I get the racism during Obama's admin but not the sexism of Hillary's run.

[NightWatcher]

I understand that not all white people know some black people. I heard from a coworker that he didn't meet a black person till he was out of high school. I understand that people might fear or dislike things they don't get to experience or know to be ok.

But every white guy out there knows, has daily dealings with, or has at least seen a woman before. Would they show this level of mean spiritedness to their moms, wives, daughters?

I guess I can't understand it because I'm a white dude who likes his mom, wife, and daughter, and in general has respect and empathy for people as a whole.

Signed, Raging Proud Feminist Dad.

[msanthrope]

1. I knew you were male before I clicked. Welcome to reality for over half of us. nt

[MrWendel]

3. Apparently...

there is too much change tooo fast for some people in America's 238 year history.

[kwolf68]

4. I think sexism is easier to do

I believe American society actually ALLOWS for overt sexism greater than overt racism. The racism seen over the last few years has been very subtle, not any less damaging, but subtle. The sexism is brazen and obvious. Thus, a man like Trump gains power and his supporters either explain it away, justify it, or blame their political enemies.

[Buzz Clik]

5. Interestingly, the most racist people I've ever known went all through school with minorities.

I went to high school during the time when busing was being used to integrate schools. I was shipped off from my lily white suburban high school to the inner city school. The white people there who went through the entire system in the inner city schools were the most openly racist people I've ever known.

I don't think lack of exposure is the problem.

[vlyons]

6. Transferred resentment towards their Mothers

who punished them as little boys. Maybe they grew up in a family where Mom and Dad fought a lot, and there was much ugly and abusive language, bickering. Then as young men with blossoming sex hormones, they couldn't form friendships with girls, so lots of resentments at being rejected. Perfect situation for expecting women to be subserviant sex objects and maids, cooks, housekeepers. Misogynist men don't really like themselves either. They are damaged goods, incapable of seeing women as equals. Not pleasurable to be around such people.

[lindysalsagal]

10. I agree. There`s something subconscious about the sexism. People who despise

Her don't know enough about civics to form complete arguments against her policies. it's deeper than policy.

[JenniferJuniper]

19. Disagree. We aren't born sexist.

[vlyons]

24. I never said that we were born sexist or racist either

Those are learned behaviors and beliefs. But if you grew up in a family, where your mother told you that you were stupid, and would never amount to anything, that you were a weakling, what would be your attitude toward women. If your father constantly called your Mom a stupid whore, worthless and stupid, what would be your attitude towards women?

[JenniferJuniper]

25. I resent my father.

I really do. For lots of reasons. And my mother was never quiet about what she thought of him. Pretty sure I'm not sexist against all men because of it.

[vlyons]

27. As a Buddhist, I want to tell you

that we can get over out resentments. It's not always easy. I deeply resented my parents also. But my resentment and anger and hatred has greatly diminished. What helped me is Buddha's teaching on the truth of suffering and the truth of karma. We are all of us suffering. When we come to realize that our selfish desires keep us locked in suffering, it becomes possible to have some compassion for people, who make stupid, hurtful actions. My parents are long deceased, but I still pray that wherever they are, that they have loving families and easy access to an authentic teacher of forgiveness and compassion. Love conquors hatred.

[JenniferJuniper]

28. Oh, please

The point is that sexism isn't rampant because so many mothers totally suck.

[LonePirate]

7. Anything that challenges/subverts the dominance of white men is met with resistance in this country.

All of the bullshit Hillary has confronted should surprise nobody.

[JenniferJuniper]

8. Seriously?

Most of us deal with very direct sexism every single day of our lives.

This is going to be just as bad - if not worse - for Clinton than it was for Obama. At least he was a half-white male.

[TCJ70]

9. Maybe it's not all sexism?

There are other reasons to have an opinion of someone than outward appearance.

[RobinA]

20. It's The Visceral Hatred

that's the tell. Look, I disagreed with Reagan, but I haven't suggested he be hanged on the Mall. You can not like a candidate, disagree with the candidate, without the over the top hate that gets directed towards Hillary.

[TCJ70]

23. Part of the problem stems from Republican rhetoric...

...painting Dems/libs/progressives as America hating destroyers of the country will also evoke visceral reactions. Sexism is an element for some, but I don't think it's as big a component as some make it out to be.

[LanternWaste]

32. The premise did not state "all".

"Maybe it's not all sexism?"

The premise did not state "all".

[frazzled]

11. It's about fear (and anger) of losing a position of power

I think racism and sexism overlap in this regard: the white male has reigned supreme in this country for ... well, since forever. These men feel threatened by the possibility of losing their status as the big honchos (whether in their families, their communities, or their country) to people of other colors or genders. For the first time, the white male feels threatened that others outside his class will steal some of his power, masculinity, or status.

Proviso: sensible white males do not fear this, because they have other things upon which to base their sense of worth than their gender or color. They're happy to share the pie with anyone else who has the smarts and the moxie to participate in the game. When your male status or your race is all you've got, you get scared that someone will take a piece of that away. Thank goodness that there exist a large and growing contingent of the sensible kind of white males.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Look no further than religion. Some believe that women should always

submit to men.

[malaise]

13. Just take a look at ReTHUG Committees

and you'll see how much they hate women.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

15. I think it is because they view women as objects to have

rather then an independent being with a mind of their own. How dare their plaything reject them! This femmebot is disfunctional because there is no submissive mode on it.

