Oscar Wilde once called America "the Paradise for women"

[dailykoff]

and although it's a gag line in a novel, there's much truth to the statement, more now than when he wrote it in 1891. American women have long been able to own property, run any type of business, pursue professional careers, perform in sports and entertainment, and since the twenties, vote and hold any elected office they choose, and since Title IX of the 1972 Amendments to the Education Act, fully participate in school sports and other recreational activities.

That's not to say that sexism doesn't exist, but as many have already pointed out, the claim that Hillary's campaign is suffering as a result of sexism is the reddest of red herrings. Frankly I'd say that Obama has a better claim to being a victim of both racism AND sexism.

However, he's not running on it, which is just one of the many good reasons he's all but wrapped up the nomination.

"Is she pretty?"

"She behaves as if she was beautiful. Most American women do. It is the secret of their charm."

"Why can't these American women stay in their own country? They are always telling us that it is the Paradise for women."

"It is. That is the reason why, like Eve, they are so excessively anxious to get out of it," said Lord Henry.

link: http://books.google.com/books?id=SxQAr_rvRwMC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=wilde+america+paradise+for+women&source=web&ots=uJ4BELg93O&sig=tRwCjE2w7wyCayP3R0M4D4LdLgU&hl=en#PPA74,M1

[dsc]

1. wow

I guess sexism is over. It isn't like women are getting raped in Iraq while getting less pay for the same level of danger (they can't get combat pay). It isn't like women were banned from law careers in the lifetime of many people who post here. It isn't like they couldn't get credit cards, mortgages, or other credit in their own name as recently as the Nixon Administration. No wait, it is like that.

[dailykoff]

3. Funny you should mention Iraq

because it has everything to do with why Hillary is getting creamed. I didn't say sexism doesn't exist, but in this country and in this race particularly, not only has it not been a cause in Hillary's trainwreck, but it works both ways, and has probably done greater damage to Obama's campaign than to Hillary's, which has basically been propped up on the false claim of victimization since at least Iowa.

[bigtree]

2. So, they just choose to get paid less for the same work as men?

That glass ceiling is reachable if they want to bad enough?

There's nobody out there working to define women's ambitions and potential for success for them?

And we let them own property. Geez, what's to complain?

[dailykoff]

4. Hillary is getting paid less than Obama for her work in the Senate?

That's news.

[bigtree]

6. The OP makes a broader argument about women in the opening paragraph

. . . and tries to wrap that narrow view around an antipathy for Hillary Clinton. The OP failed in the opening premise. What follows is nothing but a distortion and misrepresentation of the individual complaints of sexism directed against the Clinton campaign, and her, personally, which have surfaced in this primary season. Those complaints deserve to be addressed individually, rather than with some broad-brushed dismissal based on a passage out of book by Oscar Wilde.

[dailykoff]

7. The point is that the "individual complaints of sexism,"

are bullshit, for example, "you're likeble enough," which is the most un-arrogant, un-sexist un-gotcha I've ever seen a national campaign try to run on. "Potatoe" it is not, not even close.

And as far as I can determine, most of these "sexist" artifacts, like the nutcracker and the "iron my shirt" moment, are generated by the campaign itself, which as you probably know is being run by a right-wing PR firm.

[bigtree]

8. I don't believe you've cracked the surface of the sexism which has been directed at her candidacy

but, you go on and pretend . . .

[dailykoff]

9. Let's put it this way: the race baiting the Clintons have resorted to is real,

with real consequences. Fortunately, it backfired on them, but only because Obama is the much better candidate. On the other hand, the sexism allegedly engaged in by the Obama campaign has been nothing but trumped-up gotchas, like the handshake, and tortuous twisting of remarks, like "periodically."

One is real and despicable, one is a PR stunt, and guess what? Voters can tell the difference.

[bigtree]

12. now you're trying to prop up your contrived complaint with another broad brush accusation

I wouldn't be able to make any judgment on any of those individual charges based on the shifting, circular argument you're presenting here. Voters do make their judgments on these, and, so far, a little less than half of the votes cast between these two candidates have been for Hillary Clinton. Who knows where the nonsense has influenced the race?

[mmonk]

5. Independent thought beyond gender identification

is part of the process of equality.

[Texas Hill Country]

10. funny... de toqueville didnt.

[dailykoff]

11. Maybe mad about that California champagne.

Or just a little slower. :shrug: