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This page contains a single entry by Mark Willen
published on
March 3, 2008 11:21 AM.
McCain May Need Monied Friends He Doesn't Have was the previous entry.
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DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN
Will Women Come Through for Hillary?
If Hillary Clinton is able to blunt Barack Obama's momentum by winning
When
Listen closely to Democratic women, especially those who lived through the 60s and 70s, and you can't miss a tone of deep resentment. They don't blame all of Hillary's travails on sexism, but they sure think that's part of it. And they're furious that men can't see it. Ask them for specifics and they point to comments about her "cackling" laugh, criticism that her voice "grates" and all those unnecessary TV shots of her from the rear. They don't think Obama is subjected to the same unflattering treatment, and that, they say, is one of the subtle ways that sexism hurts women.
If I had to guess, I'd say that "sympathy" type of vote won't be enough to give Clinton the big wins she needs Tuesday to avoid what will be enormous pressure to get out of the race so Democrats can begin the work of healing and uniting. But I wouldn't rule it out either. And if Obama does win, the resentment that will linger is something he'll need to deal with.
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Why is that? I consider myself to be a pretty strong feminist but nominate a candidate because she is a woman? That is pure sexism and sheer stupidity. She can not win over McCain. She can not pull the country together. She will be strongly opposed by Congress. Legislation will not get passed. Obama's following is not going to swing over to Hillary and she can't win without us. The Republican's have so much dirt on them and are keeping it under lock and key until she is--if they get their way--nominated. This is real dirt--not petty things like the attacks on Obama. I'm with Mitt Romney when he said "I'm not comfortable with the idea of Bill Clinton in the White House with nothing to do."
Patricia misses the point. It's not that we want her to win because she's a woman. We just wanted her to have a fair chance and not be judged by standards that don't seem to apply to male candidates. The fact that Hillary was the best shot that women have ever had, and that it wasn't enough in part because of sexism, makes me wonder whether we've made any progress.
I agree with Disappointed. Sexism is deeply ingrained,and now more socially acceptable than racism. Some of us females, torn between two good candidates, cannot understand why more white Democratic men are not equally torn.
Since the founding of this great country, every generation of little girls has dreamed of the day a woman would have the chance to be its leader. That day has finally come. Whether we are of Anglo, Hispanic, African-American, Middle Eastern, Asian or European descent, we need to one of our own. Hillary Clinton has been an open-hearted teenager, a spiritual person, a fine student, a courageous civil rights volunteer, an accomplished attorney, a dedicated wife, a working mother, a respected Senator, an example to young women and a global force for good. She has done all that our society asks of women who want to be taken seriously--now it is time for all of us who have also lived as strong women to celebrate this amazing opportunity to support her as the first woman President.