Sexism 2010: Riding the Coattails of 2008
October 17, 2010
by Contributor
|The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
Back in 2008 then candidate Obama benefited greatly from sexism and misogyny thrown at his female opponents, Hillary Clinton and later Sarah Palin. The Obama campaign didn’t only benefit from this onslaught of sexism – they used it to their full advantage. His campaign threw out sexist statements such as “suddenly the claws come out” when referring to Hillary Clinton, then there was the “You can put lipstick on a pig” quote after McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as VP, they launched a commercial with a winking Palin just to name a few. Although some of it was subtle, they’re not insignificant, in fact there are studies to prove it.
Well it worked so well in 2008 that 2 years later, it seems some of the good ol’ boys are taking notice and are riding Obama’s coattails to capitalize on the gender based attacks that have become such political fodder in these midterm elections.
On Tuesday night, during California’s Governors debate Jerry Brown tried to justify a sexist slur used by his staffer against his opponent Meg Whitman:
BROKAW:.. We’ve heard no outrage from you about the use of that kind of language which to many women is the same as calling an African-American the n-word…
BROWN: I don’t agree with that comparison…
Brown basically is saying that racial slurs and sexist slurs are unequal and it will hurt Meg Whitman as a consequence because he’s sending the message that it’s not that bad to use negative connotations against female candidates.
Wednesday in Delaware’s Senate debate, Chris Coons fed off the media narrative that Christine O’Donnell like other conservative women are bimbo’s who can’t form a proper sentence. Numerous times during the debate when Coons would be asked to counter O’Donnell, he would condescendingly say, “I don’t know how to respond to all of that.” And during a question section of the debate on decreasing the country’s carbon footprint, Coons again made belittling remarks like “that’s a fascinating question… that really makes no sense.” & “it took a couple minutes to even understand what she’s talking about” shown here (around the 7 minute mark):
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/0WUTmfkytvs" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]
We saw this happen in South Carolina as well, when Nikki Haley’s primary opponents used affair allegations to defeat her. The attacks began working and Nikki’s polling numbers began to drop, until Sarah Palin came to her defense and Nikki went on to win the primary. This also gives merit to the study linked to above when they found:
female candidate’s numbers went back up when voters heard the attacks called “inappropriate.” The numbers went even higher if they were labeled “sexist, divisive rhetoric.”
Unfortunately, the affair allegations are popping up again.
These coattail riders are going to continue to play these games until Nov 2nd, so as weeks lead up to election day lets continue on the look out and let’s hold candidates liable for taking advantage of sexist propaganda. Because it will hurt us all when the public goes to the polls and is unable to decipher who the better candidates are with a smoke screen trying to cloud our judgment.
Good article!
I watched the Murray/Rossi, Brown/Whitman, Angle/Reid, and Odonnell/Coons debates. Every one of those men were patronizing, condescending, and constantly trying to imply that their opponents were too stupid to even be there. It really infuriated me to see this common theme in all the debates. Harry Reid was so whiny and annoying, I thought he needed a juice box and nap. I saw Rossi rolling his eyes as if to suggest, see that’s just how women are. Coons clearly kept trying to pretend that Odonnell was so stupid that nobody could understand anything she was saying.
I’ve never really sat down and watched male/female debates back to back like that with an eye on sexism. I swear all of these guys read the same hand book, how to act like an entitled jerk and how to use sexism to try and demean your opponent. It was actually pretty startling. Do they all have the same chart in front of them? I swear some sort of newsletter must have gone out from the Good Old Boys Club with a list of misogynistic suggestions for Entitled Little Boys.
I have to say, this election season has been EXHAUSTING trying to keep up with the sexist shit that is being pulled by both parties against a female opponent. It is shameful.
If a man or a woman uses racist, ethnic, or sexist slurs in private conversation, then you know pretty much that they are of very low quality because what they say in private is from the heart. Now let’s add those that do it in public thinking that it makes them look smarter, or cooler, or superior.
The Liberal or Conservative Dude Nations will make it seem commonplace to bitch-slap a woman with words like “bitch” or “whore” because they believe they are socially correct words. Words cool dudes or submissive women use.
