Dem Women Revolt in Obama’s “Liberal Dude Nation”
September 29, 2010
by Amy Siskind
|The following article is cross-posted at the Huffington Post.
President Obama sure is angry. He scolded Democrats today, telling us that our apathy is “inexcusable” and “irresponsible”. Really? If you want inexcusable try this: turning the Democratic Party into “Liberal Dude Nation.” Converting 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue into a veritable frat house with few women leader and nary a focus on women’s issues. Allowing blatantly sexist remarks by the men of the Democratic Party without retribution – just another trip to the punch bowl of misogyny.
Democratic women have been watching. Sure, we aren’t standing in parks dressed up in Statue of Liberty costumes – maybe, that’s not our style. But, the DNC better take note: a recent Gallup Poll reveals that just 24% of Democratic and 21% of Independent white women are enthusiastic about voting in November. Lowest level for any group of voters. Sounds awful. And, it could get much worse.
A second tsunami – the Tea Party’s alter-ego – could hit Democrats in 2012. Democratic (and newly Independent) women are finally saying: Enough! In 2010, these women might choose to stay at home. But, there’s a second wave to come: the RNC is quietly filling its pipeline with female presidential and vice presidential prospects, while the Liberal Dude Nation cheerfully refers to our top prospects as “hot.” If this keeps up, in 2012, former and current Democratic women might just be pulling the “R” lever.
The roots of Liberal Dude Nation took hold in 2008. Even then, candidate Obama was more interested in admonishing women than listening to them. When then-Senator Hillary Clinton dropped out of the presidential race, a group of her supporters were summoned to a meeting in New York City. This was at a time when many Democratic women were extremely troubled by the sexism in the presidential primary. At the meeting, we were “informed” by a senior woman member of the Obama Campaign: “We’re not used to drama.” There’s no drama in Liberal Dude Nation! The majority of Democratic women coalesced in 2008 over concerns about Supreme Court nominees and Roe v. Wade. Of course, once elected President Obama would on one hand appoint two female justices; but with the other hand sign an executive order on abortion which codified the Hyde Amendment, dealing the biggest blow to Roe v. Wade since the ruling became the law of the land.
Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us!
Once in office, Obama’s Liberal Dude Nation really flourished. The boys got to play basketball and golf together – until the media made a stink – then one woman was invited to a round of golf. The boys set our flailing economic policy – the boys put up with one woman (Romer), but then chased her out. The Liberal Dude Nation’s inner circle, the czars, are 90% male (selected by Obama behind closed doors, without senate confirmation). And so on. But, hey – no worries – it’s all cool in the Liberal Dude Nation.
When Democratic women did complain, Liberal Dude Nation had an answer: Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January 2009. Never mind that the Ledbetter Act only extends the time to file a lawsuit; and Liberal Dude Nation couldn’t be bothered to shepherd the Paycheck Fairness Act, which actually requires equal pay for equal work, through the Democratically controlled senate over the past 20 months. Not a priority in the Liberal Dude Nation.
But the real wounds for Democratic women are in sexism that continues to flourish unchallenged in the Democratic Party. It’s a constant reminder of what we learned the hard way in 2008: the notion of equality in the Democratic Party does not extend to gender.
So women privately shake our heads in disbelief as the Liberal Dude Nation, time after time, continues to made sexist remarks against Democratic women. The men of the Liberal Dude Nation get free passes for sexism. Why? As Bob Beckel stated on FOX yesterday: “You’re a woman, you better be careful about saying who I carry water for.“ Bob’s right. The Republicans are worse. Aren’t they? Well, no, not anymore. Make a sexist remark against a Republican woman and watch the likes of Ann Coulter Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity call you out and defend her. But not in the Liberal Dude Nation. Our sexism is so internalized, we just let our men diminish our women without a peep. Boys will be boys. It’s the Liberal Dude Nation!
But the problem with the Liberal Dude Nation is that gradually, well, it’s just dudes. Increasingly, the Democratic women have had it. As Susan B. Anthony stated back in 1872: “No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.“ Sounds like the Democratic Party has a decision to make: lose the Liberal Dude Nation, or lose Democratic Women!
“We’re not used to drama.” Not used to drama???? First time I heard that one. What a slap in the face.
Eff this administration. And the misogynist pig blogger boys they rode in on.
I would be interested what the age breakdown is of those who are still motivated to participate in November. It is just my assumption that those who still are motivated to vote are in their later years, but I could be mistaken. Having passion to see improvement for your gender in D.C. is exhausting. The Dem Party promises rose garden after rose garden and end up only giving us manure. The Pub party never promised our gender a rose garden and that is why women are taking the bull by the horn in my party now.
White women are tired of carrying the burdens of their parties and not getting anything for their hard work in return.
The best thing going for our cause of representation is to have the “Hope and Change” President fall flat on his face regarding our needs. This is the perfect example that no matter how flashy, or how good a marketing campaign one has for higher office; men just don’t think that women’s needs are as important in the whole scheme of things. You can increase the font size, change the color of the print to a brighter blue, and make the letter as bold as you can in the marketing literature; but a D beside a man’s name is no better than and R.
