Matthew Littman’s Double Standard
July 25, 2009
by Judy Silver
|Hat Tip to Conservatives4Palin for the video.
While Mike Huckabee was sitting in for O’Reilly on FOX this week, Democratic Strategist Matthew Littman said:
I think Sarah Palin would be great on the Real Housewives of Wasilla… She comes across really as quite a character, but not a figure that should be taken seriously on the national stage…
Washington Times reporter Amanda Carpenter countered:
To compare her to some tawdry character on a trashy TV show is insulting to someone who is the first woman vice presidential candidate within the Republican Party and a governor in her own right. But I will say that
[Littman interrupts] I think it’s insulting to the people on the housewives show actually.
Wow. The sexism in that exchange is just too obvious to be worth commentary. So let’s move on to moments that are more intriguing. When Huckabee asked if some of the attacks on Palin had been uncommonly brutal, Littman said that some of Palin’s attacks on the media and Obama have also been incredibly unfair and ridiculous. Sounds to me like he’s came awfully close to blaming the victim, saying Palin deserves it. He goes on to call Palin:
an incredibly dishonest politician, perhaps the most dishonest politician on the national stage since Nixon.
Bothered as I was by how Littman used those derogatory words, I was even more bothered by how he used his hands. Check out the gesture he aims toward Carpenter at about 3:25.
He claps at her, the way you clap at a dog to get it to do a trick, and says “come on Amanda.”
Excuse me? Does Matthew Littman think it’s acceptable to treat women like dogs? Well, as a matter of fact, no, he doesn’t. In fact, writing on The Huffington Post during the campaign, he said:
I am offended by the attacks on Senator Clinton because there is no question that the slams against her are hypocritical and come because she’s a woman.
Littman also used to be a speechwriter for then-Senator Joe Biden and for all I know he may have written some of the moving words Biden has delivered about violence against women. If not, he’s still get kudos for speaking out against the media’s sexual exploitation of women who are victims.
So clearly, Littman doesn’t think it’s OK to treat all women like dogs. No, he reserves his ”housewives” cracks and doggie claps for just some women.
Well, Matt, that’s not the way it works. Sexism is not evil when it’s aimed at women with whom you agree and an acceptable rhetorical tool when aimed at women with whom you disagree. It’s not offensive when you’re trying to build credibility as a speechwriter for democratic candidates, and then funny when you’re trying to build a reputation as a lively TV commentator. We will never root out the prejudice that hampers the women and causes that we love while turning a blind eye toward the prejudice that hampers the women and causes that we hate. The only way to stamp out gender bias against women is to stamp out gender bias against ALL women. Come on, Matt, you can do better than this.
Who is this little clown? No, that’s an insult to clowns
Watching this last night with my wife and daughter, I was appalled.
I believe that he and people like him are terrified of Governor Palin
For obvious reasons.
There is an epic backlash coming mark my words.
Everything they say about Palin is true of Obama not Palin. I don’t care if Palin goes away politically now but wish someone like Amy had a voice and platform as loud as hers!
It’s very telling that Palin was popular amongst Democrats before she was picked by McCain. In fact, I thought she was a Democrat. Just like anti-racism did not kick in until Edwards dropped out on January 30, 2008, leaving Obama and Clinton.
thanks Judy for showing this incredible showing of Littmann. It is beyond my imagination that he could have written any part of anti violence against women speeches from Biden. If he has I can’t take Biden serious.
This type of democratic performance made me see some of the value of republican candidates. Because of such party politics i will never subscribe to any party with the exception of a national womens party if we ever get that together.
If sexism for some women is bad why does the New Agenda link to NoQuarter – home of absolutely disgusting sexist and racist remarks against Michelle Obama?
Your closing paragraph, centered on “We will never root out the prejudice that hampers the women and causes that we love while turning a blind eye toward the prejudice that hampers the women and causes that we hate.”, flows from what used to be bedrock principal of liberalism, and the bedrock principal of our cherished First Amendment. Where has it gone? Defending the expression of ideas we love and ideas we hate is a great gift to humanity by liberal philosophy. The New Agenda consistently acts to nuture this gift in a world that has forgotten its great worth, and deserves our profound thanks.
Recent events and the behavior of democrats have caused me to question if, as a life long liberal democrat, who championed liberal causes my entire life, I had gotten it wrong all along.
Lets see…
There is my partys patriarch
Ted Kennedy who left a woman to die at the bottom of a lake and got away with it.
Bill Clinton, the worst kind of womanizer who humiliated his wife again and again while she supported him. who tossed his used up mistresses into the public pyre while I and most other democrats supported him and told America to just MOVEON.
John Edwards who just couldn’t wait for his sick wife to die before he replaced her with another woman.
And of course now we have BARAK – Bow to the Saudi King, let us not impede muslims from torturing their woman as they see fit “I got 99 problems and a b**ch ain’t one” OBAMA.
Would a republican wear a Barak Obama N**er T-shirt to greet Obama at a rally in theri own town?
Well many young unwashed members of my dumb ass party greeted Sarah Palin with thier Sarah Palin C**T t-shirts when she came to my city with her daughter, they even got there pictures posted on Obama’s very own campaign website!
I am taking a good hard look at the republicans and I am sorry but their 50′s style sexism is pretty dame benign compared to this radical misogyny that is ultra chic in my party.
The republicans are looking more mature, cleaner and much happier than these toxic libtards.
Right wing reporters on Fox never exploited the story of Joe Biden’s daughter snorting coke or pictures of Chelsey Clinton drunck and falling into a limo in england. They have common human decency, something my party has abandoned completely if they ever had it.
And now that my party has all the power to advance thier agenda what have they done. Moved us toward an international Goldman Sachs Oligarchy, which has no problem with Shariah law if shar-iah compliant banking brings Saudi money into their pockets.
They make me sick.
God if the democrats are trying to s**k as much as Islam they are doing a bang up job of it.
Tonight I was called by the Democrat party who asked for money. I told them I am no longer a Democrat because of the sexism aimed at Hillary and then at Palin and also because their caucus system in2008 was fraudulent and their convention was a charade. They will need to do some self examination and major purging and apologizing before they ever get my vote or money again. The woman didn’t even bother to argue with me. And don’t worry I am not holding my breath on the apology and purge. And I bet just like the ever tone deaf NOW they call me back for money as if nothing ever happened with in the next month. We need a new party of the people or the country is doomed.
Bes, none of the sexism directed towards Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin by the media even measures up to the sexism directed towards Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Caroline Kennedy and many other Democratic women by NoQuarter, a site this blog calls “friends”.
If you think Palin was the target of sexism as a VP candidate – wait and see what the Republican Primaries will do to her as a Presidential Candidate.
If Michelle Obama has any Presidential ambitions (and Hillary set a precedent of first ladies running for office) watch the Primaries then.
Sexism will always be a part of campaigns, just as anti Mormon bigotry was a part of the Republican primaries. Feminist blogs should not reward it.
Geeze a Republican astroturfer followed by an Obama astroturfer. Stay on the ball, everyone!
Ok number one I’d first like to state that am in fact a very strong supporter of women’s rights and am grossly agents what sexist pig’s say about any powerful women. I personally though think that pailin is a horrible person and is in fact a supporter of taking away the right of her fellow women although we won’t get into my political views, this brings me to my first point I thought this web page was supposed to be non-partisan. What happened? Because from what I’m reading politics are being thrown in were they shouldn’t be. Secondly I think we are missing the bigger picture here I know that maybe Littman shouldn’t have been so harsh with his words but come on this is politics what do you expect each side is brutal. Which brings me to my next point why is this a big deal? I wouldn’t see you getting your panties all in a twist if they had said that about a male politician. You have to take the bad and not get all angry about it because if we want to be treated as equals we need to take the good with the bad. Or else we will be separate but equal. There will be a women president one day and when she comes she will show what we can do, but she will also know that people will make fun of her because she is strong and because she will have the state of mind that not everyone is going to like her. My point is that it’s not sexist it’s just politics. When a man gets made fun of by a woman it’s not considered sexist. So if you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.
I think we learned a little bit more about Huckabee during this
exchange. This was a set up in my opinion.
I think we learned something more about Huckabee in this exchange. I suspect it was a set up.
