Some of us grow up and learn that all of the problems

we experience in the world are not of he making of men. Some are, but not all. I am only a victim if I choose to own the label.

[DURHAM D]

53. Your comment regarding "caricature" reveals your own insecurity.

Ergo - you are a victim.

[Skidmore]

55. My, my, my....a psychic.

Now tell me....what color are my eyes and what is my favorite dessert? Where do you get off making such judgements when you know not one thing about me beyond that I am a woman and I disagree with you?

[goclark]

72. Do Hillary supporters know that there are African American women?

Seems they don't.

And we are faced with White Women forgetting that we have endured sexism as well as racism.

But that must be OK with them because I keep hearing that Hillary has the "Women's Vote" especially Seniors.

Well she doesn't and won't have this WOMEN's vote.

That's the Care Gene that they are missing.

We are not voting for Barack because he is a Black or a Man.

We are voting for him because he has a CARE Gene that is missing in the politics of yesterday.

And, he is brilliant
And, he knows how to sincerely talk to ALL people and renew their Hopes and Dreams for a better America.

Yes, he "just had a speech," so did another brilliant African American man ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The part that continues to inspire millions of people all over the world is "the content of the character" of Senator Barack Obama.

[Skidmore]

73. Absolutely! Wish I could recommend your post, but since I can't, I'll

kick it up! Some of us never stopped dreaming, did we?

[goclark]

76. My latest Dream is that Hillary will find some Content in her Character

Maybe she is not a good listener, she is simply a power mad divider.

It's a shame that it has come to this point.

[elixir]

43. The feminist movement has found it's voice during this campaign. I'm very proud of how they've

presented their thoughts throughout this campaign.

[Skidmore]

52. If what Hillary Clinton has been doing is giving voice to the feminist

movement, then, as women, we indeed have lost our way and are beating around in the weeds.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

69. What women's movement? We've gone back to where we were in the 50"s.

We had some good movement in the late 60's to the 70's but we are now back to where we were in the 50's.

Study after study shows that most women still "defer" to men and think that that they are more capable than men, Women still get paid substantially less and are still frozen out of the top management positions.

I was in college in the 70's and things were different then but I see a definite slide.

Women who are assertive are called "bitches," "shrill," etc.while men who do the same thing are called "manly."

I remember a post here that said that Barak Obama was not arrogant he was just "being proud - like a MAN should be." This was said by a woman.

[Skidmore]

75. May I remind you that we Boomer women raised these young

people today? I know how I raised my daughter and son, and they don't behave in the way you describe. It starts at home, and you can stand around wringing your hands about it when so many people dropped the ball. Look no further than the Boomer women who paint and powder, nip and tuck themselves to try to look a sexy 20 forever. I wear my wrinkles and my grey hairs proudly, and no make-up. Starts at home.

[OzarkDem]

103. Standing up to the firestorm of male criticism can be daunting

But we should never let men and male dominated institutions define the women's movement for us.

Suck it up, don't back down. The men have made a freakin' mess of things and they're fighting the idea of having a woman clean it up for them. Too bad.

We need health care reform

We need to get out of Iraq

We need to fix the economy and put people to work

We need to restore democracy

Neither Obama nor McCain has a good enough plan or experience to do all these things. Clinton does.

Don't let the schoolyard bullies stop us from making the best choice.

[LisaM]

6. Thank you!

Did you know I was called "an ugly harpy" yesterday? Or, to quote exactly, "quit being a ugly harpy".

Sigh.

[Maddy McCall]

10. When Hillary gets the nomination....

the troll that said that will be banned.

Better days ahead! :D

[Medusa]

21. She's not getting the nomination.

But you're right about one thing, some trolls around here WILL be banned.

[surfin]

87. Hillary is minus 12 in delegates this week to Obama

She also lost 4 more states to get more delegates. California keeps giving Obama more and more delegates and next he gets more from NY. When is the last time she beat him in delegates gained in a week????

[Buzz Clik]

7. The suggestion is being made that Hillary isn't being aggressive enough? **cough! cough!**

Holy crapoli! You mean she's holding something back?

Get yer hip waders, folks. The shit is about to get deeper.

[Capn Sunshine]

9. How does Hillary's reaction to namecalling reinforce this? It doesn't

I heard my two redneck neigbors in the driveway just now, saying to me "boy this sure proves how a woman can't take it".

