Hillary and Sexism, continued

Gotta balance that Maureen Dowd out with someone more thoughtful, articulate, and generally worthy of our time, Melissa McEwan:

I’m not sad because Obama’s the nominee.

I’m sad because there are women at this blog, in my personal life, across this nation, and—if my inbox is any indication—across the globe, women of all races and sexualities and socio-economic classes, many of whom weren’t even Hillary Clinton supporters, many of whom voted for Obama in the primary, who have watched with horror the seething hatred directed at Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman.

I’m an Obama supporter, and I’m sad too.  

 

Some have called for Obama to give “The Gender Speech”, along the lines of “The Race Speech” given before.  It would be great to see his eloquence put in the service of feminism, but I doubt that he’d have the same sort of insight on the topic.  Still many are saying that he will need to really reach out to women.  I sure as hell hope it’s not just the usual “Hey, gals, ya gotta vote for me because of THE SUPREME COURT.”  

Hillary and Sexism

Many in the mainstream media are now busily denying that there was any sexism, or at least much of it, in their comments on the campaign just ended. They are wrong. This blog has called them on it a large number of times, here and here and here, to take a few examples. We have to stop pretending that the US is too fair and just a country to tolerate that outpouring of hate. But this is a task for a later time, I suspect, when the election’s outcome is clearer.

In the meantime, we might all pause for a minute to look at Maureen Dowd’s latest and horrifying (to me, at least) remark:**

Of course, powerful women evoke sexism, and the attacks are more personal and slights can be grating. But it’s counterproductive to dwell on it, magnify it and exploit it during a campaign — especially when you’re getting all that love from Joe Sixpack. (My stress)

It is just too possible that this is how it goes. Mention the attacks a few times over hundreds of appearances and you appear obsessed. Someone says there are whispers from your staff about sexism, and even though it is the sexists saying it, it’s highly believable. What you should do is just enjoy the winks from the boys at the back of the hall. And if you don’t, there really is only one good word for you. And it isn’t “witch.”

Well, gee, thanks MD.

Maybe I’ll get me a “bitch is the new black” t-shirt to wear. Yeal, like anyone will think that is funny.

And what about this blog?  And our readers?  Yikes!

 

**Many thanks to Calypso for bringing the article to my attention.

Sunday Cat: Peace