The Change Candidate Needs to Change His Tone Towards Women

[defendandprotect]

THIS really irked me the other day . . .


The Change Candidate Needs to Change His Tone Towards Women

Posted February 17, 2008 | 07:07 PM (EST)
by Karen Stabiner

The first time Hillary Clinton ran a television ad complaining about Barack Obama's unwillingess to debate in Wisconsin, he fired back with an ad of his own about the 18 debates he's already participated in and the two more that are scheduled.

She wouldn't let it go; her subsequent ad speculated on whether he was reluctant because his health insurance care plan wasn't as good as hers.

At a televised campaign stop, someone asked him how he felt about the ad campaign. Obama, grave-faced and sympathetic in tone, opined that when Senator Clinton was 'feeling down,' she went on the attack to make herself feel better; that is, she committed an error in judgment because she was in a bad mood. That was the moment when I, and other women of a certain age, all over the country, winced.

The change candidate had embraced one of the oldest clichés in the book -- that women are held hostage by emotion, that we can't be trusted with the big decisions because, depending on our age, we're either on the rag or having a hot flash. The overtly sexist position used to be that you didn't want to entrust the red phone to a woman because women are unpredictable and irrational; a fit of hormonal pique and kaboom, we all glow in the radioactive dark. The ones who aren't instantly vaporized, that is.

The kinder, gentler version? A soft-spoken observation about what a female candidate does when she's "feeling down," the implication being that Hillary's distress over the delegate count had impaired her judgment, and that someone who loses her way like that is not strong enough to withstand the rigors of the presidency. If you think that I and the indignant gal friends I've polled are overreacting, try the acid test: Imagine any major candidate making that kind of subtle put-down about a man's psychological fortitude. In 1972, Thomas Eagleton had to have shock treatment to get us to raise a national eyebrow about his mental health, ending his brief tenure as George McGovern's running mate. Short of that, we tend to assume that the boys are steady enough to handle the job.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-stabiner/the-change-candidate-need_b_87104.html

[dkf]

1. Yeah, the next time a guy tries to be understanding to me

I'll whack him between the eyes and tell him he is being sexist.

[LulaMay]

29. Yes, I'm certain he was trying to be 'understanding' in his retort. Do you have blinders on?

[elixir2]

42. Understanding? How about condescending and pompous.

[defendandprotect]

47. ...and how was it precisely that you think Obama was being "understanding" . . .?

[Hoof Hearted]

63. Um, yeah. - - >

[Ashy Larry]

2. When I heard him say "feeling down",

I took it to mean down in the polls. I really don't think there is any evidence that Obama is a misogynist. In fact, all of the available evidence points in the opposite direction. This line of argument is really pathetic.

[Window]

8. Well, we women are getting tired of the sexist remarks!!!!

Women, we must stand together!!!

Up with the skirts, Down with the pants!!!

....and let's get busy. LOL!




Peace:thumbsup:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. this 57 year old woman

agrees with you. I didn't take it to be a sexist comment at all.

[Hepburn]

17. This soon to be 60 year olf female...

...feels exactly the same.

[uberblonde]

31. "Feeling" down is not the same as "down in the polls."

You're not being fair.

[defendandprotect]

48. Oh, noooo . .. . this was about her "feelings" . . . . and hopefully we'll see a tape of this .. .

appearing here sometime soon ---

someone always has one . . .

[TheDonkey]

52. feeling down? like PMS? these people are really stretching for controversy

It's very sad to see.

[defendandprotect]

55. I think you should see the video === it immediately hits you ---

you don't have to go looking for it ---

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. That's really grasping at straws.

[sniffa]

5. I dunno

didn't he go on to mention her Aunt Flo in that piece? :shrug:

[krkaufman]

41. chuckle. n/t

[WinkyDink]

53. The initial grasping, methinks, was Obama's snide remark.

[Occam Bandage]

4. Hillary launches baseless attack. Obama shrugs it off, saying it was just attack politics.

OMG OBAMA IS SEXIST HE HATES WOMEN.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. He's Said A Few Disgraceful Things And His Inexperience Shows At Times. I Hope He Can Keep It Going

during the GE if he makes it there, before he's exposed as the wet behind the ears candidate he is. I think he may just be able to get through it ok, but I do worry about him being exposed as the lucky amateur he may very well be.

For sake of all of us though, if he's the candidate, I have to hope he can continue to fake it till he makes it long enough to be elected.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Can you provide any examples?