The rabid sexism directed at Sarah Palin by Democrats is horrendous and frightening. Most ly the perpetrators are men. These men have mothers, wives, daughters but still they see nothing wrong with insulting Sarah Palin in the most derogatory and disgusting terms.
Men in the US seem to have little respect for women who have political ambitions and obvious political talent. Worse still if they are on the other side of the fence. The worst sexist put down attacks are always popular with the media because Americans love to kick down smart women like Sarah Palin and Americans love even more to watch other people kick people.
While the media revels in broadcasting or hosting this type of “news” sexism and ridiculing ambitious women will continue.
Sarah Palin does not deserve any of the ridiculous insults tossed by this Littmann clown because none of what he said is true, but Democrats will still choose to believe it because they need to stop Palin and if a pack of lies is going to help they don’t mind.
Hum. Mike Huckabee set this man up Does Littman have his own brain? Does he speak for himself or speak the words that Mike Huckabee wills him to speak.
I wouldn’t doubt that the republicans would like to show case this radical misogyny that exist among so many democrats, men and women. But why give them so much amunition? I mean really. This guy Littman is not some jerk of the street. He is a democratic stratigist who was Joe- Violence Against Women Act-Biden’s speech writer.
I wrote to Joe Biden several times during the primary because he was a man I used to respect greatly for his many legislative achievments. I begged his office to have him comment on the outrageous hate being directed first at Hillary then Sarah. He remained silent as did Obama even when Sarah Palin was hanged in effigy from the house of a couple of nut jobs in West Hollywood. Joe Biden let me down and Obama, well I never had any real expectations for him knowing what he did to Alice Palmer back in Illinois. Not to mention his lack of respect for his own grand mother.
The republicans will use this important social issue to get decent, mature self respecting men and women to leave the democratic party. It is working. The democrats deserve to loose us for the misogyny they have embraced and for a host of other reasons: Goldman Sachs, Generation Investments Management , Cap and Trade, Health Care Eugenics Reform.
Have any of you read these bills?
I know this is a site dedicated to empowering woman. So aren’t women the fastest growing group of small business owners? Obama is at war with small business. Between cap and trade, card check, and his Darwin’s Health Care small business will disappear. Small business was a place where women could go to avoid the glass ceiling, and the frat boy colleagues. They could be creative free and wildly sucessful. But small business has no place in Obama’s Oligarchy.
Obama went off topic at his health care news conference to say that a policeman acted “stupidly.” Has he even once said that about the David Lettermans, the West Hollywood Morons or the young idiots with the Sarh Palin C**t t-shirts whos pictures were displayed on his own campaign website? Obama is the greatest enabler of America’s epidemic of misogyny. The longer he remains our president the worse things will get for women here and the world over.
And for those of you who would like to refer to me as a republican astro-turfer. Would it be at all possible for you to debate me on the issues instead of just calling me a republican?
I saw this on Fox and I was shocked by the sexist words and attactions by Littmann. I was disappointed that Huckabee didn’t do anything to stop it–but Sarah is one of his major rivals. Watching canniablism, whether it is women against women, or Republican against Republican sure isn’t enjoyable.
Wow – would I love to go mono-o-mono with this jerk!
Looking at comments above – yes, “strange” at best to have Huckabee conducting this interview when he would like nothing more than to eliminate his toughest competitor.
Poor judgment by Fox.
The left sexually harrassed Palin out of office just like they sexually harrassed Clinton out of the Presidency:
NOW President Terry O’Neill:
yet another appalling attack on sarah palin by littman, wow! im not suprised, these dems dont seem to understand whats really going on, and they continue to try a demonize the opposition because their fear and falling poll #s as left them with nothing other than smear, big things are comming, mark my words.
Matt Littman and his ilk wil be the primary reason why the GOP runs the roost in November 2010 and Barak Hussien Obama is a 2 year lame duck and out in 2012.
Yours truly,
The Black Conservative
P.S
Has anyone else notice when you type in his name the software wants to spell check every word LOL!!!
Matthew Littman is a Disgrace to the Human Race. A Typical Democrat, hos way of making a Point is by demeaning People who don’t agree with his IGNORANCE.