So is there a point to that kind of posturing but then breaking into tears and insisting a sister lose her job?

[Maddy McCall]

11. I love it how the Obamabots have meltdowns anytime gender is discussed.

This thread is producing much more entertaining comments than even I had expected.

:rofl:

[Buzz Clik]

30. Me, too. Why don't you give us your favorite meltdown quotes so we can all laugh with you.

[RaleighNCDUer]

50. That's probably because gender has nothing to do with the issues.

To (probably inaccurately) quote the opinion piece, "even as some of her harshest critics don't fault her on policy..."

THAT is my problem - her harshest critics, the Republicans, DON'T fault her on policy. IOW, they LIKE her policies. And that is why I don't like her. I couldn't give two fucks about her hair or clothes - Bella Abzug was anything but a clothes horse, but she was a powerful feminist and undying liberal, and those critics who can't fault Hillary's policies HATED her with a passion.

It's not WHAT she is but WHO she is.

[OzarkDem]

133. Yeah, they do. Latent sexism abounds

and its very uncomfortable for them to deal with, they get all tangled up trying to decide if Hillary is a bitch or if she isn't strong enough. Or if she isn't qualified or knows too much.

And then they always throw in the stuff about Bill. I can't wait until they have to answer for Obama's admitted drug use and extramarital affairs.

[anonymous171]

13. LOL Extraordinarily qualified!?

NANCY REAGAN FOR PRESIDENT!

[melody]

14. What "gentle sex"? Women are every bit as negative and potentially violent as women

The only thing that makes men more overtly, physically violent is testosterone.
We're all driven by hormones.

[Maddy McCall]

15. Do quotation marks mean nothing to you? Sarcasm? Wit?

I suppose you didn't read the whola article before you posted...that's always a good thing to do, so that you don't make a fool out of yourself.

[melody]

47. No, actually, I didn't, Maddy, but I see one of your posts and a Hillary icon and ...

Had that happen to me twice yesterday but I was a lot more polite than you are. ;)

[candice]

17. Hillary draws strength from her faith, one based on serving others...

The John Wesley (founder of Methodism) quote that Hillary holds close is--"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as ever your can."

If you want to know what makes Hillary tick, you have to understand her faith in God. She doesn't push it, but it does sustain her.

(I'm kind of a quasi-Zen Buddhist.)

[TwilightGardener]

18. She serves herself, and herself only.

[RaleighNCDUer]

57. That's why she wouldn't vote to ban cluster bombs --

after all, CEOs of the military/industrial complex have to feed their families, too...

[burythehatchet]

60. That was funny. Thanks. A typical vile political sewer rat is on a mission from God.

That's a keeper.

[HockeyMom]

20. Hillary voted for the war and didn't deliver for NY

Those are the two main reasons why I am not voting for her again. I will not vote for her simply because she is a woman. You may as well say let's nominate Ann Coulter for President because she is a woman. It has to be the RIGHT woman and in my book, Hillary is not the right woman.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

24. hey you in FL...I am in NY and Hillary delivered!!!!

[HockeyMom]

77. I was a New Yorker for over half a century

I just moved to "lovely" Florida 8 months ago and will someday return. I voted for Hillary twice for Senator in New York. No more.

She voted for Bush's war and used NY as a stepping stone for the Presidency. I get emails from her all the time. She is on delete in my book.

[surfin]

98. Amen, so many better women in our party

Why they pick a negative person and a senator. Pick a governor, with not all the baggage and things hidden still to run for office. We have a woman governor in Hawaii and I never hear from either side anything about her being a women. She is a repub but it is never used. Of course she does not have all the baggage as Hillary. I think she also pass her bar exam the first time.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. Sometimes it takes balls to be a women!

[Madam Mossfern]

105. Why?

I consider that a sexist statement.

[CitizenRob]

25. If Hillary had done her JOB as a DEMOCRATIC SENATOR... perhaps I'd vote for her.

But she didn't (iraq war vote), still hasn't (telecom immunity), continues not to (putting McCain on a pedastool over Obama.)

[annie1]

114. Did Biden not do his job? John Kerry? they voted yay on iraq along with...

dozens of other democratic senators.

