When will Hillary & women have their turn?

Posted on March 20, 2008

Obama Face

Ok, I get it. Obama delivered a brilliant, vital, on-the-mark speech discussion about race relations in America. Everyone applauds, some people cry. Pundits unanimously agree it’s the most important speech…like…ever. That’s cool, good for him. Race is a-ok. What about gender?

What if Hillary were to make a speech about being a woman? About the glass ceiling? About the bias against women in the workplace, working mothers, strong women, female go-getters?

I bet the press would use that opportunity to tear her apart, Howard Dean-style. They might call her weak, not ready for the presidency. In terms of politics–American politics especially–gender is th final frontier, not race. Hillary would be labeled a “feminist” (Insert devil horns here).

Men have low tolerance for hearing that they are bigoted, inferior, equal, or oppressive. But imply that they are the weaker sex, and it’s all over. Mention that there’s a huge gap between men and women, you’re done for. It’s risky enough that Hillary is a candidate to become the next president. But what if she DOES becomes president?

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  • KT

    So… maybe she should make that speech and find out. I’ve seen a lot of people speculating that if Hillary were to do this thing or that thing, the media would label her as “weak”.

    Personally, I think it’s crap. In fact, that kind of thinking has already hurt her campaign. It was the basis for her decision not to apologize for approving the Iraq war. She didn’t want to be seen as “weak” for apologizing. So she came off as supporting one of the most disastrous policy decisions in the history of the country. Wow, that’s much better!

    I think it’s lame when people use such foregone conclusions of what the media will think as excuses for not doing something. Just do it, if you think it’s right. Deal with the media after the fact.

  • 1dumblonde

    Thanks for a great post. The Obama-worship is so over the top. And the sexism from every direction is just mortifying! Here we have a smart, educated woman with real empathy for the working class, male and female, and elite members of the media and academe pound her like she’s a stone. It would have crushed a lot of people, but not her. She is tough. She has my unflagging admiration.

  • Zack Katz

    @KT – Hillary’s campaign seems to be plagued by a lack of vision…Hillary should take the reigns like Obama often does in this manner. Hillary misses key momentum-building opportunities. Obama’s got flair, and Hillary’s got to out-smart him if she’s going to keep the press on her side of the court.

    @1dumbblonde – I am in awe of anyone who can do the campaign trail. She is not only tough, but she’s a practical person. I hope she finds a way to connect with American women that have so far supported Obama. Obama gets 90% or so of black voters. When and how will Hillary appeal to women to get that kind of support?