Until both parties understand that this kind of use of language and behavior is not going to be tolerated by voters they will keep using it. It is a winning strategy to keep women out of the board room of D.C., and they know it.
Also: O’Donnell didn’t keep a spotless house, burned some cookies, drank wine with her friends, had a boyfriend stay over, and displayed political ambition when she lived in Washington 15 years ago
I agree with you Optix, this language will be here long after you and I gone. It will not stop because you have men and women out promoting the words because
they believe the meaning of those words have “change”
from their origin. But not so with the N word.
They are trying to soften the terms as being crude, or salty, not sexist, and that it is not gender specific.
No wonder we have all the problems we do with bullying, it’s all coming from adults, the media,
and politicians.
Great piece Dane. Let’s hope it backfires in all three races and that candidates start to learn their lesson!
For the first time, I saw part of the O’Donnell/Coons debate yesterday on CNN. Must admit, given the media coverage that O’Donnell has received, I was very pleasantly surprised by how composed and well spoken she was.
I don’t think the voters are as stupid as politicians and Corporate Media believe they are remember MSNBC ratings are in the sewer. I also think anything that women candidates can do to make the old boys start their sexist games, works to make the old boys look like entitled arrogant jerks. The majority of voters are women. We need to get the womens vote out and we need to make sure they know of the sexism.
Good point Bes. I used to only watch MSNBC and CNN. When Hillary ran, I felt like I was watching a slow motion train wreck. I couldn’t believe how biased these people were.
Now I watch FOX – and apparently many Dems have joined because they rule the cable world. They were the only network that was fair to Hillary.
I try to watch Wolf Blitzer – like him and he was fair. But when that evil man Jack Cafferty comes on, I switch the station to FOX.
Who knew that my favorite newscaster would be Sean Hannity!
Yttik ever wonder if maybe men are on some kind of Hive Mind with eachother, like a “web” of psychic communication? And they just don’t tell women about it.
I love the arms up “har har har she makes no sense I can’t figure out what she’s talking about” Truly it might be the case that men can’t figure out something when a woman is talking, but this appears to be straight out of the manual as so many men do it.
Great article. I’m indredulous that Coons could not understand what O’Donnel was saying – she was articulating herself so clearly. Perhaps his innability to comprehend is evidence that he is not intellectually capable to hold this high office????
I think it already is backfiring! Since that Delaware senate debate, O’Donnell has climbed about 10 points in the polls http://christine2010.com/press.....atest-poll Maybe we aren’t the only ones on the lookout.
By the way, have you read Maureen Dowd’s column today? I usually avoid NY Times columns but checked this out today.
“We are in the era of Republican Mean Girls, grown-up versions of those teenage tormentors who would steal your boyfriend, spray-paint your locker and, just for good measure, spread rumors that you were pregnant.
These women — Jan, Meg, Carly, Sharron, Linda, Michele, Queen Bee Sarah and sweet wannabe Christine — have co-opted and ratcheted up the disgust with the status quo that originally buoyed Barack Obama. Whether they’re mistreating the help or belittling the president’s manhood, making snide comments about a rival’s hair or ripping an opponent for spending money on a men’s fashion show, the Mean Girls have replaced Hope with Spite and Cool with Cold. They are the ideal nihilistic cheerleaders for an angry electorate.”
I looked at some of the leading reader comments to see if people were dismayed by Dowd’s words. Instead, people were agreeing with her. Hello??
SA yea and McCain’s daughter was recently lauded for calling O’Donnel a “nutjob.” She’s a 26 year old socialite, never had to do anything on her own. Ooh McCain’s daughter you got an education did ya? Good on you.
Kiuku,
McCain’s daughter wrote an article about how disgusted she was with Palin mania and how she was so offended the night Palin was introduced at the convention. While getting ready the makeup artists all but ignored Megan McCain in favor of the Palin family. Scandalous!
