Katha Pollit has a major piece on this at the Nation and it's welcome indeed. Many Bernie supporters and other Hillary bashers dismiss support for her as 'identity politics'-ie, she has little qualification other than she's a woman.
Actually no-they are getting her mixed up with Sarah Palin.
"Her gender? What’s wrong with wanting to see a woman—not a Sarah Palin, but a highly qualified liberal-feminist Democratic woman—in the most powerful job in the world, after more than 200 years of male occupancy? Henwood avoids dealing with the gendered nature of the attacks on Hillary, but he doesn’t entirely escape the pit himself. After all, the sins he finds so damning in Hillary are those of a multitude of successful male Democratic politicians, who similarly cozy up to the rich, accept huge speaking fees, have books ghost-written for them, and worse. John Kerry, for example, voted for welfare “reform” and the Iraq War, but Henwood endorsed him in 2004."
http://www.thenation.com/article/yes-hillarys-a-democrat/
You know, about a year ago, Madonna had scorn heaped upon herself for claiming that gay rights are much more advanced than women's rights. Yet, why is it so obvious that it isn't true? We have seen tremendous progress in the area of LGBT rights in the same period where we've seen a woman's right to choose more imperiled than ever.
In many red states, abortion is effectively more or less banned-as all the clinics have been shut down.
Is wanting to see a qualified liberal Democratic woman 'identity politics?' So did all the folks both black and white in 2008 who wanted a qualified black man in office ascribe to identity politics?
Actually no-they are getting her mixed up with Sarah Palin.
"Her gender? What’s wrong with wanting to see a woman—not a Sarah Palin, but a highly qualified liberal-feminist Democratic woman—in the most powerful job in the world, after more than 200 years of male occupancy? Henwood avoids dealing with the gendered nature of the attacks on Hillary, but he doesn’t entirely escape the pit himself. After all, the sins he finds so damning in Hillary are those of a multitude of successful male Democratic politicians, who similarly cozy up to the rich, accept huge speaking fees, have books ghost-written for them, and worse. John Kerry, for example, voted for welfare “reform” and the Iraq War, but Henwood endorsed him in 2004."
http://www.thenation.com/article/yes-hillarys-a-democrat/
You know, about a year ago, Madonna had scorn heaped upon herself for claiming that gay rights are much more advanced than women's rights. Yet, why is it so obvious that it isn't true? We have seen tremendous progress in the area of LGBT rights in the same period where we've seen a woman's right to choose more imperiled than ever.
In many red states, abortion is effectively more or less banned-as all the clinics have been shut down.
Is wanting to see a qualified liberal Democratic woman 'identity politics?' So did all the folks both black and white in 2008 who wanted a qualified black man in office ascribe to identity politics?
I mean let's be honest-I love President Obama but had he not been black, would he have beaten Hillary? I'm not so sure. He received 80 percent of the black vote. Would he have done the same with the same exact resume had he been white?
Yet no one accused Obama voters of identity politics. So even now sexism is taken less seriously than racism or homophobia.
In 2008 some of the Obama supporters went way over the line with their sexist attacks on her. Again, I'm saying supporters, certainly not the President himself. I remember Obama supporters who would argue to me that we still don't know if women have the requisite leadership skills to be President.
Can you imagine what they'd have said if someone tried to question black folks in this way? There were people heckling her to 'Iron my shirt'-it's just not the same. Even now the issue of sexism is mocked and taken less seriously.
As for policy, I think it's arguable that you do see some clear policy differences just by dint of HRC being a woman. It's been hard not to notice that she has talked more about a woman's right to choose and the attack on Planned Parenthood than her two male Democratic opponents.
I've had discussions with Bernie supporters on line who speak dismissively about a woman's right to choose-they say Bernie's just a prochoice as she is but doesn't talk about it all the time.
But that's just it: why doesn't he? He talks about inequality and the bankers all the time; why is the issue of choice and women's health comparatively less important? Bernie cares about women's rights too but he doesn't talk about it all the time.
Like with gun control, he sees no reason to keep shouting over it-unlike the bankers.
I think it's time to call out all Hillary bashers whether they are Bernie supporters, Republican sexists, or simply people who have it in for her 'just because.' Remember the old saying: 'When I hear the word 'culture' I get my gun.'
Maybe even those of us who believe in gun control should do something like that when we hear Hillary's supporters dismissed as 'identity politics.' LOL.
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