But I have to say, I’m kind of deaf to a lot of this now. It just doesn’t reflect reality anymore you know – it’s a real sideshow.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200805210002

Jill,
Your blog, your rules. I don’t like the word, either, which is why I was so upset that Donna Brazile failed to challenge it’s use when it was applied to Clinton.

P. Springer,
Jeffrey Toobin referenced an article where Hillary Clinton had been referred to as stated above and made the point that he didn’t feel that an equivalent comment about a black person would have been considered acceptable.

Alex Castellanos said that it was okay to use that language about Hillary Clinton because it accurately described her. Toobin’s body language signaled disgust. Donna Brazile sat there stone-faced and silent while Castellanos continued to attack Clinton.

At no time did she say to Castellanos, anything along the lines of “it’s inappropriate to use that language to describe any woman including Hillary Clinton”. She did not even reference Castellanos’ statement until Jeffrey Toobin commented on it. Then, the best she could come up with was “Alex has a problem with this woman” as if he hadn’t disrespected all women with his remark.

This is the same person who displayed obvious anger at Bill Clinton and characterized his non-racial “fairy tale” comment as a racial slur. If Castellanos had said that Obama was “uppity”, she would’ve have demolished him.

She’s so far in the tank for Obama that she needs scuba gear. She’s in the DNC group who wants to convince the uncommitted superdelegates that Obama’s electability is not impacted by racism and that Clinton’s second-place status hasn’t been impacted by the overt sexism that has been displayed by so many journalists, pundits and others who are supporting Obama.

She didn’t address the larger issue of Castellano’s sexism because she would have needed to defend Clinton to do it. She’s not going to defend Clinton because, despite her nominal undeclared status, she supports Obama.

Chuck,

What do you think sexism is? Do you honestly think that the women who are the subject of this blog are just angry because it appears that their candidate isn’t going to win the nomination? Do you think that these women haven’t backed candidates who have lost before? Did they start a protest movement or leave the Party en masse, then?

Denying that there’s an issue is one way to address an issue. I don’t think that it’s going to help Obama win the general election but it appears to be the approach taken by his campaign thus far.

But now you’re just bandying it about – please – email each other if you want to keep debating that word.

I apologize if that feels unfair, but I dislike seeing that word over and over.

Donna Brazile allowed Hillary to be called a “white b****” without comment on CNN.

I don’t think that’s a fair characterization of her position on the matter. Here is a quote from Brazile during the “white b****” discussion:

BRAZILE: Alex has a problem with this woman. But, clearly, I don’t think that’s the issue. I think Senator Clinton has been able to break so many barriers. But at the same time, she has faced some unique handles and a double standard…

To furher clarify her position regarding sexism, she had just finished saying the following when they brought up the “white b****” comment.

BRAZILE: Well, as a black and a woman, I’ve seen them both, Wolf. And, yes, there’s undercurrents of racism and sexism in every presidential campaign. And, clearly, in this historic election season, with two unconventional candidates, we’ve seen subtle forms of racism as well as sexism.

But I don’t think that that defines Senator Clinton’s candidacy, nor Senator Obama’s. They have been two exceptional candidates. That’s why they’re in the finals. They’re in the finals because they are the very best. And I think to blame their standing right now in the polls among delegates on racism or sexism will not give credit to the American people, who have put these two unique human beings in the position of becoming the next president of the United States.

Oh now, I call bullhockey, the title and writing are not gender specific. YOU decided this was a man v woman debate. If that is what it is, I’m sorry I ever typed a single word because I wouldn’t waste 5 seconds on it. Rest assured, I am more than done with this.

I don’t believe that either of them have been any measure better or worse than any other candidates in recent memory.

Exactly!

When he characterized Hillary’s remark about LBJ as “unfortunate” and allowed his campaign staff and the media to rip her apart, he lost me.

I believe that that was a week after Bill’s “Fairy Tale” comment.

This is the problem with negative attacks. When you mock your opponent, their supporters take it personally and go for payback. With each iteration the payback escalates. In this cycle the problem is compounded by the fact that many supporters have a particularly high level of identification with their candidates.

My position has always been that racism and sexism figure into this year’s primary, that both campaigns have plenty about which they could have done more and that there is no hierarchy of oppression. Now, at this point, and in fact a long time ago though I can’t pinpoint when, the campaigns and primarily their supporters jumped the shark and cutoff real, objective debate about the merits of the candidates and instead insist on fighting tit for tat.

And I won’t go there. First of all, I just don’t like either candidate enough. I just don’t and I never have.

Second of all, I know I’m going to vote for the Dem nominee.

And third of all, I don’t believe that either of them have been any measure better or worse than any other candidates in recent memory. We can find flaws and faults with them all depending on how we look.

So let the people who make decisions make decisions and please, let it be Aug. 29 sooner rather than later.

Maybe Jill didn’t trash your post because she agrees with it. The fact that another woman does not see sexism or does not acknowledge sexism does not mean that the sexism does not exist.

As to my position on racism, I’ve lost one job and two promotions because my companions in my work life and my private life were often black. I’ve been called a n*gger lover. I’ve also had black women threaten me because they were angry that I was dating a black man.

I’ve witnessed the below-the-radar racism in the white community.

A black friend told me, more than thirty years ago, that the fight for equal rights for blacks had to take precedence over the fight for equal rights for women. I didn’t agree with him then and I don’t agree now. I’ve managed to stand up for both for many years. So has Hillary.

The real question is why couldn’t Obama do that? When he characterized Hillary’s remark about LBJ as “unfortunate” and allowed his campaign staff and the media to rip her apart, he lost me. A woman with a four decade history of working for civil rights was demolisheded in a moment when she made a statement that was in no way racist or, in truth, racially insensitive. If someone like Hillary can’t talk about MLK, Jr., in an historically accurate way without being demonized by blacks and liberals, who can?

There were going to be elements of racism and sexism in this campaign. The real test was how it was handled by the candidates. Hillary has played the cards she was given but Obama was the dealer.

Jesse Jackson, Jr., said that Hillary cried over her “appearance” but didn’t shed a tear for the blacks who suffered in Katrina. Well, I cried plenty for the people in NO and I also understood completely why Hillary was moved when someone showed her a moment of kindness and understanding.

Jesse Jackson, Jr., is still the national co-chair of Obama’s campaign.

Leading Democrats have been silent on the sexism in this race. Donna Brazile allowed Hillary to be called a “white bitch” without comment on CNN. This is the woman who was one of the first and loudest mouths on cable who misrepresented Bill Clinton’s “fairy tale” remark as racist.

Don’t worry, I intend to vote for any down-ticket Democrats who haven’t participated in this modern-day witch hunt.

Barack Obama will never get my vote.