Here's a little game: substitute the word "serious" for cold and see how it sounds.

[kpete]

Here's a little game: substitute the word "serious" for cold and see how it sounds. And then ask yourself whether it's laughable that a virtually unknown man who's quixotically running for president is criticizing a rival for wanting to be the center of attention.:

COLMES: Do you have any relationship with Hillary Clinton? Do you know her at all?

CHAFEE: We served together in the Senate and we served on the Environment and Public Works
Committee together. I worked on a couple of bills with her.

COLMES: What’s your impression?

CHAFEE: She’s as everyone said a policy wonk, she can be cold.

COLMES: Cold personally? Not a warm fuzzy human being?

CHAFEE: Yeah, when we worked on some of these issues, she likes to be the center of attention.

The truth is that we should want leaders who work hard and can keep their heads and stay focused. We don't need them to come up with cute nicknames for everyone or seem like the kid of person you'd want to have a beer with. Being "cool" (or "cold" if you insist) is an asset not a liability in a leader.

There are plenty of legitimate things over which to criticize Clinton and it's kind of sad (and idiotic) that the completely predictable sexist trope of "cold bitch" is still the go-to insult among so many people.


http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/cool-vs-cold.html

[winter is coming]

1. Dismissing it as a sexist trope won't make Hillary seem more approachable.

Some politicians, most notably her husband, have the gift of seeming very warm and approachable. Hillary doesn't. Perhaps she's just not that comfortable with strangers, and that can be very difficult to overcome. I've seen it claimed that their one-on-one personas are just the opposite: that Hillary seems very approachable while Bill feels aloof. Perhaps that's why she's kicking off her campaign with a round of small-scale, retail politics.

[leftofcool]

2. Correct but that does not answer the question

This is clearly a case of a male Repuke tuned Democrat (now trying to run for POTUS) implying a highly professional female Senator is a "cold &*(&^" What if this had been said about a female candidate for President you would support?

[winter is coming]

11. I'd wonder why the person in question seemed "cold" to the person who'd said it.

Could it be used in a sexist way? Hell, yes. It could also be used in a descriptive way. If someone like Rand Paul had said it, I'd immediately think he was being a sexist yahoo. I'm less likely to jump to the interpretation with Chaffee.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. She only has to be likeable enough.../NT

[winter is coming]

13. True dat. n/t

[BainsBane]

5. It IS a sexist trope

Pretending it isn't won;t change the fact that too many see leadership qualities in women as offputting. They are raised to believe women are expected to behave in certain ways and wielding power and authority is not among them. I really don't care if people find her "unapproachable." Why the fuck do you need to approach her anyway? She's not a friend. She's running for President. This whole "I want to have a beer" the prez notion is idiotic. That's how we get idiots like Bush. We aren't going to have beers with the president ever. We are hiring someone to lead the country and they damn well better be competent. I'll have a beer with my neighbor.

[whatchamacallit]

4. I guess there's no possibility

it wasn't sexism and he simply found her impersonal?

[BainsBane]

6. Name the last time someone described a male Senator as cold

Of course it's sexist. That should be obviously to any minimally aware person.

[OKNancy]

8. as someone told me yesterday... it's futile to

try to discuss with those who have prejudices against HRC.

[whatchamacallit]

16. I know there are a lot of men

who slight assertive/opinionated/confident women as "pushy/bitchy/hard...". I just was hoping Chafee, a democrat, was not of that ilk. That's why I asked if it could be his assessment of her personality and not douchebag code.

[winter is coming]

12. Apparently not. There was plenty of talk about how unlikeable Mitt was/is, but that

was never interpreted as sexist.

[OKNancy]

7. weird because so many other Senators have said how great she was to work with

That she was smart, capable, and easy to get along with.

Perhaps it is he who has the problem.

ETA: I just recalled how easily she sailed through the Senate confirmation hearings... all heaping praise on her except a handful of rancid Republicans.

[etherealtruth]

9. People felt "W" was fun and someone they could have a beer with

I will take someone that actually knows what the hell is going on.

"policy wonk" is not a pejorative ... it is a good thing

[MisterP]

10. interstingly CA Pubs tried this with the Fiorina/Whitman dream team

of course Hillary doesn't *attack underlings by shoving them facefirst through doorways*

[Autumn]

14. Here's the thing this republican is an ass, Hillary is not cold. I don't support her

running for President but she's a warm, funny caring person. Fuck him.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Hillary is going to crush him like a grape.

Whether the comments are sexist or not they are mean spirited and gratuitous... And as I have said his votes are indistinguishable from the other New England Republicans, sans the IWR vote, from Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.