Hillary Clinton
Related: About this forumThe sexist double standards hurting Hillary Clinton
I think we clearly see the double standard here in gd-p---and by who gets the hides and who does not at times
It is constant--day after day--commentator after commentator on cable networks.
The sexist double standards hurting Hillary Clinton
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-sexist-double-standards-hurting-hillary-clinton/2016/02/12/fb551e38-d195-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
By Dana Milbank Opinion writer February 12 at 11:09 AM
Much of Hillary Clintons difficulty in this campaign stems from a single, unalterable fact: She is a woman.
Im not referring primarily to the Bernie Bros, those Bernie Sanders supporters who fill the Internet with misogynistic filth about Clinton. What drags down her candidacy is more pervasive and far subtler unconscious, even.
Dana Milbank writes about political theater in the nations capital. He joined the Post as a political reporter in 2000. View Archive
The criticism is the same as in 2008: She doesnt connect. She isnt likeable. She doesnt inspire. She seems shrill. She shouts, Bob Woodward said on MSNBC this month, also suggesting she get off this screaming stuff.
Joe Scarborough, the host, agreed: Has nobody told her that the microphone works?
At that, Clinton supporters hollered about the double standard that condemns her but not Sanders, who bellows at the top of his lungs. The episode was part of a constant stream of commentators (generally men) taking issue with Clintons demeanor and conduct Shes got to become herself, David Gergen advised her on CNN before Thursday nights debate in a way they dont do with Sanders.
At a Clinton rally last week in New Hampshire I discussed the decibel dilemma with Jay Newton-Small, of Time magazine. Its very hard for a woman to telegraph passion, she explained. When Bernie yells, it shows his dedication to the cause. When she yells, its interpreted in a very different way: Shes yelling at you.
Thats not about Clinton; its about us. It is a subtle kind of sexism that exists that we dont recognize, said Newton-Small, who literally wrote the book on the matter. Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works, out last month, includes a chapter on Clinton. When women raise their voices, people tend to get their hackles up. People I talk to at Clinton events put her in a maternal role: Why is she screaming at me? Am I in trouble?
Campaigning While Female also deprives Clinton of the ability to make lofty promises. Sanders, for example, has a $15 trillion non-starter of a health-care plan. If Clinton floated such a plan, the media would mock it as patently absurd. But Sanders gets a pass.
Why the double standard? Men are the guys who want to go out and buy the motorcycle and women are the purse-string holders, Newton-Small said. Its a very traditional role we are putting women into by making them the one saying, no, we cant do all these really fun things. This is a very stereotypical box she gets put into, which then makes it very hard for her to be inspirational.
This is the essence of Clintons trouble: If she cant plausibly offer pie-in-the-sky, and she cant raise her voice, how does she inspire people? This hurts particularly with young voters the same segment that shunned Clinton in 2008.
Clintons likeability problem also has something to do with her lack of a Y-chromosome. Its a direct consequence of the imperative that she demonstrate her toughness. Men can be tough and warm at the same time think Ronald Reagan but for women, its a trade-off.........................
stonecutter357
(12,697 posts)Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Cha
(297,650 posts)BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)I've lived in the Netherlands where women truly are equal to men, and they're accepted and respected as such. It was an eye-opener for me, coming to this country after twelve or so years in Holland, to discover that men don't appreciate a strong-willed woman. So treating Hillary Clinton clearly with a double-standard has put much more pressure on her to come across strong yet soft. Yeah...it's that stupid but it's the American way...and it needs to stop.
wyldwolf
(43,869 posts)fleabiscuit
(4,542 posts)still_one
(92,394 posts)playing the gender card"
no, there is a double standard.
Flint Michigan was a perfect example. When she express support for the victims, the first thing her detractors say, "she is only doing it for political purpose". Of course when Sanders does it, "that has nothing to do with politics"
Yes, there is a double standard. It's ok that Hillary is being held to a higher standard, but it is NOT ok that Bernie is being held to a lower standard.
Stuckinthebush
(10,847 posts)It is disgusting. I'm sick of the so called progressives on DU who don't want to examine their sexist attitudes.
Just a few more weeks, folks. Hopefully some of that junk will disappear by choice or force
DemonGoddess
(4,640 posts)is when you call them on the double standard, and are attacked for it.