Gender Politics and Fear.

[Maddy McCall]

Point of View:
Published: Mar 28, 2008 12:00 AM
Modified: Mar 28, 2008 03:00 PM


Gender Politics and Fear

Would a national speech on gender by Sen. Hillary Clinton go over as well as Sen. Barack Obama's on race? I'm afraid not. Gender issues -- or sexual differences -- are more difficult to talk about. Why?
Like Hillary Clinton, I was student body president at a women's college and gave the graduation speech, and was sent forth to conquer the world. But I never found out about the glass ceiling. I became a wife, mother, writer and community volunteer. Like Hillary Clinton, I have 30 years of calendars in which almost every hour of every day is filled with some kind of meeting. But I never ran for office. I did not have Hillary's nerve. I played it safe.

When I hear sexist jokes about Hillary Clinton, I am as frightened as I was in high school when I heard the football team taunt me as I walked past, having stayed late to put out the school newspaper. I am as afraid as when I decided not to participate in a civil rights protest because my parents said I would be kicked out of the family.

But that was more than four decades ago. Today, I hesitate to press my views upon professional women who, having been brought this far by the women's movement, have no more need of it. I soften my support for Hillary when I go to a book club. I risk losing more than one friend who doesn't call anymore. A feminist cautioned me that no one wants to hear about women in the 1900s chaining themselves to the White House fence in support of suffrage. When I said some were jailed, and when they fasted were force-fed, a woman said, "You're making that up."

snip/

Sometimes I am so afraid for her that I want to say, give it up, Hillary, concede, it's his time, his campaign; go back to the Senate and do a good job. Step aside. Let a great man have it.

In one phrase or the other, this is what some Democrats are saying (perhaps not in North Carolina, where no ACC team behind in the numbers would concede victory, even with only 0.8 seconds left).

But hour by hour, I realize that asking Clinton to concede is wimpy nonsense. Rather, we are called to continue a bolder civil discourse about the historic divisions that stand in the way of unity. Let's level the playing field: All men and all women are created equal.

snip/

In a private letter to John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers, Abigail Adams -- at home looking after the children, the farm and the finances -- gave expression to her own strong feelings: "Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."

If it takes a rebellion to help remove gender prejudice from the politics of division, I am ready for it, and don't expect me to abide by my mother's laws of how a lady should act. While we're dismantling the language of racism, let's finish the job: No more talking about "that woman" who "should have left Bill." Let's talk about the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

MUCH MORE AT: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/1016620.html

[anonymous171]

1. Hillary isn't being slimed for knowing a "rabid man hater."

[joshcryer]

4. No, she's being slimed for being a politician.

She's just a woman and we can't have that.

[merh]

7. and not everyone agrees that she is the face of the feminist

movement. To some, she is the complete opposite of what many believe to be the crux of the movement, that women need to be judged as individuals, be treated as equals based upon their own credentials.

[joshcryer]

8. Yet many in the feminist movement don't realize just how difficult this position is to get to.

We didn't have a *speaker* until a few years back. First one ever. We're quite a ways off from having a female Presidential Candidate.

[LisaM]

22. What rabid man hater?

You can't possibly be referring to the author of this article.

[LostinVA]

2. Is that Barbie in your new avatar?

Interesting OP, btw.

[Maddy McCall]

3. It's "white trash barbie."

I've been referred to as white trash on DU, so I thought I'd adopt it and adapt, the proud rural redneck whitetrash educated liberal that I am.

:rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

20. ZING! hahaha...

EDIT: I dunno how nice it is to make fun of Britney Spears like that tho.

[Autumn]

5. That's a very good article Maddy

and I like your new avatar. But do you really think we will ever have a discussion here about the candidacy of Hillary Clinton? I don't think I've seen one since I've been back.

[Maddy McCall]

6. It's impossible to have a discussion in GDP these days.

When I say anything the least bit cricical of Obama, I'm swarmed by 12 Obama supporter replies.

When I wish to discuss the role of gender in this election, I'm called a "man hater."

I gave up on having a good, honest, frank discussion on Hillary's candidacy months ago. :(

[cbayer]

9. Very interesting. Thanks.

I've noticed what I hope is a trend over the last day or two. It seems that many of what I would call the "unreasonable" Clinton supporters are absent and the more reasoned, intelligent ones are surfacing. This seems to be elevating the conversation a great deal and damping down some of the flame wars. The rather large number of remaining "unreasonable" Obama supporters just don't seem to have anyone to fight with. I could be wrong, but I hope I am not.

