Carnival of Campaign Sexism

An impromptu collection of sexist commentary or commentary about sexism related to the Democratic Primary race.

Unmasking Sexism In Media Coverage Of Hillary Clinton

Deeply rooted sexism in the US as seen in the campaign coverage of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "hurts us all," Bradley University professor emeritus Barbara Pendleton told the Peoria chapter of the National Organization for Women at a March 8 meeting to commemorate International Women's Day and Women's History Month.

Pendleton, an award winning professor, offered a hard hitting analysis of the sexism in the campaign coverage of Clinton. H...

"The press has been brutal to Sen. Clinton. Consciously or not, many reporters, commentators and pundits appear to be unable to criticize her without dusting off their favorite sexist clichés, stereotypes and insults. ...

Gender bias: discussion of how Clinton looks, laughs, wears, talks, behaves, "even how she claps."

"A man demonstrates roughness and strength. A woman who behaves similarly is called icy and rigid.

"His behavior shows compassion and warmth, her behavior shows emotions and weakness. He knows how to work the system, she is manipulative" and "calculating."

Discussion of ambition, motivation and drive: "Frequently Sen. Clinton has been charged with being willing to do or say anything to win. When she campaigns hard she is often described as strategizing, calculating or fake. But when men campaign hard it is refusing to cede an inch."

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Attacks on supporters: "There is the claim that women who voted for her are somehow irrational, and voting only on the basis of gender. They implied they were stupid or shallow."...


Clinton's Sexism Charges 'Insulting'

Hillary Clinton's claims of misogyny this week were cheap shots that history's greatest women never would have uttered, Peggy Noonan writes in the Wall Street Journal . Suggesting that sexism is costing her the nomination is "insulting" and "manipulative"--it paints other candidates' supporters as biased--it's false, and ultimately, Noonan notes, it is "undermining of the position of women."...

Clinton responds to seemingly sexist shouts

Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign stop was interrupted Monday when two men stood in the crowd and began screaming, "Iron my shirt!" during one of her final appearances before the New Hampshire primary.

Clinton, a former first lady running to become the nation's first female president, laughed at the seemingly sexist protest that suggested a woman's place is doing the laundry and not running the country....

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I often always have many unpublished posts in my cue, so I was going to let my response to Katha Pollitt's Nation column about the sexism behind a lot of the Senator Clinton bashing slide by, but then I read Amanda's post about Pollitt's column. Onto what Pollitt wrote (italics mine): The more…
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I'm starting to become a little unnerved by the situation with the Democratic party. I'd like to lay out a couple of questions and arguments for discussion. I'm hoping very much that certain people will chime in on this. You know who you are (like, when you get my email asking you to chime in…
Just in case you thought that maybe the U.S. wasn't being run by crazy people, a new book claims that Karl Rove "enlisted a trio of clergymen to exorcise Hillary Rodham Clinton's left-wing spirit when he moved into her West Wing office in 2001." The story is corroborated by Deal Hudson, a former…

There is no doubt that, had any of those commentators who called Hillary a bitch, would have been fired on the spot for using a racial epitath against Obama.

Also, I'm thinking back to the outrage over the t-shirt sold by that racist bar owner...and wonder why there is no outrage over the sexism?

I meant, epithet, not epitath...sorry, not a word I use often.

Joel, I completely agree with your perception of a double standard with regard to racism and sexism in the media. My favorite recent episode of this was on CNN where it was argued that when Hillary is called a bitch, it's just accurate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rybPuhfkdQc

Greg,
Noonan??? I read her piece of crap and couldn't find any direct reference to Clinton's purported claims of sexism having cost her the nomination. The most I can find of what Clinton said recently about sexism during the primaries is this:

"The manifestation of some of the sexism that has gone on in this campaign is somehow more respectableThere should be equal rejection of the sexism and the racism. It seems as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments from people who are nothing but misogynists."

Can you point me to anything that has come out of Hillary's mouth that says anything like what Noonan has said here? I personally do not think is anti-feminist to speak about sexism.

Well, no, I think th is is more of a case of an anti-Clinton person playing the "they're playing the sexism" card, much like we see anti-Obama people playing the "they're playing the racism" card.

In this vein, I'm not sure what the analog to the "playing the assassination card" would be. ..