Sex & The Primary
June 4th, 2008 by Kim
It wasn’t a happy ending for some who were watching the full-length film that was this year’s Democratic primary.
As Sen. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination yesterday (we’re pretty sure this time), there was no shortage of Sen. Hillary Clinton supporters crying “sexism!”
Many are now vowing to vote for presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain in November.
For these women, Clinton is a symbol of their struggles against the glass ceiling, and Tuesday’s events only served to intensify that image. Her presumed loss to Obama now reinforces the idea for them that there’s only so far a woman can go in a male-dominated world.
I’d venture to say that the younger generation is perhaps not taking it so personally. I greatly admire Clinton. But when sizing her up as a candidate for president, the mere fact that she is female doesn’t occupy so much space on my Positive Qualities pie chart as it might for, say, someone who lived through the women’s rights movement. I relate to her, but I do not feel that her success is my success; her bitter defeat is my bitter defeat. Having seen how women my age can succeed in the workplace, I’m more optimistic.
As Jonathan Chait, 36, wrote in an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times two weeks ago: “People of my generation tend to have a less personal view of Clinton. She’s not us, she’s not our ex-wife, she’s just a politician.”
At the same time, I also agree with Chait when he writes: “If I spent years being disrespected and discriminated against in my household chores and my workplace, though, maybe I’d see it differently.”
Whether or not her campaign was ultimately done in in by sexism, strategy, media coverage or simply a very formidable opponent, Clinton had a very difficult line to walk during the primary. Whereas Obama has had to find that balance between being too black and too white, Clinton struggled between expressing femininity and showing that she can play hardball with the guys.
What I find upsetting is the millions of Americans, many of them men, who were turned off at the outset simply by the idea of a “strong woman,” a female who exhibits qualities traditionally thought of as masculine traits: aggressiveness, assertiveness, a fighting spirit.
That’s opposed to feminine qualities: emotional, intuitive, nurturing. But God knows how much criticism and ridicule Clinton drew for BOTH that beer chugging AND those tears. You can’t win.
It will be a great day when a White Woman running for president and a Half-Black Man running for president will simply be Two Candidates running for president.
The bigger question will be how the Democratic Party plans to reconcile hard feelings lingering after the protracted primary battle, and whether it can regain a hold on its ideals, including overcoming both sexism and racism, when all is said and done.
photo: AP
Tags: 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama, gender, Hillary Clinton, politics
June 4th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I don’t believe it was a matter of Sexism, those are just women leaving the Sex and the City movie. LOL. Nah nah. It was basically Barack’s speaking abilities. He’s a much better speaker who placed himself as the “people’s champion” while Hillary came off like a politician saying what needed to be said to win. For those women to place their votes from a Democratic party to the Republican party shows that there was never support for the Democratic party. To me, their actions show sexism because they won’t vote for the guy who beat their woman. Why not try and work together as a “dream team”?
June 4th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I don’t think it was about sexism. It could have easily gone the other way, and peope could have said it was racism. The fact that Clinton wants to run for vice-President under Obama shows that she’s serious about what she does…she just needs to start thinking of the country as a whole. Obama, however, will prove a worthy opponent to John McCain.
June 4th, 2008 at 10:16 am
My problem with HC was not her gender or perceived lack of feminine qualities, but rather her having a penchant for lying, her gross mismanagement of her campaign (imagine what she would do with the White House!) and her selfish desire in bringing down the democratic party while refusing to accept the inevitable. Any cries of sexism she has endured are greatly overshadowed by the racism that has afflicted Obama’s campaign, something she contributed to with her, “I’m the only candidate who can win this election [because I’m white and not black]” slogan. Now she’s asking-but-not-asking to be VP. Auwe. I pray Obama doesn’t pick her as VP because the White House will be divided if he does and wins.
There will be (or currently is) a female presidential candidate worthy of leading our country one day, but it is not her.
And for the record, I’m not an Obamanation, I prob will vote for McCain or write in for Bu Laia.
June 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Bulai….HC is a poor loser…it was never Sexism….and what about Obama? He could have claimed Racism, and even Ageism….”he’s too young”….blah blah blah…
Poor loser I say….If Hillary truly felt she experienced sexism that hindered her success, well, Hillary, you were a First Lady for 8 years, a lawyer, and even an US Senator…..Sexism? I think NOT!
Its all BULAI!!!
June 4th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hilary as VP would be tough. She might try to impeach the President and take the top job!
June 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
The wife tells me the US is not ready for a woman president. I had to correct her. America is not ready for Hillary…….period.
I cannot believe the things she said to discredit Barry.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I don’t think it was sexism. I think people want change and the bush/clinton/bush/clinton scenario doesn’t really promote that.
I think the US is ready for a female president, just as it is ready for an ethnic president. But apparently HRC was just not the right female for the job. And to vote for her just on the basis of her sex is wrong.
A stronger reason is simply to compare the way the two campaigns were run.
And I do not think she would be a good choice for VP.