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. It wasn't so much the racism you saw with Obama, it was the bigotry that was evident.

Racism is systemic and unfortunately still alive and well, but bigotry stems from the individual and the words and actions of racial bigots have been steadily marginalized over the last fifty decades. Therefore, more easy to spot.

Sexism is also so ingrained in how our society functions it's almost impossible to see it because it's our "normal." But gender-based bigotry has not been effectively marginalized to the degree racial-based bigotry has. That makes it much harder to detect as these words and actions are considered par for the course rather than stand out for what they are.

Clinton is the first woman to reach these heights in what has been a job (power and authority) held 100% by males. This is the single biggest threat to patriarchy in our society to date. Doesn't surprise me at all that gender-based bigotry is rearing it's ugly head in major ways to the point people who don't generally recognize it can't help but do so. I'm so glad it's being recognized as such.

[Phentex]

29. "Sexism is also so ingrained in how our society functions it's almost impossible to see it because

it's our "normal."

This. A thousand times this! Everyone should watch Miss Representation to better understand just how ingrained it is in men AND women.

It's not impossible to see but we have to get people to see beyond what seems normal to really understand it. Once you do, you can't UNsee it.

[Brickbat]

18. Women get it.

And we're not surprised, since we deal with it every day. What's surprising is seeing men who are surprised that misogyny is a thing. We've only been talking about it since forever.

[ismnotwasm]

21. Um

I think one way to look at it is that Trump deliberately personifies not only the casual and accepted objectification of women--but outright misogyny--already inherent in our culture.

Good for you for being a feminist Dad!

[nolabear]

22. With respect, it's time to get informed. We have been raped, burned, drowned, chained,

forced to bear children, considered "spoils of war," stoned, grabbed, shamed, diminished, disavowed, disallowed, beaten, imprisoned, coerced, and myriad other things since time began. It has not stopped.

Have you ever heard of a "child groom?"

"Men drivers?"

Is there a male equivalent for "bitch?"

Ever been subject to arrest for taking off your shirt?

How about being denied medical care because you're not as important as the medical condition?

It's every bit as rampant as racism, but for some reason we don't demonstrate, in part BECAUSE we are so much a part of life with men and even women who simply put up with it. We can't separate from one another, and don't want to. But our history is rife with the most basic rights, rights that all you men, "good" and "bad" never question, being denied, and others looking on as if well yeah, that's the way it is...

Honestly, even for good men this is going to come as a shock, because you have the luxury of not having to think about it.

[Maru Kitteh]

26. Have you ever, at any time, given a half-hearted chuckle even just smiled politely

when someone made a crack about women drivers?

complained about his wife's cooking?

said something about a woman making up her mind?

told a blonde joke?

Made some quip about his girlfriend/wife/daughter spending money?

Then you have participated in the culture of misogyny. It's thick, and pervasive as the air.









It's just different sized piles of the same crap.

[Behind the Aegis]

30. Part of the structure of power and culture.

It isn't always, or even frequently, about contact with a group or not. It is about understanding the group and being aware of stereotypes, myths, and other issues. It is no surprise, to me, anyway, that hate groups and patriot groups grew under Obama. It wasn't about "lack of exposure to black folk", it was that they (the black people) were seemingly gaining power (another myth) and it was about fear. It is the same with women. Sexism, not to be confused with misogyny, despite those who conflate the terms, they are very different, is ingrained in our culture. The white patriarchy is "under attack" according to many because they see "others" making inroads and they (the bigots) see it as a threat, not a balance or achievement of equality. Actually "Christian" and "heterosexual" also deserve to be placed in the same category, though they are often overlooked.

The idea of "cognitive dissonance" is very strong in many people. So, when people are saying sexist things, they aren't talking "about" their female friends/family. I am sure you have heard someone say, in reference to someone who is black, "Oh, so and so is one of the "good ones."" They rationalize or "justify" their bigotries by claiming their contact with "good ones" means they aren't really bigots because they understand when they say bigoted things, they aren't saying it about the entire group. Another example of this behavior is similar to what you are pondering, "Some of my best friends are..." People like us wonder; how can one be so bigoted toward a group if "some of your best friends are" part of said group?

Frankly, it is how people try to explain the irrational by making it seem rational; it still doesn't work, in my opinion.

[librechik]

31. I have been dreading this for years. I always knew

that no matter how ugly and vitrioLic the reaction to a black president might be, that a woman president would outrage even more crazies. The next 8 years will be brutal, short of Dems winning both houses with a wide margin.

[liberalhistorian]

33. Oh, as a gal, I get it completely.

Just as, when it came right down to it, too many people couldn't handle Obama being outside of his "place", a black man sitting behind the Oval Office desk instead of pushing a mop and broom in front of it, too many people can't handle a woman being out of her "place". Women are supposed to be the "supporters" and not the "do-ers", which is a major reason for the intransigence of the glass ceiling.

Just as with Obama, when many who would swear they weren't racist and may have actually believed it ended up having a problem with a black man being in the highest political office in the land, many who'd swear they weren't sexist and have no problem with women in positions of power will, indeed, have a major problem with that once it actually happens in reality. I knew many such people and was shocked at their racism coming out of the woodwork, though I suppose I shouldn't have been. Just as I'm not surprised at the sexism that has already emerged and that will continue in full, ugly force once HRC is in office.

This country has always paid lip service to the notions of freedom and equality for all and that we're beyond racism and sexism, but reality shows the truth and puts the lie to that.