It's not easy to take being called out for behaving in a privileged manner. Especially when one has grown to think of oneself as a strong feminist ally. But I have indeed been called out, and what's most galling, those calling me out are right.
I've been too easy on Barack Obama.
I tend to like both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But I know the folks surrounding Hillary, and I really don't particularly like them. For that reason, I've leaned toward Obama throughout the race, though as I've said many times, I don't endorse him; there are too many valid reasons to support Hillary Clinton for me to say that supporting her is a bad decision.
Nevertheless, because I have tended toward Obama, I've been slow to call out fairly obvious sexism on the part of him and his campaign. Had I been more evenhanded, I would have not only not missed Obama's latest dog-whistle call to sexism; I would have condemned it immediately for what it was: a shameless pander to the lowest demons of American politics.
Barack Obama should be ashamed of his repeated attempts to attack Hillary Clinton for the sin of being female. Not only is the attack a foolish one against Clinton -- for what else is she supposed to be? And wherefore is being female bad, exactly? -- but it's injurious to women generally. When Barack Obama insinuates that Hillary Clinton is just lashing out at him to make herself feel better, it plays to the enduring stereotype of women as too emotional to run things. And that demeans and diminishes women.
I was wrong for not calling this what it was in the first place, and wrong for not wanting to call it what it is. And so while I'm late do do so, I'm doing so now.
Barack Obama should be ashamed of his statements. And he should apologize for them. And he should stop this line of attack immediately. If he does not, it will jeopardize his ability to win in November -- because Democrats, including Democrats like me, won't ignore that he was willing to use sexism to get the nomination. And while many of us will swallow it to avoid four more years of conservative misrule, we're not going to easily forgive it, and we're certainly not going to forget it. And Barack: you can't afford to go into this election with a good chunk of your supporters angry at you.
Make no mistake: I'm angry at you. And I'm not alone.
I've been too easy on Barack Obama.
I tend to like both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But I know the folks surrounding Hillary, and I really don't particularly like them. For that reason, I've leaned toward Obama throughout the race, though as I've said many times, I don't endorse him; there are too many valid reasons to support Hillary Clinton for me to say that supporting her is a bad decision.
Nevertheless, because I have tended toward Obama, I've been slow to call out fairly obvious sexism on the part of him and his campaign. Had I been more evenhanded, I would have not only not missed Obama's latest dog-whistle call to sexism; I would have condemned it immediately for what it was: a shameless pander to the lowest demons of American politics.
Barack Obama should be ashamed of his repeated attempts to attack Hillary Clinton for the sin of being female. Not only is the attack a foolish one against Clinton -- for what else is she supposed to be? And wherefore is being female bad, exactly? -- but it's injurious to women generally. When Barack Obama insinuates that Hillary Clinton is just lashing out at him to make herself feel better, it plays to the enduring stereotype of women as too emotional to run things. And that demeans and diminishes women.
I was wrong for not calling this what it was in the first place, and wrong for not wanting to call it what it is. And so while I'm late do do so, I'm doing so now.
Barack Obama should be ashamed of his statements. And he should apologize for them. And he should stop this line of attack immediately. If he does not, it will jeopardize his ability to win in November -- because Democrats, including Democrats like me, won't ignore that he was willing to use sexism to get the nomination. And while many of us will swallow it to avoid four more years of conservative misrule, we're not going to easily forgive it, and we're certainly not going to forget it. And Barack: you can't afford to go into this election with a good chunk of your supporters angry at you.
Make no mistake: I'm angry at you. And I'm not alone.