Women were also told at that meting to “get over it”. Much like Obama’s entire base is being told these days.
Of course, articles like the ones based on those polls also serve as setting up scape goats.
Optix – just to put it in perspective – 1 in 4 women who are still Dems – many are already Ind. That tells volumes about what women who remain registered Dems think of the path that the current administration has put our party on!
I left the Democratic party after the way Clinton was treated. I figured that if the party did not think someone with my packaging was capable of running the country, they should not be dumb enough to count on my vote, my time or money.
During the Clinton administration, about half the high level posts were filled by women. The current administration’s staff would only be represtative of the country if it was predominatly male. It is almost as if the administration is cyncially using gender as a distraction–see bigots,I am not some scary black guy in the White House, I hate these broads too. We have Larry who appears to think that women can’t add and do science, Timmy who in his days at the Fed reportedly had a sign in his office that read “No Girls Allowed.” And as far as Michelle goes, she was a whole lot better when she was a mouthy babe instead of the Stepford wife she has become. I expect her to start staring at the Prez with Nancy Reagan’s doe-eyed look of devotion.
The only way that women will be able to wrest power away from the political aristocracy is if we do not vote for the two major parties. They are the source of our problems because they believe that we should be grateful for crumbs from the table. What do women want? The same thing any human wants-power to determine one’s destiny,respect and a safe living environment.
A liberal dude the other day was complaining to me about Obama’s presidency and all the lectures people are getting about how Dems need to just sit down, shut up, and stop whining. Then the guy had the misfortune of telling me, “it’s as if the President wants to treat us all like women now!” Whoah, say what??! I explained to him that I would be voting straight female ticket and the entire Dem party could KMA, but I really think his comment sums up how many liberal dudes feel about their so called “Dem sisters.” You gals can go under the bus and that’s okay, just business as usual, but the menz, oh hell no, we deserve respect.
I’ll be pulling the lever in November and flushing this BS down the toilet.
Nail hammer bang. I vote nothing but women from now on. Nothing but women.
I am speechless regarding the treatment of women and women’s issues by the Democrats. I a finished voting for them and I can’t understand how any woman could still consider herself a Dem. I look at the behavior of people, not what they say, when I decide what their values are. I don’t know what the Dems could do to convince me to come back to their side since I no longer listen to them, I reflexively turn them off.
I also think it is wrong for a President to be running around giving campaign speeches when we are at war, and no, the war in Iraq is not over, and when our economy is the pits. I have several unemployed professional friends who have been out of work for 2 years and who can no longer afford health care insurance because their premiums were raised to $600. a month. So what did the health care bill do? It sure as hell wasn’t universal coverage. My son started his first job with a large company and you would expect that he would get health care, but no, he is a trainee. I tried to add him on my insurance since he is under 26 but apparently that is not yet possible even though I work for the Feds. So is that universal health care? Not in my opinion. It is nothing but a windfall for insurance companies.
“The only way that women will be able to wrest power away from the political aristocracy is if we do not vote for the two major parties.”
The only way women will be able to wrest power away from the political aristocracy is IF WE VOTE FOR WOMEN. That is all that will work without marginalizing us. I’m not wasting my time with Peace and Freedom in a vain effort to find the least assholic male on the planet to devote myself to.
Women only. Parties suck.
I agree. Can we tell these men to STFU already?
What the women who support Liberal Dude Nation fails to understand is that policy has it’s limits (not that LDN puts much effort into supporting good policy for women as Amy states in this article).
But I get Democrats on occasion suport policy that is specifically supportive of women and that Repubs do so less often.
But policy will not change our culture! And policy does not always do the job that we want it to!
Look at Harry Reid. Don’t we have LAWS against sexual harassment in the workplace??? And yet… Senator Reid publicly and without apology sexually harasses Senator Gillibrand in front of the whole country and nary a democrat bats an eyelash! And I’m guessing that Reid will not be taken to court for his sexual harassment either…. BECAUSE LAWS ALONE WILL NOT CHANGE US!!!! Wake up women! Liberal Dude Nation is happy to have you stay at 17 percent representation FOREVER! Liberal Dude Nation is happy to continue to alienate women in the workforce and sexually harass without apology. I mean, nobody really cared that Senator Kennedy and Chris Dodd made a waitress sandwich so why should we care about any of it? They don’t care. But THEY WILL care if we stop voting for them!
You all should go check out the comments on this article over on Huff Puff. The link is at the top of this article. They so don’t get it. And the most typical response and advice is “you women have to stick with us because the Republicans will treat you worse”. Isn’t that a typical abusers response. And please someone tell me what exactly Valery Jarret has done for women.
honestly guys..the only thing that’s going to change the culture is less men. They’ll just stew in agony until they make a war if things were equal. another war..more patriarchy. I don’t get it. Women keep having them. That’s a problem. Wow, you gave birth to the genetic equivalent of a dildo, good job.