What A piece of WHITE TRASH.
Is there a possibility that he has this incredible ATTRACTION to Sarah Palin. Knowing that she would not give the FOOL the time of day, he does the same thing a little Six year old does, who has a crush on another child, so they Hit them and tell them they HATE them??????????
this guy is from some other planet or something,he cried on huffington post when people were lashing out against haillary, yet he seems to think its ok to say repulsive remarks about sarah palin, this is just another example of what these elitests will do if you disagree with what they feel we should all stand for, big things are comming, mark my words
This guy is a pathetic and condescending little worm. JUst remember: he wrote JOE BIDEN’s speeches, which are normally laughed at by sensible people. But his attitude is what is really revolting….I’m not a huge sarah palin fan, but this guy made me feel defensive towards her. He can go to hell.
I LISTENED TWICE TO MATHEW LITTMAN.
THE FIRST TIME AND LAST TIME. IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO CUT THE TIME INVESTED IN HALF.
WHAT A WASTE OF HUMANITY.
REGRETS, I PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT SPEND TIME LISTENING FOR ONE MINUTE TO HIM.
I NOW KNOW THAT AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED MATHEW LITTMAN DOES NOT EXIST!!
Littman was just on O’Reilly and Laura I. was filling in for Bill. Littman was a condescending butthead. I don’t understand why more women don’t express outrage at the kind of rhetoric this guy puts out. Its no wonder that Joe Biden could never get even 1% of the vote in presidential contests of this guy was writing his speeches.
Mathew is a complete idiot. I hope Fox news doesn’t have him on anymore. He is so hateful towards Sarah Palin that I can’t stand to hear him. Since he worked for Biden and Obama I can see why he has the attitude he does. He needs to have more compassion for people that differ in the way he believes.
I just saw this pig Mathew Litiman on the factor. Is this piece of shit for real ??
This asshole should keep his big mouth shut.
Why condemn Sarah Palin ?
She probably forgot more than you know.
I know for a fact, she has more class than you, as you have none.
Stay off t.v., you are pathetic..
WHERE does FOX get these losers? I can see the Craig’s List ad now…
Make $11 to $12 per hour saying “I don’t agree” over and over again on cable TV while your Mom records you on her home VCR.
I have to quit typing now because the rules above say “keep it clean” and there is NO WAY I can describe this guy without using the names of a couple of very specific body parts you can’t see even at the beach.
Matthew Littman is what is wrong with the Democratic Party. Matthew Littman insulted Sarah Palin, and alot of the Democrats are demeaning Legal Citizens that are going to these Town Hall Meetings. I have to hand it to Sarah Palin, she has something that the Democrats are afraid of, she is speaking her mind. For people that do not like Sarah Palin, they are sure talking about her alot. American Citizens have a right to speak out and debate issues, we are Patriotic, and it is not un-American like Democrats are saying. Stop insulting people.
Tonight on o’reilly( with Laura Ingraham sitting in for Oreilly) and Amanda Carpenter also on the panel. Littman did it again) Not the replay of a previous segment with Huckabee Judy mentioned above, but a second one-live tonight- this time he suggested Sarah date Favor Flav on a reality show( which he expects in a few years to happen) and then he’d pay attention to er and noting she says before then interests him…see you tube clip of show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV01Q-rV9D0
Littman sexist bs starts at 3:20 into the clip-,
Steve, I wonder why Fox does not shut off the mic on guys like that Litman guy. I just heard it this morning. Laura Ingraham ought to veto having that guy on her air ever again.
It is the general Dem. party tolerance for hate, no matter how low, that convinced me to leave the party back in 1995 or so. Bunch of rich snobs pretending they are with the people, but actually no heart, no consience, dehumanized, of which this Litman guy is the most recent example.
I used to be proud of being in UAW and sending $$ to Solidarity in Poland and a natural Dem. Did my first picketing with guys from PATCO at a fancy hotel where there was meeting of suits learning the latest union-busting methods. Now, I can’t stomach it. I have to look my family in the eye.
“WHERE does FOX get these losers?”
