The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Disliking Hillary Clinton (Hillary Group)

[Lisa0825]

This was from Tuesday, but I didn't see it posted - sorry if it is a dupe.

http://time.com/4258976/disliking-hillary-clinton/?xid=fbshare

All these forces have played a role in Clinton being seen as inauthentic and untrustworthy. And they are all related to the double bind that confronts women in positions of authority, as I recently wrote in the Washington Post. A double bind means you must obey two commands, but anything you do to fulfill one violates the other. While the requirements of a good leader and a good man are similar, the requirements of a good leader and a good woman are mutually exclusive. A good leader must be tough, but a good woman must not be. A good woman must be self-deprecating, but a good leader must not be.

Sanders is appealing when he comes across as tough by railing against Wall Street and corporations, and as comfortingly homey and authentic with his rumpled clothes and hair and down-home Brooklyn accent. When Clinton is tough, a characteristic many see as unfeminine, it doesn’t feel right, so she must not be authentic. And a disheveled appearance would pretty much rule her out as an acceptable woman. As Robin Lakoff, the linguist who first wrote about the double bind confronting women, put it, male candidates can have it both ways but Clinton can have it no ways.

[Her Sister]

1. oh good! very good!

thank you

[BlueMTexpat]

2. From the article ...

All public figures are subject to criticism and attack, but Clinton has been subject to more, and Sanders to less, than most. For one thing, she is widely expected to be the Democratic nominee, so why bother wasting effort scrutinizing him? That Sanders has a son whose mother he never married has received so little attention that most people don’t even know about it. This is as it should be. But what are the chances that a woman would be given a pass under similar circumstances?

Clinton has been in the public eye for so long, journalists have long since formulated a storyline about her, as former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis recently observed. Their view—and portrayal—of her as “remote and programmed,” he said, is “nonsense” and impervious to accounts by those who know or meet her that she is actually warm, smart and funny. Political opponents have had decades to dredge up (or fabricate) accusations, with a smoke-there’s-fire (you might say blame-the-victim) result. Whitewater! Benghazi! Email! After endless investigations, each accusation has turned out to be groundless. Yet the impression remains: she’s been the object of so many accusations and investigations, she must be doing something wrong. Hence the impression she’s not trustworthy.

Full disclosure: I love Deborah Tannen.

[Cha]

3. Thank you for this, Lisa.

sanders may be appealing to many because of rumpled clothes and whatever but not to everybody.. I read a piece last night by an African American who was not that impressed at all. It was interesting to see it through his eyes.

I like that President Obama made those points about how it was harder for Hillary than it was for him to be ready for the day.

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Wow, SO spot on. Thanks for posting.

[charlyvi]

5. I remember the 90's

When all this right wing crap began. I remember when she was working on a health care plan; it took her months to put it together. The repub congress crushed it. Not only did they crush her health care plan (which was as good in my opinion as Obamacare) but they tried to crush her as well. Rose law firm, Travelgate, Vince Foster, Whitewater land deal; they even investigated the Clinton christmas card list! That's when the repub party went off the rails. The fact that she didn't say "fuck this" and retire into private life says so much about her character. Hillary NEVER gives up! She has this superhuman tenacity that has outlasted most of those who tried to crush her. New Gingrich? meh. Trent Lott? please. Denny Hastert? LOL! If Hillary Rodham Clinton cannot be president, then no woman will ever be president.

[Lisa0825]

6. I don't know where she gets the strength to keep going despite the

constant attacks for decades! I know I could never handle it!

[charlyvi]

7. That's what I admire about her so much.

Her determination. She wants to do good for us, in spite of us!

[kjones]

8. She's the "Hilldozer"...can't stop her! lol. nt

[mcar]

9. This states it so well!

Thank you for the link.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. +1000

[NastyRiffraff]

11. Excellent article!

And so very true. Every woman who has been in a position of authority knows about the double bind. Including the position of authority of being a mother. Anything she does regarding her children is considered fair game for criticism, while a man is congratulated for any sliver of childcare he deigns to offer. (I know that's an overgeneralization; there are very good fathers out there.)