[CitizenRob]

26. HOW DARE YOU SAY WOMEN ARE THE "GENTLE SEX" YOU WOMYN HATING FACIST! HRC FOR PRINCESS!!!!

[Maddy McCall]

29. Your idiocy is on display for all to read.

The quotation marks are there for a reason...although I know that goes right over your head.

[CitizenRob]

68. Mine was sarcasm too sweety pie. ;-)

[Maddy McCall]

78. Says the guy who just had a thread locked by SKINNER.

:rofl:

[NYCGirl]

27. Hillary Clinton is about as "gentle" as an anvil dropped from a 10 story building. NT

[OzarkDem]

109. She's strong, and that's a good thing

We need to get over the idea that strong men are good, but strong women are bad.

[annie1]

115. DAMN STRAIGHT!

[rodeodance]

147. your snarkiness is disgusting!

[polichick]

28. The "gentle sex" in this race has no qualms about fighting dirty. nt

[OzarkDem]

123. Maybe you need to read the entire post

and try to understand the meaning of "irony".

[Mass]

31. Tell that to Samantha Powells, whose head was asked by Mark Penn and Wolfson.\nt

[ProSense]

32. Gentle? Hillary? Try

despicable

[Emit]

66. Yeah, there are many words I can see used to aptly describe Ms. Clinton,

with 'gentle' not being one.

[OzarkDem]

125. Dude, try googling "irony"

are you really that uneducated, or did you just not read the post?

[OzarkDem]

124. I thought you were sexist, but now think its true misogyny.

I feel sorry for you.

[Lucinda]

35. Thanks Maddy!

[woolldog]

36. In other words:

"Vote for me because I'm a woman."

You've come a long way, baby.....

NOT

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[woolldog]

49. I read the entire article, thanks.

[Phillycat]

41. Great article, thanks for posting.

:thumbsup:

[elixir]

42. It never gets old. She's qualified, intelligent and forward thinking all the things a president

should be. Let's respect her as such.

[Alamom]

45. Great post, Maddy. Rec nm

[Thepricebreaker]

51. Hillary doesnt nothing after Bill cheats on her, yes a feminist hero... NOT! n/t

[WinkyDink]

54. Grammar much?

[woolldog]

56. Grammar much?

isn't a properly constructed sentence.

Physician, heal thyself. :rofl:

[Thepricebreaker]

74. wow that was a killer comeback...

[OzarkDem]

126. GOP talking point

:hurts:

[The Stranger]

58. The personal IS NOT the political.

That is a stale, old, tired and failed theme as well.

Thank Hillary for her courageous run, we'll see her in the Senate, and let's move the Party forward from the past with Obama.

[shadowknows69]

59. BTW she's losing and can't make it up without tearing the party apart

[Emit]

62. Oh, please... :eyes: This article is based on a false premise

The premise is false: "... If I thought she was being picked on because she has lousy ideas or she’s given some indication she’d be an ineffective leader of the free world, then I wouldn’t care. But it’s become increasingly obvious that she’s a target mostly because she’s a strong woman..."

It IS because of her ideas (i.e., DLC, IWR, etc.) that make me not want her as our POTUS and it has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT SHE IS A WOMAN!

What can you (and this author and others like you both) not understand about that?

Is there such a thing as playing the 'Sexism Card'? Over and over and over again? You're a broken record Maddy McCall.

[NJSecularist]

63. I am damn tired of all Hillary's supporters pulling out the sexism victim card at every opportunity

Give it a damn rest. Please!

[Nederland]

64. You should read the whole article that you linked to

It's clear from your comments on this thread that you haven't read the entire article. It's actually quite a fascinating read.

[Maddy McCall]

65. Of course I read it. If I didn't agree with Meredith, I wouldn't have linked it.

[Nederland]

99. Of course

But the article is fascinating for what is doesn't say as much as what it does say. There is absolutely no attempt to explain or justify all the reasons that people don't like Hillary Clinton. There is no talk about her failure to pass health care legislation, her Iraqi war vote, her support of Kyle-Lieberman, and numerous other positions that led Fortune magazine to put her on their cover with the headline: "Business Loves Hillary". The only thing the article talks about is Bill Clinton's affair with Monica and how Hillary chose to respond to it. It is as if the author (and by inference, you) are saying: "I've heard everything that the anti-Hillary crowd says about why they don't like her, but I don't believe them. I know the real reason is sexism. In fact, I'm so certain it's sexism I'm going to pretend that all of those stated reasons don't even exist."