Honestly, I think a part of it is O’Reilly trying to be fair-and-balanced and trying to get both sides of the issue across… because O’Reilly did have Washington Times reporter Amanda Carpenter along with Littman; one guest is anti-mysogynistic, and the other is very misogynistic, so you do have the two different sides being represented. I wouldn’t fault Huckabee or Ingraham on Littman’s account because it was O’Reilly’s show; they were simply filling in, and O’Reilly was likely the person who arranged all the interviews and invited all the people.
You know me, I am always up for action and protests, so I would not mind protesting O’Reilly and demanding he stop inviting Littman. He can be fair-and-balanced by arguing the policies instead of by arguing along the gender divide. There is too much sexism in our country; let’s see what women in charge want to tackle first.
[...] Matthew Littman likes to use racist, incendiary, and sexist speech to attack his opposition. Do you think that Huffington Post should continue to have Littman on their staff? If not. follow this link to learn who sponsors HUFFPO. Let them know how you feel http://blog.freedomist.info/20.....alin-news/ related articles: http://www.conservatives4palin.....enter.html http://texas4palin.blogspot.co.....g-dem.html http://thenewagenda.net/2009/0.....-standard/ [...]
Ummmm!!! Let’s see what is Matthew Littman’s word worth in regards to his input regarding Sarah Palin on 8/14/09 on Fox News? It carries absolutely no worth. As I tell my kids when they get into lying, “Words are like a bucket full of holes.” And that’s what I am telling him. Matthew has no worth!! He is not productive at all. Can’t hold a job. Can only give commentary – - unproductive at that. He must be a lonely, miserable human being. He thinks he is getting people “riled” up when he makes such a comment and I just hate it when it does rile people up! Ask yourselves what is he getting out of this? Just turn off the tv. Also, folks, Matthew was borne of a woman and what does he think of his mother, (is she dating Favor Flav) if he can’t respect a woman?
I saw the O’Reilly Factor for the first and last time that day. I was so disgusted by the clearly feminist attitude of those well dressed buffoons ganging up on Matthew like that.
Why ask him a question when you clearly have your own pre-formed narrow-minded opinion anyway? So, they rudely cut him off–only to use this as a pathetic opportunity to bash the entire Democratic party? Matthew didn’t stand a chance among those hags.
I am no Democrat, but I will NEVER be Republican. Their true bitter nature becomes increasingly more and more evident and disgraceful with each passing week. How can People not see that? I’m rapidly learning to despise them collectively. Has anyone been more racist, intolerant, and feminist than the Republican party?
Before Obama ever entered the white house, Republicans have been brutal and nasty regarding all the Obamas. He could never do anything right in their eyes. I am appalled at how sharply the Republican-motivated racism and fear in this country blossoms every time Sarah Palin opens her mouth.
Matthew stood his ground. And treated those clueless buffoons with all the indignity they deserved. These women are unsuccessfully trying to play the gender card–much like Sarah often did. [Surprise!] I despised her for that. And I despise them as well. People didn’t even seem to notice Sarah’s many gender-related references.
Matt has a fantastic sense of humor. He made the show worth watching, while unfortunately dignifying Palin far more than she deserved.I’m so sorry those crones had run of show. Matt, you’re my hero! Keep up the great work! Those dry, whiny Republicans could learn a lot from you Matt!
Take anything Mathew Littman says with a grain of salt, if you want to give him that much credit.
He appeared again on O’Reilly and said that instead of spending stimulus money on infrastructure projects, it should just be given away in the form of unemployment benefits.
Leave your Response Want an avatar? Get a gravatar!
Community Room
May 8, 2012 at 11:30 am
May 8, 2012 at 9:56 am
May 7, 2012 at 2:04 pm
May 7, 2012 at 1:37 pm
May 7, 2012 at 1:19 pm
April 20, 2012 at 12:57 pm
April 11, 2012 at 4:39 pm
April 6, 2012 at 1:18 pm
BUILD your NETWORK
Our Network of College Women
Protecting our Teenage Girls
We’re in the Media »
Click to see our latest stories in the media
More Stories »Recent Comments
The Latest from our Blog
Archives
Pioneer Mentors
Blogroll
Find us Online
Subscribe Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS)
The New Agenda is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by bringing about systemic change in the media, at the workplace, at school and at home. More...