[tishaLA]

10. Yes, let's have that bolder civil discourse

about gender. I would really welcome that. But doesn't Hillary have to be in some sense responsible for generating that discourse? I have seen nothing in her campaign that tells me she wants to engage it in any meaningful, substantive way. Honestly. I mean, I hear her talk about her experiences as a wife, mother, and daughter, but I haven't heard her talk about gender as part of a larger narrative arc about inequality in America. And I would LOVE to hear it.

[anonymous171]

With all respect to Clinton

Penn would probably make it a victimhood-fest.

[cbayer]

15. Although I would like to hear her speak on this as well,

it is a very difficult situation. I have been in positions of political power and found out quickly that if you become labeled a "feminist", you rapidly lose the support of many people. What worked best for me was to maintain a sense of humor about subtle sexism and rapidly, but briefly, address overt sexism. You have to be "one of the boys" without losing your femininity. It's a very difficult path.

[tishaLA]

24. But Hillary IS a feminist

and a fairly unapologetic one, although she has tended to downplay that recently to maker her more palatable to a certain segment of voters. It is not too much to ask, if we really want to have this broader civil discourse about gender, that Hillary begin talking broadly about the role of women in American culture in a way that situates gender as a site of social critique and locus of political action. That is not to say that she needs to label herself a "feminist"--at least overtly--but that she work toward a discussion of greater depth and subtlety about how that (feminist) social critique and political action can transform the political sphere.

BTW, it is worth noting that Abigail Adams' quote about male tyranny is directly from Defoe who, like Locke, knew about the dark underside of patriarchal power.

[cbayer]

34. Feminist, as a label, has taken on a lot of definitions.

I can't disagree at all with what you are saying. I'm just pointing out that it is tricky. I think Obama would have liked to avoid the conversation about race at this point, but was forced into it. IMO, that has been a very positive thing and will eventually help him.

The quote is outstanding and I recall it from my studies on feminism in college (way back when).

[UALRBSofL]

11. Maddy I have to disagree with this Wilson woman

Who wrote this article. I sent an email to the Clinton party suggesting she make a gender identity speech much like Obama called a race identity speech. I think americans should be reminded that there is much more misogyny in our country then there is racism.

[cbayer]

13. If you don't mind me asking

why do you have an Exelon patch ad in your sig line?

[UALRBSofL]

14. Oh, It's a long story. I'm not sure you'd be interested in reading

But I have the image in my signature as a reminder.

[cbayer]

16. Ok. I have some significant interest in Alzheimers

so if you want to PM me your story, I'd be receptive to reading it.

[Symarip]

18. I'm not trying to argue

But is there any proof that this is true? Again, I'm not trying to start an argument. I'd be interested in reading a study on something like this.

[joshcryer]

21. Google wealth statistics and sort by race and then by gender.

Just a simple check, but then you can google domestic violence, and then things like abuse, and you'll see the statistics are clear. Women are always treated worse across all race and ethnic bounderies.

[anonymous171]

30. How would a woman president change anything then?

[enigmatic]

12. Great post

And I appreciate your attempts at defending Hillary in GD: P, even though I'm not a supporter; I'm a Dodd guy who will vote for the nominee in the GE. The inmates are running the asylum here now.

I take part in an informal get-together each month for Expats/Democrats Abroad members; we shoot the shit, drink beer, and talk politics. One of the people I talk to regulary in that group who is an Obama supporter wanted to know what political boards I read and posted on regarding the GE; I told him DU mostly, and gave him the link. He emailed me back a few days later saying, "Who ARE these assholes in the Primary forums? Does Obama know he's got these people speaking for him?" I just laughed to myself; I wanted to get him to register, but he say "no way", though I know he still takes a peak here once in awhile.

If you're reading this Jimmy, register, dammit!:D

[Maddy McCall]

28. LOL

I love Jimmy! Tell him that for me!

:D

[Whisp]

17. if the Wright issue wasn't as needlessly overblown as it was,

Obama wouldn't have made that speech.

If a similar kind of thing happened where a Clinton supporter had said something controversial against men and the patriarchal system, repeated ad nauseum over the msm in 30 second clips, Hillary should also step up and make a speech about sexism as Obama did about racism.

but she could never have pulled it off as well as Barack did.

[anonymous171]

19. Steinem said some pretty tastless things about McLame.

[Whisp]

23. something about his POW time?