[Egnever]

11. well if experience gets you statements like

The red state delegates are second class delegates. I'll take the inexperienced camp every time.

Talk about wet behind the ears. Even worse her camp apparently doesn't even understand the rules in Texas a state she is counting on to save her from destruction. Wet behind the ears indeed.

[MADem]

18. Precisely. I think the GOP is gonna hand him his ass, though.

If he tries to pull the "You're a RACIST" card with them, they won't shrink away--they'll come back at him full bore twice as hard, and call him a not-ready-for-primetime whiner, a kid, a punk, a Chicago politician, and who knows what else.

He'll spend ALL his time "answering" their questions and charges , and not pushing his agenda--and he doesn't have much of an agenda, save Hope/Change/Change We Can Believe In/Yes We Can/Fired Up/Ready To Go--and that shit is already getting OLD.

[bigbrother05]

34. He won't say "You're a racist.", He will turn their words on them.

Then everyone with a functioning brain stem will recognize that indeed they are racists (or stupid/classist/bat-shit crazy).

That is a big difference between our two candidates, subtlety.

[MADem]

44. No they won't. MSGOP and all the other networks will lead with stories like

"Is the Obama campaign cracking up?"

"Hardball politics and the left's Whining and Crying Factor."

"Obama demands to be handled with kid gloves...Special treatment for the Dem candidate?"

"The Children's Candidate--behaving like a two year old?"

"Obama complains that he is black, attempts to divert from issues of substance to issues of race."

How is he going to break through the noise machine? They EXCEL in the politics of ridicule. And the Obama supporters, with their thuggish viciousness towards their primary opponent supporters, are doing a great job of supressing the Democratic vote in November without ANY help from the Rovian GOP strategists.

There isn't a big difference between the two, either (assertions of subtlety nothwithstanding--Obama's supporters are anything BUT, frankly).

[bigbrother05]

45. Obama tends to subtlety not always so for his supporters

The same can be said of the Clinton side too. Guess we disagree on how well he'll handle RW attacks, but so far, the Dem turnout has been impressive across the board. Think the record levels of activity in the Dem primaries/caucuses is a good sign for the Party as a whole and bodes well for our eventual nominee.

[defendandprotect]

56. The "sublety" has led to a lack of clarity in his remarks ... and I think

he purposefully does this ---

[defendandprotect]

49. I'm concerned that they will call out every racist in America ....

and when you combine that with every misygonist, that will be a big lump of bigotry for Democrats to deal with ---

But that's not the part that concerns me 'cause I think if we support these candidates we can do it . . . what concerns me is the weakness of Obama and Sen. Clinton's corporate ties ---

Basically, these are two elite candidates ---

Do you live in a 1.6 million dollar house?

We're nuts to be even considering candidates like this but it's about all you can get thru these days . .. .

Corporate candidates or none --- ????

[bigbrother05]

24. Are you being oticistic?

Isn't it time we moved past the days where folks are judged on the basis of their ears and/or associated nerves? Oh the humanity!

:rofl:

[MADem]

46. I can't find that word in my Funk-n-Wagnall's!

Even google refuses to help me:

Did you mean: autistic

No standard web pages containing all your search terms were found.

Your search - oticistic - did not match any documents.

Suggestions:
Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
Try different keywords.
Try more general keywords.

[DJ13]

9. Some people use extreme sensitivity to try an gain an advantage

[defendandprotect]

57. Everyone should see the video before judging it --

it certainly wasn't "sensitivity" . . . it was intended to point to a Hillary weakness . . .
she's FEELING down ...

in other words, she's in a bad mood and cranky and picking on me ---

[bowens43]

12. More and more ridiculous

you have to stretch what he said beyond the breaking point to even begin to make it look like what this moron is trying to imply.

Pathetic

[defendandprotect]

58. No -- you don't have to go looking for this --- it hits you ---

I think it was very spontaneous . . .

and showing his "boneheaded" side ---

[MNDemNY]

13. Like the Donnie thing, misogyny , like homophobia, well net him votes.

Calculated and deliberate.

[shaniqua6392]

14. I don't think pointing out Obama's many flaws

is tolerated well at DU, even if they are very true. Prepare for a lot of responses that defend him because he can do no wrong in the eyes of some here. I remember when he said this and I did flinch a bit. I did take it as a sexist remark. Thanks for posting the article. It was a good read.

