MyDD :: Hillary played the gender card

Hillary played the gender card

by greenboy, Tue May 27, 2008 at 01:22:16 PM EST

In debate after debate she invoked horrible memories of when women couldn't even vote. Talked about how old ladies who were born before women could vote wanted to live long enough to see a woman president. So even if Obama did play the race card, how is that any different from Hillary playing the gender card. Both blacks and women have a right to take pride in a historical election & view it in historical context.

Where the Clinton campaign crossed the line however was in feeding racist stereotypes about blacks dealing drugs and about hard working Americans being white Americans (and don't tell me she didn't mean it; she never means anything the way it sounds). As for Bill's fairy tale comment, I agree that was over-hyped, & I couldn't care less if he compared Obama to Jackson. But the other 2 comments crossed the line.

Poll

Votes: 3
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Tags: Hillary Clinton, race, gender (all tags)

Permalink :: 8 Comments :: Post a Comment

There aren't nearly enough diaries (2.00 / 2)

criticising Hillary - more please.

Ugh.

by phoenixdreamz on Tue May 27, 2008 at 01:30:09 PM EST

Re: Hillary played the gender card (2.00 / 2)

Never had a problem with those little old lady stories actually. There was nothing offensive about them to me. These were and are accurate depictions of the historic nature her candidacy, and she could have done more in that vein. I had a bigger problem with her attempts to erase her gender (AUMF vote in order to look tough enough for example). She could have run a campaign purely as a woman (America's Mom, the nurturing, maternal Healer-in-Chief while still tough enough to defend her brood like a lioness) and done better, I think, than Obama with that sort of message of a new kind of leadership under a new kind of leader.

A substantive major address on the nature of gender relations in America similar to Obama's race speech would have been a great thing.

No politician ever lost an election because he underestimated the intelligence of the American public. - PT Barnum, paraphrased...

by jarhead5536 on Tue May 27, 2008 at 01:31:42 PM EST

No argument there (none / 0)

I thought Ruth Marcus, both in her WaPo column and again Sunday on MTP nailed it pretty well:

"And Clinton's least attractive campaign moments came when she took up the gender card and chose to play it as victim instead of a trailblazer. The notion that the male candidates were ganging up on her because she is a woman instead of--remember back when?--because she was the front-runner was silly. The complaint that asking her the first question in debates was evidence of a double standard was even sillier."

Going meta for a moment...

I think there's an interesting overlay not often discussed when it comes to both Clinton and Obama approaches to "identity politics".

Forget the race/gender divide, I think we've actually seen the age divide manifesting itself.

I can hardly speak for 20 and 30somethings -- but among friends, family, colleagues -- there's a stark, absolutely STARK divide in how 'we' seem to view the race as opposed to our grandparents and parents.

I don't know a single person in my age bracket that cares a damn about race or ethnicity. It wasn't an issue upon which to base opposition to Obama, nor was it an issue upon which to base support for Obama. I'm no sociologist - maybe it's modern media, modern entertainment, modern culture, whatever...

The exact same was true of Clinton's gender. We grew up in an age where many of our mothers worked - many of them had to work. In my 10 years in the workforce, I've reported to a female director for 9 years. It's never bothered me, it's never entered my calculus in how I perform my job, etc.

Again... just judging by older friends, family, and colleagues -- it's different for the older generation, for better and worse.

When I talk with people my age - from canvassing to simple discussions at backyard BBQs, etc - I can clearly see this at play.

In my age bracket (say... 18-35) -- race and gender rarely come up. They're just not an issue.

When I canvas folks in their 50s or 60s - or talk with older colleagues or family members, it has virtually always come up. Sometimes it comes up with a defensive "Before you accuse me...". Other times, yes - it does come up in a rather offensive manner.... but it ALWAYS comes up.

by zonk on Tue May 27, 2008 at 01:58:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Let's don't , jarhead, please (none / 0)

Men and women squabble all over the country about this all the time. Let's let them handle it on their own.

by lombard on Tue May 27, 2008 at 03:26:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Please put your COMMENT in an open thread. n/t (2.00 / 4)

Even John McCain lusts after teh engels.

by sricki on Tue May 27, 2008 at 01:32:46 PM EST

Re: Hillary played the gender card (2.00 / 2)

That poll is nasty, and I agree with sricki. This comment should have been posted as such.

And so, may evil beware and may good dress warmly and eat lots of fresh vegetables.

by thatpurplestuff on Tue May 27, 2008 at 01:40:05 PM EST

Re: Hillary played the gender card (none / 0)

Joining in the agreement; this doesn't belong as a diary (and probably doesn't belong at all).

And the poll is silly.

No Way. No How. No McCain-Palin!

by Texas Gray Wolf on Tue May 27, 2008 at 02:05:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I agree that she played the gender card (none / 0)

and did so, in my view, to her own detriment.

Nothing else in this diary earns any agreement or praise from me.

by lombard on Tue May 27, 2008 at 03:29:00 PM EST

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