 | What has Barack Obama Done That Was Terribly Sexist? |
“I think Obama was terribly sexist.” - Geraldine Ferraro, prominent Hillary Clinton supporter.
Help me out here. What has Barack Obama done that is “terribly sexist”?
I’m not talking about some Barack Obama supporter somewhere. I’m talking about Barack Obama, because Geraldine Ferraro is talking about Barack Obama. Geraldine Ferraro just called Barack Obama — not one of his supporters, but Obama himself — “terribly sexist.” I’m sure Hillary Clinton has faced a great deal of sexism, but I’m at a loss to identify any of it coming from Barack Obama.
So tell me. Tell me what Barack Obama has done in the campaign that “was terribly sexist.” You’ll have to tell me, because for the life of me I can’t think of a thing.
What, is it sexist of Barack Obama to have not gotten out of the way of the Clinton campaign and let her win? Should he have treated her with kid gloves? Should he have deferred to her gender status? Is that it? If not, what? Help me out here. Show me the light.
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I think it’s a reference to how Barak Obama commited the unforgivable death-penalty crime of calling a reporter “sweetie” and then apologizing for it.
Comment by Damen — 5/19/2008 @ 4:40 pm
Huh. That can’t be enough to qualify — he pretty much immediately apologized for that. That’s not “terribly sexist.” It’s apologetically and repentantly sexist.
Comment by Jim — 5/19/2008 @ 5:05 pm
Don’t forget that when it comes to a subject that can get as heated as politics, about anything can become “terribly sexist” even if it’s only remotely sexist.
Still don’t see how a term of endearment can be considered sexist if it’s delivered and intended to be taken in a well meaning way and not used as though the recipient were inferior.
Comment by Damen — 5/19/2008 @ 5:18 pm
No, I can see how that is a problem. It’s a diminutive word used to refer to a lesser. Think how Bill O’Reilly or Chris Matthews or George Stephanopoulos would take to being called “sweetie” by their bosses. It just doesn’t merit — especially because there was an immediate apology and a recognition by Barack Obama that his words were inappropriate — the notion that Barack Obama is “terriby sexist.”
Comment by Jim — 5/19/2008 @ 6:17 pm
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/asi/
Take this. Trouble is most of you sexist guys don’t know what you are doing wrong or don’t want to. Some women too. Why, because sexist language and behavior is tolerated and used as basis of jokes and as a way to control most all women. If women aren’t more controlled and mis-treated, then how come black men got the right to vote before them. Women have the right to vote, but have no represenation. Its been 232 years and no change. White guys would rather vote for a black man, anybody with the “right plumbing” than to put a women in office– especially one with bigger balls, more experience and possibly a bigger brain. But you can’t see what Obama has done?He sat back and did not defend the techniques used against Hillary — he enjoyed it and knew he was benefiting from it. He may as well as helped stuff extra votes in his ballot boxes–and he’s probably sit back and watch that happen too. He surely didn’t stop Auchi, Rezko or Wright or the others. He sat back and watched Wright say “God Damn America.” He watches sexism unfold before his eyes. He’s not for the new and fair, he’s cut from the same old sexist male cloth, only black.
Comment by Bev — 5/20/2008 @ 1:37 am
Stop generalizing please and pay attention. You apparently didn’t notice the bit where I acknowledged sexism in general but said I wanted to talk about this particular claim. A number of “white guys” have voted for Hillary Clinton, second of all. Third of all, by your standard you must be a racist because you didn’t pick the black person over the white person. And fourth, you haven’t cited a single instance in which Barack Obama has been “terribly sexist.” You’ve just said he is, which is not the same thing. For these reasons what you write is unconvincing when it comes to the matter at hand.
Comment by Jim — 5/20/2008 @ 8:21 am
Maybe it’s this:
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2008/05/400-blow-hards-and-operation-turn-down.html
or maybe it’s this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke64670GkZ8
or the other blogs that complain about the secretness of the location of the “open” May 31 DNC meeting, or Shirley Jackson’s “Lottery”, or the other YouTube videos with the footage of the 1968 Democratic convention.
Or maybe it’s all in their heads and they’re just imagining the whole thing.
Comment by Anonymous — 5/20/2008 @ 11:53 pm
Bev, the more comments I read of yours the more I become convinced you’re guilty of misandry.
Comment by Damen — 5/21/2008 @ 2:15 am
Bev, you’re saying that a woman is automatically NOT represented if a man is in an elected position. Does that mean that you think that all it takes for you to be represented is for a woman to be elected?
That is, by definition, sexist.
Elizabeth Dole represents Democratic women better than Barack Obama would? Okay, um, NO.
Comment by Junga — 5/21/2008 @ 5:32 am
Bev,
You are totally on target! Obama’s consistent misrepresentations about Hillary’s background with a sense of entitlement when all he could offer is words and real achievements is sexist. He cannot compare his accomplishments to those of Hillary.
Every time that Obama said he had better judgment than Hillary was sexist. It appealed to those who think women are mentally deficient to men. Hillary has displayed excellent judgment. Obama has shown very poor judgment in his evaluation of his speeches, his relationships with Rev. Wright and Resko.
Obama was sexist and discounting his grandmother when he compared her fear of a group of black youths and crossed the street to be racist at the same level as the hiddeous comments that Rev. Wright preached to masses for over 20 years and he never objected. Although, to me, this makes him both racist and sexist. Essentially a bigot.
