Women’s Support for Clinton Rises in Wake of Perceived Sexism

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Women’s Support for Clinton Rises in Wake of Perceived Sexism
By JODI KANTOR
Published: January 10, 2008

If the race wasn’t about gender already, it certainly is now.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has been running for president for nearly a year. But in the past week, women in Iowa mostly rejected her, a few days before women in New Hampshire embraced her. All over the country, viewers scrutinized coverage for signs of chauvinism in the race, and many said they found dismaying examples. Even Democratic women with no intention of voting for Mrs. Clinton found themselves drawn into the debate and shaken by what briefly seemed like a humiliating end to the most promising female candidacy in American history....By losing the first presidential contest, Mrs. Clinton may have succeeded in getting more women to see her as she presents herself: not a dominant figure of power, but a woman trying to break what she has called “the highest and hardest glass ceiling" in America....

What bothered them as much as the Iowa results, said several dozen women in states with coming primaries, was the gleeful reaction to her defeat and what seemed like unfair jabs in the final moments before the New Hampshire voting. Michelle Six, 36, a lawyer and John Edwards supporter in Los Angeles, said she was horrified to hear Mr. Obama tell Mrs. Clinton she was “likable enough” in a Democratic debate on Saturday. Ms. Six said she found the line condescending, and an echo of other unkind remarks by other men about women over the years. The likability question, initially raised by a moderator, “wouldn’t be coming up if she wasn’t a woman,” she said. At work, Ms. Six said, she listened to male colleagues make fun of Mrs. Clinton for choking up at a campaign appearance in New Hampshire. “She’s over,” one chortled, Ms. Six said. With that, Mrs. Clinton “may just have earned my vote,” Ms. Six said, adding, “I don’t know if I was super-conscious” of the gender factor in the race before then.

In New Hampshire, two hecklers yelled at Mrs. Clinton to iron their shirts — stray comments that angered untold numbers of women after the incident was widely reported. And Mrs. Clinton is the only candidate whose critics complain about the pitch of her voice. For many women, these moments are deeply personal. Though Sarah Kreps, 31, who is moving to New York, said she would vote for Mr. Obama, seeing Mrs. Clinton debate was a reminder of her time in the Air Force, and the discomfort of being the sole woman in a group of men. The criticisms of Mrs. Clinton’s voice took Ms. Rees back to the time her boss pushed the mute button on a conference call to tell her that her voice was too shrill....

“There’s probably not a working woman over 40 who hasn’t found herself in a similar situation, where her work performance is being questioned or challenged and she feels so strongly about her actions or vision that she wells up,” said Lisa Goff, 48, a freelance writer in Charlottesville, Va. “Hillary handled that moment the way we all hope to, by remaining articulate and not breaking into tears.”...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/us/politics/10women.html?pagewanted=all

[Ian David]

1. Like Rachel Maddow said, Clinton is doing so well because Tweety is mean to her. n/t

[Kittycat]

2. Give me a break! Sexism is her crying and getting support for it.

[Dawgs]

3. Exactly.

The debate was on Saturday. She didn't get her bump until Tuesday - a day after the news played her "emotional" video hundreds of times.

Who wrote this piece, Bill?

[papau]

10. sorry - but that is not known and can't be said to be true - Post Sat evening was minor part of poll

results released Sun and Mon. Indeed polling only the first 3 days of the 5 day period between Iowa and NH is given as reason movement was missed.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. I sure hope the media isn't trying to make this a Man vs. Woman thing,

if Hillary were the nominee or a White vs. Black thing if Obama were to win the nominee.

[madrchsod]

7. of course it is

man v woman...black v white..it`s all about the money shot

[madrchsod]

5. what`s her explanation for welfare reform in the 90`s...

that was a horrible program for poor women across this country....

[jasmine621]

9. Her answer is, she wasn't President. And

that welfare reform was brokered with the promise to fix some things in the bill that the Dems, including Bill Clinton didn't like. As you know, the Repugs have not lost control of Congress until last year. Check out the history for yourself. It is available on the Net.

[CyberPieHole]

6. Sexism is in place...

even here at DU, at least one *sswipe (an Obamanation) told me to "iron his shirt" because I support Clinton. I've never ironed a thing in my life and I am certainly not going to start and touch some dirtbag's clothing and risk contracting some STD.

[HeraldSquare212]

8. So gender-identity tops war-mongering? Sad nt

[gulfbreeze]

11. I was a John Edwards supporter......

until I just had enough of everyone of the pundits mocking and attacking Hillary. I used to work in the corporate enviornment and I know how it can be. It had nothing to do with her showing emotion. It had everything to do with the attacks. I'm totally on her side now and will do everything I can to support her.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. And according to this article, you are far from alone. nt

[FreeState]

13. That article doesnt even focus on the men who have done the same

I know quite a few that are now voting for her now who are basically on her side in direct response to sexism.

[ruggerson]

14. Well, I guess the "likable enough" moment had the impact many of us said it did

or maybe she's just another Hillary plant who reads DU.