Aren’t most of Dowd’s “Mean Girls” running against male opponents? I thought that “Mean Girls” were supposed to be girls who attack other girls (a narrative that has been used to downplay the very serious reality of boys bullying girls) but now it’s apparently been expanded to include women who compete with anyone.
Guess readership was done for Dowd’s op-ed so she took out her tried and true: trash women.
“Mean girl” = talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!!
Amy,
I also like Sean Hannity. I don’t agree with him on many issues but he is mark on about Obama, Reverend Wright and the entire nut job radical associations of Barak Obama. He is also a man who respects women and has old fashioned values. All of the FOX new’s crew seems to be above the hip liberal misogyny that has so damaged our democracy. America will become another third world nation if this cruel and disrespectful treatment of women continues.
Juliette,
Hannity does stay on obama’s azz, which I’m glad he does. However, Hannity was one of the media boyz who attacked Hillary during the primary.
He now complains about how harsh the republican women are attacked, but he conveniently forgets that he was just as guilty of attacking Hillary as he claims dems are in attacking republican women. He can’t seem to come to terms with the double standard he imposes on demoractic women running for office and that makes his standing up for the women he agrees with less credible and decidedly one-sided.
Too bad he makes sexism a tool to bash the dems in the head with, rather than recognizing it affects ALL women and should not be tolerated.
Kathleen,
I don’t watch television anymore so maybe you can refresh my memory. When Sean Hannity went after Hillary did he do it in a sexist way? Hannity is a very conservative and dislikes most anyone left of center. So I’d be interested in knowing if Sean is sexist to democratic women or if he is just hard on them like he is all democrats.
sexism isn’t just when they use the W C or B word. these are of course particularly hateful events. but they are combined with the every day Joe statements and views of women not up to the task, too emotional, not balanced, not educated, never done anything. the last one is of special interest because when women do some thing noticeable it gets silenced or distorted or used against them. see Whitman’s money. or see AnnaBelles post and EVE (for equalvisibility everywhere) to learn about the silencing. and then look where the money is in these races Harry Reid’s support from the DCC draining the funds for female candidates and he is quite wealthy but not using his own funds. now we learn form Chris Koons what type of family business is behind him. and these guys claim to stand for main street when they already have their hands tied by special interests.
Henrietta,
Children of privilege should know better than to have opinions. They should not be heard from IMO, until they are 40 atleast.
Henrietta,
Anna said it very well the kind of sexism I accuse Hannity of showing towards Hillary long before she even ran for hte senate or the presidency, along wiht hte rest of the male dominated media.
The most telling thing for me with regard to my assertion that he was and is, indeed, exhibiting sexist behavior towards Hillary (albeit, as Anna says, not by using the obvious “W”, “C” and “B” words against Hillary, but simply by his total denial of Hillary being attacked in the exact same way Sarah was and is still being attacked by the media.
By Hannity’s ignoring, even denying, the blantant sexism being spewed against Hillary during the primary, and even by those he has had on his own show, he is tacitly approving of these attacks against Hillary while simultaneous expressing total outrage at the exact same attacks that were aimed at Sarah.
If he were truly not a sexist, he would oppose it being used by BOTH Hillary and Sarah. His hypocrisy is not only obvious, it’s breathtaking because he actually believes that we won’t notice!
Henrietta,
Anna explains very well the kind of sexism I was referring to, when it comes to Sean Hannity.
Furthermore, while Hannity is up-in-arms about the sexist attacks against Palin and republican women, in general, he refused to acknowledge that the exact same attacks against Hillary have been rampant since she was First Lady in Arkansas.
It is clear that Hannity’s refusal to acknowledge the sexist attacks against Hillary and even stated that Hillary was NEVER treated like Sarah is proof of his “selective” defense against it and express his outrage against it for ONLY those women whose political ideology agrees with his. There is no such thing as “selective” outrage against sexism. He really thinks we don’t see what he is doing, which shows how out of touch he is with the issue of sexism and disingenuous in his outrage, because he only express outrage when it serves his political purposes.
If one is truly against sexism, then you call it out in ALL cases, just like TNA and Hillary supporters have done whenever it raises its ugly head against any woman.
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