[MNDemNY]

23. You are walking the line of blasphemy! Tread lightly.

The obamanation is setting up gulags as we speak.

[shaniqua6392]

25. Oooooh! I am sooooo scared.

:scared:

[MNDemNY]

26. Me too.

[defendandprotect]

59. It does makes you "flinch" --- in my case, instant hit ; very annoying ---

[woolldog]

15. I thought he meant:

down in the polls or in the race, not emotionally down.

[RBInMaine]

16. When will the Hillary supporters stop playing the gender card?

[Occam Bandage]

20. Any criticism of Clinton is sexist.

[defendandprotect]

62. Really? If I note her two votes for war, that's "sexist" . . . ???

Or, perhaps, mentioning the money she takes from the health care industry is "sexist" -- ??

Failure to go for single-payer health care for everyone . . . is "sexist" . . . ???

I think that kind of thinking is what just got Obama to thinking he could get away with
playing the "feeling down" gender card and get away with it ---

[defendandprotect]

60. I think it was Obama who played a "Gender Card" . . . and not everyone

overlooked it --!!!

[CoffeeCat]

19. Not only is Hillary desperate, but so are her

supporters and those in the media who perpetuate these "I'm a victim!! I'm a woman!!! He said
bad things about me!!" rants.

I'm a woman, and I find Hillary's knee-jerk victim-status--a real embarrassment.

So far, she's trying to paint Obama as a good speaker and a raging misogynist. Nice
strategy...what's her next move, making fun of Obama's socks?

It's 35 years of experience....coming at ya with blinding intelligence and creativity!

:eyes:

[defendandprotect]

64. I'm neither a Clinton nor an Obama supporter --- but Obama's comments were

tasteless --- and I think spur of the moment --- indicating how he probably actually feels,
but wouldn't normally admit it -- !!!

I am female, however --- and a feminist --- and you didn't have to go looking for this --
it hits you . . . look at the video!

Nor am I aware that Sen Clinton has made any comments about this ---

are you?

[Adelante]

21. As a woman of a certain age, I say ..

That is bunk.

[cd3dem]

22. "nice enough" "extremely sensitive" 'feeling down" "emotional"

Women need to realize that men are not ready to give up their power to women! We are still fighting the battle started by the women's suffrage movement! Electing a black man who uses this language is not going to move us forward. Why is Obama with no experience even in competition with Hillary Clinton?... there is no question as to who can be a positive leader!!!

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1712645,00.html?xid=feed-netzero-featured

[uberblonde]

32. Don't forget the "claws" remark!

About how "the claws come out". Catfight, fellas! Me-OW!

[ficus1]

27. Hillary is sexist and racist

"Hillary Clinton attributed last night’s action-packed debate to a Barack Obama who is “clearly frustrated” over losses in New Hampshire and Nevada. “He clearly came last night looking for a fight,” she said."

We all know that black men are irrational and easily frustrated when they don't get their way.

[LulaMay]

28. My gut twisted up too, "periodically feeling down", reminded me of a manager who'd ask if I had PMS

whenever I was assertive.

He also once told a co-worker and me, while we were standing on a break, that "we'd have better luck on a street corner".

I hate the subtle and not so subtle cracks tossed our way.

I hated it when he also said she was "likeable, ENOUGH", with a smirk, in the debate. Hey, that would have been a good moment to say something about it being an inappropriate and sexist remark.

But that's hoping for too much from our party these days.

Well, the DNC doesn't get a dime from me again until they do speak up about it.

All my money goes to Hillary.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

33. Perhaps you'd forgotten that when Obama made the "likable enough" crack

It was right after Clinton had compared him to Bush with comment about how we'd already had a "president you could have a beer with".

The question that Clinton was responding to was sexist as all hell and the people asking it at the debate should have been held responsible for it.

[defendandprotect]

65. Wait a minute . . . I disagree. The corporate-media invented Bush as the

"guy" other guys wanted to have a beer with --- it was silly and I don't blame any candidate
for taking advantage of it --

Especially as Obama has been made into some kind of icon ---!!!

I think it was the equivalent of the comeback that .... Lloyd Bentsen used re JFK ---

"....I knew JFk and you're no JFK" ---

And, I think what Sen. Clinton did was an interesting way to show the corporate-media how
ridiculous their coverage is and how many fall for it --- !!!

[bunnies]

30. Will we be facing 4-8 years of this shit if Hillary is President?

Because as a woman, Im already at the end of my rope with this crying wolf shit.