It's an amazing example of a person that is so certain they are right that they don't listen to what other people are saying.

[OzarkDem]

128. More GOP talking points

Dems who oppose Clinton really lose credibility when the only excuses they can come up with are the same, long ago discredited arguments that Rush Limbaugh has been using for years.

Every objection you posted comes from the right wing and have all been debunked. I'll assume you want to have a serious discussion of electing Dem women and the fear of some Dems in doing so, so I'll wait for you to come up with some valid objections to her candidacy.

[Nederland]

137. My objections are valid

I listed them clearly, and all you can offer is to claim that they have already been debunked. I don't agree. I've seen numerous attempts to justify Hillary's votes and positions and all the explanations fall short. That is an opinion of course, but a perfectly reasonable one held by millions of Democrats.

[NorthernSpy]

70. Every time we go to counterattack her smears, she pulls this...

:boring:


It's a pattern.

[casus belli]

71. How can you "fight back" when words like "monster" and "unhinged" offend you?

It's like going to war with a spork.

[GoldieAZ49]

83. I don't get offended, I just see how unprofessional they are

and I think they are going to go to war with the vote not a spork :hi:

[LittleClarkie]

79. I don't care that she's a woman. It does not determine my vote.

Politics is a tough business. Both she and Obama have targets on their foreheads. And both will have to suck it up. That will not determine my vote either.

And this "gentler sex" will fight back, but not for her.

[GoldieAZ49]

80. Bitch Bitch Bitch

you ain't seen nothin yet!


oh and on the racism thing, Pew Research shows 20% of white Democrats will vote for McCain if Obama is the nominee, so how is that for fashionable? And it isn't Hillary's fault.

[GoldieAZ49]

81. I am more concerned with that frog with teeth than McCains or Obamas ears n/t

[Maddy McCall]

82. Children usually are.

[GoldieAZ49]

86. yes, they know the difference between what is unnatural

frogs with teeth

and what is natural, men with teeth and ears.

they are not near as petty as some 'adults' are. :rofl:

[Maddy McCall]

88. yet you're more concerned about the frog in my sig than other issues.

Silly child.

[GoldieAZ49]

93. silly child, the candidates have made any other issue

besides their gender or their race irrelevant in the democratic party

"bitch is the new black" and you all go ga ga.

The frog in your sig is far more interesting than either candidate.

[surfin]

84. Most women I know can't stand hillary

I think the mistake you made is picking someone with 50% negatives. You thought it was just the general population or maybe just repubs. But I am seeing that at least 50% of all the press and dems feel negative about her. Let us weed out all the clinton bushes from the white house.

[Maddy McCall]

85. I'm sure that's true of the women you know.

Doesn't surprise me at all, considering your displays here.

[surfin]

94. Women I know think, they do not run on emotions

Pick a women with experience and I would always pick a governor. You pick a very negative women who is running against a brilliant lawyer (note: Hillary was not smart enough to pass her first bar exam I am told)and people like him. I have met repubs as far right as they get who met with Bill and came away liking him. Hillary does not have it. I also do not respect a mother who attacks the job her daughter has. If she is going to attack hedge funds, then do not have your daughter helping you.

[GoldieAZ49]

89. It was more important to "make history"

than to have an electable candidate

The democratic party will make history alright, by clutching defeat from the jaws of victory

[annie1]

119. I work with mostly women, and we love her. and what is this 50% of dems you speak of?....

65% of democrats view her positively.

[LisaL]

131. And all the women I know voted for her in the primary.

[Bucky]

91. Yes, it's time for Clinton to quit being such a pushover and start fighting to win!

By the way, MEREDITH C. CARROL, I'm glad you've finally come out of your six month coma

[locker13]

92. i thought

I read the title as "It's time for gentle sex" thats the only reason i clicked on it. Sorry about that. Ill leave now.

[alarimer]

95. I agree with the premise of this article.

I see so much overt sexism every single day (but I live in Texas so it is MUCH worse here than in a lot of place). It seems it is perfectly okay to make sexist remarks but definitely not okay to make racist remarks, even among so-called liberals. Much of the nastiness of this campaign is thinly veiled sexism. I voted for Hillary in the primary because I cannot stand the vile, disgusting things said by Obama supporters on this very site.