Kiuku -
That’s just wrong. The problem is not men. The problem is culture and the way that we raise our boys and girls. It’s very deep seeded and it’s hard to change but possible.
Check out some of the (small) matriarchal societies – one exists in China, one in India, one in Indonesia and one in New Guinea. Perhaps there are more. But the men in these cultures value women and rape and VAW is almost unheard of.
Amy,
Excellent post! The only thing I would have added is that nasty managers amendment that Reid and Nelson added to the health-care scam regarding abortion coverage. It will essentally eliminate coverage in a very similar way that the Stupak/Pitts amendment would have. There was also a states opt-out clause that would allow states to eliminate the coverage all together for insurance companies functioning on the state’s exchange. Democratic women care about choice and many of us see this as another back stab.
I’m voting for WOMEN period! I also noticed that the two women who reintroduced the ERA in congrass this summer were Carolyn Melony (D) and a republican women from the mid-west (can’t remember her name). If republican women are interested in promoting women’s rights on other issues than abortion, than I’m willing to listen. Obviously, Dude Nation doesn’t give a crap about abortion rights or any rights for women.
oops! I meant congress, not congrass.
KendallJ
Not that you’d need my approval but,I’d endorse the first spelling–emphasis on the last three letters.
The republican woman who reintroduced the ERA with Carolyn Maloney in July 2009 was Judy Biggert (R-IL.).
the problem runs deeper than simply male violence; war, rape, etc. They do that, imo, because they can’t do anything else. Even in the few matrifocal societies that are left, and haven’t been obliterated by “war”, there is still war. Males are warriors. My research tells me that men have a problem working in the environment due to a defective genome. Sure there could be matriarchy, but matriarchy got obliterated; what makes anyone think they can keep and maintain a matriarchy?
It’s just the principle of the matter. If you were living and thriving in a pristine wilderness, reproducing asexually and this creature came up to you, having been created in a laboratory and said “I’m hungry” “I can’t figure out what to eat” “I can’t figure out how to make a house” basically “I can’t come up with new ideas but I can learn what you teach me, although not all of it; I can’t understand most abstract concepts and I can only think linearly” “I need to have sex all the time and if I have sex with you I will reproduce another one just like me and eventually you won’t be able to reproduce sexually” “feed me” wouldn’t you just put it out of it’s misery? I guess not, and so there’s history for you.
I’m with you, kiuku.
kiuku: I do think it is women’s reluctance to use violence that keeps us from gaining equal power in societies and institutions of Religion, Finance and Government. A secondary problem is the huge amount of women who need male approval and in fact feel they don’t have sexuality without male approval. Sure that is cultural conditioning but these women teach this dependence to their daughters. I was watching Vampire Diaries with my girls tonight which I always do so I can filter out the commercials using the TIVO and it is just amazing to me that in a show that is aimed at young female consumers the ads only show women being sexual by pathetically seeking male approval. In fact apparently Corporate America sees seeking male sexual approval as the only legitimate expression of female sexuality. I object to this message and I do it by inviting as many girls who are interested over weekly to watch the show and I cut out ALL commercials with the TIVO so they won’t be subjected to this harmful message brought to you by Reebok, Victoria’s Secret, etc. Of course not all commercials are offensive but they need to stop associating with the offensive ones if they want their message to get through the Mom/TIVO filter.
I do not recommend women kill their baby boys however. Boys are darling little guys and most of them are devoted to their Mommies in a way your daughters never will be. It is destructive culture brought about by Corporate meddling that needs to be destroyed, not men and boys.
Kiuku,
I am really sickened that this conversation has turned to talk of eliminating male children. It’s grotesque at the highest degree.
Bes,
I appreciate your defense of male babies but am disturbed by your statement of boys vs. girls: “most of them are devoted to their Mommies in a way your daughters never will be.”
How did this discussion of LDN turn to male infanticide and subsequently the superiority of little boys?
Bes,
I was devoted to my mother in ways my brothers never could or even knew how to be. From the time little girls are born, society works to push them away from their mothers and other females and to depend on the males (their fathers) to protect and give them the things they need in life (i.e., a kind of dependence that is a form of “slavery” to the patriarchy).
Little boys cling to their mothers but by the time they reach puberty, the patriarchy is pushing them to become indifferent to their mothers and immulate their fathers and join the patriarchy which defines being a man as dominating and controlling women.
It comes down to the individual daughter or son not to fall prey to society’s steoreotypes and definitions of what roles females and males have in how society is governed and to recognize that they and only they can define who they want to be as a person in how they relate to their mothers.
As Kate Hepburn sid in “The African Queen”…”nature is what we were put on this earth to rise above…” Success in achieving this lofty goal will come from our constant desire to call on the better angels of our nature and defy the patriarchy’s obvious biased definition of what it means to be male or female.
Ditto Henrietta.
There is no place for that type of point of view here. Nor will it be tolerated in comments going forward.
Thank you.
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