The Nation: Criticize Hillary: You're Sexist!

[marmar]

CRITICIZE HILLARY: YOU'RE SEXIST! ...Hillary Clinton's campaign keeps finding new reasons why her competitors can't criticize her.

When Barack Obama belatedly began stressing the differences between himself and Hillary, her campaign endlessly retorted: "What ever happened to the 'politics of hope?'"

After her poor performance in Tuesday's debate, Clinton's camp accused Obama and John Edwards of engaging in the "politics of pile-on."

What that didn't stick either, they concocted a new rationale: her opponents were sexist pigs! Clinton advisors told the AP there is a "a clear and long-planned strategy to fend off attacks by accusing her male rivals of gathering against her."

Obviously Hillary has endured a lot of unfair criticism in her day, much of which was sexist, especially coming from the right-wing. But her opponents in Tuesday's debate were criticizing her largely about policy issues--Iran, Social Security, immigration--and her ability to fight for change and bring the country together. Any frontrunner should expect such treatment--man or woman, black or white.

As Obama said this morning: "I didn't come out and say: 'Look, I'm being hit on because I look different from the rest of the folks on the stage.'"

Adds Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post in an excellent column today: "The Philadelphia debate was not exactly a mob moment to trigger the Violence Against Women Act; if anything, this has been an overly (pardon the phrase) gentlemanly campaign to date. Those other guys were beating up on Clinton, if you can call that beating up, because she is the strong front-runner, not because she is a weak woman."


Posted by Ari Berman at 11/02/2007 @ 11:53am

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=248003

[jgraz]

1. Looks like Ari's been reading DU

[babylonsister]

2. Recommend! nt

[Bread and Circus]

3. It's a well known fact that if you criticize Hillary

you are either sexist or are just spewing right wing talking points.

It's as simple as that.

[info being]

12. Debating a Hillary supporter is like debating a Bush supporter

It is to step into a logic-less void.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. New reasons?

[TahitiNut]

5. Yep. While I predicted that *some* supporters of Clinton or Obama ...

... would play the gender/race "get out of jail free" card, I find it extremely disappointing that such a stance would be taken by the campaign (and the candidate) itself. It's a parody of grade school playground pathologies - "you can't hit me because I'm a girl!" she says while slapping a classmate. Uh-huh. Riiight.

:eyes: It demeans women, imho.

[blondeatlast]

13. All good points. I don't recall Shirley Chisholm ever making such a claim.

And I was a die-hard 13 year old political wonk back in '72--and a big Chisholm fan to this day.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Her worst supporter seems to be

her bra.

[saracat]

7. The statement of her campaign, that somehow felt the need to define her as a "strong woman".

was incredibly insulting to feminists.What male candidate has ever felt the need to call himself a "man" , or compliment himself as a a "strong man?" She reminds voters of her gender and then accuses the other candidates of "piling on" because she has some flaws pointed out in a Debate? is she supposed to be above reproach? And yet her supporters claim she "won" and this was a "plus " for her.Which is it? No matter which way this is viewed it is playing the gender card and it is insulting to woman.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. So, "tough" Hillary is now hiding behind her skirts?

My heart bleeds for her.

[Bitwit1234]

9. And if you critize Obama your racist. But it seems to be working for Obama

people are afraid to critize this guy because they ARE afraid people will say they are racist. But since he has now come out and publicly doing nothing sensational except bashing Hillary, I think a lot of people will start telling the country just what he is...incompetent and in over his head, his torso, his hands, his feet. Oh that means he is sinking fast fast.

[marmar]

10. Not that I'm pro- or anti- either of them (I'm a Gore enthusiast), but when has Obama's camp....

called out the other candidates as racists for criticizing him? In the one incident with Biden, the "articulate" incident, Obama told Biden he had nothing to apologize for, n'est pas?

[info being]

11. She's done

Those are very desperate moves from a political talking-head, bought and paid for, with really not much to say.

[bvar22]

14. HEY!!! You'all are just picking on a little girl!

You should be ashamed of ganging up on poor little Hillary.
She's just trying to do her best....but NOOOOoooooo, a bunch of bullies have to gang up on her!!!
I hope you feel good NOW.
I'm going to tell your mothers!
THEN you'll be sorry!