Why does everyone (or seemingly everyone) think she should have dumped Bill? That's strictly a personal decision. Because she would have been criticized for dumping him if she had done so.

But I also think any woman would have been treated the same way by Obama supporters and by the news media, for the simple reason that we are still a very deeply sexist society. I won't go into detail but I have had to deal with some rotten crap of that nature myself. At work no less. I am sure I am not the only one. I mean, really, when sexual harassment is still a daily feature of many women's lives, you know we still have a long way to go.

[OzarkDem]

100. Time for women to assert their majority status

and not let themselves be bullied again. The best qualified and most electable candidate is a woman and we need to stop letting men make excuses for supporting someone else.

Most qualified

Most electable

Strongest and most fearless

No more excuses, the woman is the better candidate in this race and there's no need to back down.

[SoCalDem]

101. oh my

[OzarkDem]

122. Be strong, don't fear male rejection

Its time for strong Dem women to stop letting men bully them into supporting the male candidates, even when they are less qualified.

If we falter now, it may be another decade or more before women have the chance to advance into party leaders again. Its the failure of Dem women to stand up to the men in the party that has caused the party to lose so many voters.

Women voters want to see women leaders in the party and its time to have the guts to step up and do it, regardless of the attacks by some of the men. Sorry, but I'm not going to let sexists kill the Democratic Party. I would hope you feel the same.

[saltpoint]

102. If you get a chance, Maddy, read Nor Hall's THE MOON AND THE VIRGIN.

Excellent work on archetypal feminism.

[salbi]

110. I'm part of that "gentle sex" who wants the best candidate-Obama!

I am so sick of hearing women say they want to vote for Hillary because she is a woman and it should be our turn to have a president. I am not basing my vote on her sex. If I felt she was the better candidate I'd be backing her 100%. As it is, I don't believe she is, and I want a candidate who will be best for America, both for daughters and my son. I know there are many qualified women out there who will make a great president, and in time we will have one, but for now we only have 3 choices, and my vote is for Obama.

[OzarkDem]

113. Be strong - the most qualified, best candidate is the woman

Don't be afraid to challenge the stereotypes and don't fear anger and rejection from men.

Our country and its future is far too important.

[annie1]

112. I think she is fighting back. And it's sad how many "progressives" are upset about that.

fuck her outfits, they don't like it that she is taking on this little rock star and telling it like it is. So now they want her to drop out! lol. that is so pathetic.

[rodeodance]

117. few know how to take substance--instead just demean Hillary

[OzarkDem]

118. Progressives / Dems have always had sexists in their ranks

Its truly sad the party hasn't dealt with this issue before now, but oh well. Better now than never.

[annie1]

127. Well I for one am so happy to see Hillary run for president. I have loved her...

since 1992 and her "cookie" comment. I've loved watching her in debates. I love watching her talk about the reality of things regardless of what the media says about her, and she keeps going, not letting herself get boxed in. It's so weird watching people say she should drop out. Fuck them. I don't want a quitter as my senator. and I certainly don't want one for president. Fuck all the losers who think she should hand over the nomination. Let Obama fight for it.

[OzarkDem]

129. Supporting the less qualified candidate because he's a man

is the same scenario women have been seeing in the workplace for decades, if not centuries.

It seems pretty bizarre that the Democratic Party can't deal with that issue. Its cost them a lot of women voters in the past and will continue to hurt them if they stay on this path.

[annie1]

132. Yeah, it didn't go over so well in MA with Kerry and T. Kennedy shoving...

barack down people's throats. Nice try boys.

[OzarkDem]

116. Love how the feminist threads bring out the trolls and disruptors

Though nothing tops starting a thread with Pat Schroeder's name in it. That one is usually guaranteed to bring the trolls out of the weeds w/ skulls-a-poppin'.

[Barack_America]

121. This BITCH is fighting back on the streets of Philadelphia!

Registering people to vote for OBAMA!

[OzarkDem]

130. Some day you will grow up

and learn not to fear the opinions of men, but instead to have the strength to believe in yourself as a woman and in other strong women too.

[Barack_America]

136. Oh, honey. I am grown. I was raised to be a strong woman and I am exactly that.

It does not lessen my strength as a woman to vote my brain rather than my gender. In fact, this enhances my strength.