[defendandprotect]

67. Well, I object to anyone suggesting that this is "crying wolf" ---

It was an honest reaction I had to Obama's comments --

Look at the video --

[defendandprotect]

71. FYI . . . we're going to be facing 4-8 years of this GOP shit no matter which Democrat is elected -!

They began to rip apart Carter and Clinton before they even walked into the Oval Office --- !!!

And we had better be prepared for it --- !!!

[NJmaverick]

35. I will say this

Posts like this have accomplished something. I could never in good conscience vote for a Clinton again. They and their supporters have engaged in the same political tactics I have spoke out against and fought against for the past 8 years. They have also managed to tarnish Bill's reputation, which in my eyes had been outstanding.

[defendandprotect]

68. That's a wash because you can find a parallel comment re the Obama supporters . . .

MEANWHILE, I would encourage all DUers to understand that many women felt the impact of Obama's
comments in a very negative way ---

You delude yourselves when you want to stamp everything "smear" ---

Open your minds a bit more and listen to what is being said here --

[niyad]

36. that certainly raised my hackles. sexism is alive and well--and the deniers

are right on schedule.

[cd3dem]

37. If Obama makes sexist remarks, Hillary people are "too sensitive" if she were black they would code

words....

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have been attacked for being racist and insensitive... for using code words... and knowing wha they are trying to say in hiden messages...

yet Obama continues making sexist remarks... and it is nothing...

we all know it is no problem to criticize women and keep them down...

[ficus1]

39. Or you could reject the silly claims that Clinton is racist and Obama is sexist

But depending on whom you support, you'll hear what you want to hear.

[cd3dem]

43. blacks and others already made up their minds... the Clintons are racist...

I think we live in a world of double-standard after another...

blacks say the Clinton's knew what they were saying and were insensitive... and Obama allowed them to think that way so he could gain their votes and Hillary would be looked as a racist or a person so low as to use race to win... (I believe Obama is the user)

Obama supporters say... he meant nothing sexist about these statements...

I do believe for some people, these comments make them think sexist thoughts...

whether Obama intended to do so is not the point... the point is... he made this election about race when he allowed the media to attack the Clintons...

yet the rules of caution do not apply to his use of sexist like comments...

and he will not get my vote!!!

EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AtomicKitten]

38. "the implications being ...." -- purely subjective analysis as are all Op-Eds

[krkaufman]

40. Sounds like victimization pandering amongst Clinton supporters...

... and nothing more. Obama was obviously referring to Hillary feeling she's behind in polling, and so goes on the attack -- attacking Obama, the media or the sympathies of women.

[NorthernSpy]

50. NEW RULE: nobody can say ANYTHING about Hillary.

Or her supporters.

Say that they seem "down"? That's sexist. Say the opposite -- that the tears don't look genuine? That's sexist, too.


Everyone has to walk on eggshells around Hillary.

[defendandprotect]

69. That's nonsense . . . keep on with legitimate criticisms and understand --

many women reacted to Obama's comments negatively ---

[Blue_In_AK]

51. That remark kind of irked me, too,

although I'm not sure he meant anything in particular by it. It was probably a very subconscious slip-up. It was the condescending tone of the remark more than the actual words that struck me.

[WinkyDink]

54. Hillary replies: "And on his darkest days, Sen. Obama launches a jihad against me."

KIDDING, I'm KIDDING!

[SKKY]

61. I didn't take his "feeling down" remark to mean she was on the rag...

...I took it to mean "feeling down" as in down in the polls. :shrug:

[defendandprotect]

72. You know, let's face it . . . look at the video and tell me that if Sen Clinton

had made those comments about Obama that they would have been well-received ---

it suggests that Clinton was childish in her response ---

and it would work the same way in reverse had Clinton said it about Obama . . .

[Cha]

66. Ya sound like a bunch of whiners to

me..hilary is a conniving, lying, desperate fear monger..Obama's doing a good job of deflecting her smears and taking the high road.

The hilarys have nothing so they grasp at trying to control how Obama reacts to the shit she throws..fuck her and the throne you carried her in on.

[casus belli]

70. Dishonest parsing.

If you include the quote as a whole, it becomes obvious that by down he is referring to down in approval or in public opinion.

However, if you want to parse sexism from anything that can be perceived - however remotely - as misogynistic, then by all means continue drawing yourself as a victim. But don't blame others for your feelings. The only person that can make you "feel" anything is you.