I vaguely remember that, but yes that was icky.

now why wasn't That on tv 24/7 for 2 weeks?

[anonymous171]

25. B/C They are trying to start a race war, not a gender war.

It doesn't fit the media's narrative.

[LisaM]

26. Maddy, thank you for posting this article.

There is no way that Hillary can stand up and make that speech about women's rights, for a variety of reasons.

First, and foremost, she would be mocked mercilessly for trying to copy Obama's speech. She has been mischaracterized as a racist in this campaign, almost to the point of libel. If she attempted to make the speech that I think this country needs to hear, she would be jumped on for trying to play the victim and pilloried for trying to point out that gender identity politics are as valid as racial identity politics. When it comes to LBGT politics, it's worse. I don't know how many of you read the post yesterday on how Donna Brazile insisted that it somehow demeaned the civil-rights portion of the DNC platform to include gay rights as an issue, but if gay rights don't stand a chance to have equal billing on our party's platform, how can we even hope that women's rights will, when so many people think full women's equality has actually been achieved?

I read a post today where a person applauded a Walgreens for having Plan B on the shelf. Why should we even be discussing whether a legal drug that helps a woman make a choice about her own body should be on the shelf or not?

I don't believe that we will achieve full rights until I can walk the streets safely at night, until violence against women is characterized as a hate crime, until women earn dollar for dollar what men do, and until we stop trucking with countries like Saudi Arabia that keep women in a place of submission.

[Maddy McCall]

27. beautiful post.

I agree with every word.

[LisaM]

31. One thing about this campaign - it has awakened my latent feminism

And I have "met" some really nice new forum friends, including you.

[Maddy McCall]

33. Awww....back atcha.

:hug:

[Blue-Jay]

29. I would love to hear Sen Clinton give a speech on "Gender Politics".

A) She knows as much or more about that particular subject than anyone else on the current MSM "national stage".

B) I think that the American populace would benefit from more instances of being spoken to as if we were adults. It would make a lot of people uncomfortable, but it's a necessary topic of discussion. I'm tired of chest-thumping and slogan-spouting and being Talked Down To by politicians in this country. If you say things that make people think, then many of them will be encouraged to think more about other stuff.


OK - That was "Agreeable Blue-Jay", but "Cynical Blue-Jay" also wants to comment on the article:


I doubt that Sen Clinton will take the chance to initiate the kind of honest, scab-picking, thought-provoking discussion that we deserve on the topic. It's just my opinion, but I don't see it happening any time soon (from her). She could do it, and it would be wonderful, but she ain't gonna. I'd love to be surprised.

*Now I'll return to my regularly-scheduled snarkfest.

[Maddy McCall]

32. I'm with ya.

Lisa above pretty much hits the nail on the head on why Clinton *can't* give such a speech.

[Blue-Jay]

35. Yeah. She's correct.

She types faster than me, too. (Then again, I went out for a smoke in the midst of replying)

It's nice that you & I are on the same page, even though we're not agreed on who should be the candidate. I only make fun of the dumbasses, and you've never been one of those.

[Maddy McCall]

36. Thanks...

made my day to read this.

:hug:

[Tellurian]

39. No, Hillary can't give that speech, that would be a humongous mistake.

However, Hillary does not have enough of the right people around her. Penn is fine, he has a job as a statistician and he does it. As an adviser on things such as womens issues, she has no one. I like Wolfson and a few others who have less important duties relating to contact people. I wish there was some way of contacting her for a meeting before PA.

[OzarkDem]

38. Thank you Blue-Jay

:loveya:

[knixphan]

42. I agree with both Blue Jays

[OzarkDem]

37. Thanks for posting it

How sad that Dem women feel fear from members of their own party.

Women voters have been there for Dems through thick and thin, turning out to vote when the men crossed over and voted for Bush and Reagan. We've stayed the course, even though we lost ground in wages, income, health care, retirement, etc.

This will be the year of the woman voter, mark my word. All the bluster, Faux News loving men who are crossing back over from the GOP and expecting to find the Democratic Party theirs for the taking are mistaken. They will have a fight on their hands this time.

[Umbram]

40. "...we are called to continue a bolder civil discourse about the historic divisions ..."

I wish this were occurring.

I think it is disingenuous to say that Hillary is staying in this race to advance feminism. If I'm wrong, all the power to her and may she fight the good fight until the end.

[elixir]

41. Excellent post, Maddy. Go Hillary, Go!!!!

[Chalco]

43. Excellent. nt