Perhaps someday, when you become sufficiently empowered, you too will realize this.

[likesmountains 52]

134. Here is another interesting column along the same lines by Ellen Goodman

from 2/22. Don't know if it's been posted here before.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/02/22/the_female_style___modeled_by_a_man/

[RandomKoolzip]

I really wish Clinton's supporters would stop casting this particular battle in

the terms of identity politics. I choose not to support Senator Clinton because I disagree with her on policy, not because she's a woman. I may be a man, but I have done the reading; I have played in riot grrrrl bands, I have been intimately acquainted with the writings of bell hooks, Kate Millett, et al. I have written papers for my University with titles like "Sir Gawain and the Heteronormative Self: Problematic Notions of Masculinity" and "Anne Bradstreet: Exploding the Image of the Purtian Wife." I've been immersed in feminist discourse, I know that I'm a privileged white male, and I do my best to counsel other males who behave like sexist boors, or who abuse covert or systemic sexism. It is something I'm tremblingly conscious of at all times.

Which makes it so troubling to hear my vote for Obama delineated as a vote against all women. I'm voting for Obama because I think he'd make a better president, and because of Clinton's dubious (IMO) record in the Senate. It's not personal. We should have had dozens of female presidents already, and I hope in 2012 and after that more women will take a shot at it. Like, I said, I'm voting based on the record; I cringe when I think of her IWR vote, and her ties to big Pharma, etc. Obama is not my savior or messiah; he's also deeply flawed as a candidate and a person. It's a game of inches, really - Obama churns my stomach less than Clinton does.

I'm sure that there ARE many men who choose not to vote for Clinton because they're dealing with conscious or unconscious sexism, and those people are indeed a problem. I'm not claiming that those particular accusations are imaginary or exaggerated.

[stratomagi]

135. Personally I think Hillary getting the nom would be a step back for feminists.

To be honest it would be say more of an achievement if a Barbara Boxer or an Amy Klobuchar ran for president. You know, someone who didn't ride their ex-president husbands coattails into a senate career for a state she had nothing to do with previously all because the population of that state is heavily democratic and had a longing to continue the previous presidency in some way.

No, this would make more of a case for running for office based on the fact that you are in some way related to a former president. You know, LIKE OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT. It has less to do with her achievements and more to do with his. I'm not saying Hillary isn't intelligent or capable in her own right, but I think the other 15 women Senators (okay maybe not Elizabeth Dole) serving today have done more to earn their seats than Hillary ever did on her own.

What are you honestly going to say to your daughters if Hillary becomes president? See you can become president...you only have to be lucky enough to marry someone who's going to be president and hope he does a decent enough job to legitimize you running for any office.

Puhlease..

A vote for Hillary is nothing more than a vote for the continuation of political dynasties in this country. You can't call this a democracy when the same 2 families have been running the country for 20 years or possibly more!

[Beacool]

138. Nice article, thanks!!!!

The more she fights for the nomination, the more I admire her. This is one woman who is not going to roll over for anybody and that's the kind of fighter that I want in the WH.

Go Hillary, don't let the turkeys get you down!!!!!!!!

:kick:

[Slagathor]

139. Attempting to use outdated gender arguments is simply divisive

it's not going to work. It's simply isn't misogynistic to call out hillary on her bad behavior. Matter of fact, to claim that it is merely exemplifies how out of date and out of touch the typical hillary supporter is.

[LadyVT]

140. THANKS for the post!!!

[rodeodance]

142. I have said this lots of times--racism is taboo but sexism thrives~

It’s no secret that overt racism has long been considered socially unacceptable. However, somehow it’s never become a faux pas to wear sexism as proudly as this season’s It bag.

[loveangelc]

146. I am so sick of these women.

I don't understand these feminists who are from the 1960s and 1970s who advocated for women to be independent, and then throw that all away because there's someone running with a vagina! The reason people don't like Hillary isnt because she's a woman. It's because she's a terrible politician and comes off as calculated and vindictive. And by the way she's campaigning I don't see how that's so hard for her supporters to believe. No, I will not support Hillary just because she is a woman. I'm sorry but these older women have lost their minds.

[Catherina]

148. I agree. They're hysterical and consumed by hate

They're the last example I want for my my daughter.

Have you seen this thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4998333

I've never been so disgusted and embarrassed by other women in my life.