He is sexist and patronizing in his speech last night when he discounted Hillary by saying that all Hillary’s accomplishments were her successes in the campaign. Her real accomplishments were not mentioned. It was as backhanded a compliment as any AND HE THOUGHT HE WAS BEING COMPLIMENTARY!!!
Comment by Veronica — 5/21/2008 @ 11:11 am
Bev,
You are totally on target! Obama’s consistent misrepresentations about Hillary’s background with a sense of entitlement when all he could offer is words and real achievements is sexist. He cannot compare his accomplishments to those of Hillary.
Every time that Obama said he had better judgment than Hillary was sexist. It appealed to those who think women are mentally deficient to men. Hillary has displayed excellent judgment. Obama has shown very poor judgment in his evaluation of his speeches, his relationships with Rev. Wright and Resko.
Obama was sexist and discounting his grandmother when he compared her fear of a group of black youths and crossed the street to be racist at the same level as the hiddeous comments that Rev. Wright preached to masses for over 20 years and he never objected. Although, to me, this makes him both racist and sexist. Essentially a bigot.
He is sexist and patronizing in his speech last night when he discounted Hillary by saying that all Hillary’s accomplishments were her successes in the campaign. Her real accomplishments were not mentioned. It was as backhanded a compliment as any AND HE THOUGHT HE WAS BEING COMPLIMENTARY!!!
He is sexist and pompous when he minimizes her positions such as her experience in the White House as less than what it was. She was Bill Clinton’s right hand in the White House. Bill held Hillary in higher regard than Al Gore. This was the problem between Al Gore and the Clintons. She was not just a first lady. She discussed and helped shape policy with Bill as his advisor. She was a diplomat. She dug into the problems with Bill. His discounting of her role is SEXIST!
There are many more instances of his sexism and his campaign’s sexism. Further by definition sexism is the discounting of a person because she is female whether the person is doing the discounting is aware of it or not.
How easily people are lead by those who can memorize a good speech?!! It is amazing.
Comment by Veronica — 5/21/2008 @ 11:17 am
More instances of Obama’s sexism:
1. When his campaign fails to correct pundits (99% on MSNBC/NBC, 80% on CNN, 100% on ComedyCentral) in their misrepresentations of Hillary and he has jumped on the bandwagon. He should have stood up and said that the media has been giving Hillary a very hard time. But his lack of spine or probably even to notice shows that he is sexist.
2. The media keeps saying that Hillary voters are not college graduates and that they make less than $50K annually. What bunk?!! Most professional women, who are also college graduates with advanced degrees see the sexism and vote for Hillary. It is the male college grads that vote for Obama. Obama also pull 90% of the black vote. Do all these black people have college degrees? When whites vote for Hillary they are called racist. When 90% black vote for Obama nothing is mentioned. This is an appeal to those who think that women are lesser thans. The sexist thesis is that if you are uneducated than you vote for Hillary with the collorary that if you are educated you vote for Obama. This is SEXIST!
Obama says that he will promote women’s issues because he has two daughters. I don’t believe it. He does not know that he is a sexist. He has crossed an ethical boundary in his attacks of Hillary that has appealed to those who think women are lesser thans.
If you want to know whether you (male or female) are sexist, here is one question. If you cannot see Hillary as a commander in chief and you can easily see Obama as a commander in chief, you are sexist. If you can see a person who has even less experience than George W. Bush enter the presidency over an accomplished female, you are sexist. Who would you hire to run your finances? The guy that just graduated or the female who has shown capabilities over a life time?
This country has a long way to go on eliminating sexism.
Comment by Veronica — 5/21/2008 @ 11:48 am
If you missed the sexism in Obama’s “sweetie” remark, could it be that you’ve not had your ideas dismissed by a male boss, only to have him applaud the same by a male coworker. And Obama’s comment in last night’s speech about Hillary leading the way for other women to pursue higher goals, I personally took that as an insult. For those of us who have felt the bite of discrimination in a man’s world, it was if he was saying…”it’s not your time yet, so get in, sit down, shut up and hold on!” And if you do any research, you will find that Obama has used the term “sweetie” more than once in reference to a female.
Comment by Liv — 5/21/2008 @ 12:16 pm
So, just to clarify, Veronica and Liv, you found this statement:
to qualify as “terribly sexist.”
Can you explain to me how this statement is “terribly sexist”? And then can you explain to me what words Barack Obama could have spoken last night regarding his primary opponent that would not have qualified in your minds as “terribly sexist”?
Comment by Jim — 5/21/2008 @ 2:14 pm
Well, the campaign is not over Jim. You don’t hear the sexism, the pat on the head, the arrogance? He is dismissing her!!! Plus you have countered only last night’s comments that put along along side all his other acts and comments, can only be perceived as patronizing and SEXIST!!!!
Comment by Veronica — 5/21/2008 @ 6:11 pm
Well, he’s like, you know, um, how to say this? Straightforwardly: he has pretty much won the nomination, so the fact that he’s acting like it is pretty understandable. The only way Hillary Clinton could possibly be nominated now is if the results of the primaries and caucuses were overturned by the superdelegates, and he has a majority of the superdelegates that have announced, with more going his way.
How, tell me how, exactly how, Hillary Clinton could possibly win the nomination. What has to happen?
You know what I read in that statement? I read Barack Obama doing his best to convey respect.
I repeat, please tell me what Barack Obama could possibly have said that would have satisfied you.
Comment by Jim — 5/21/2008 @ 7:02 pm