Someone want to explain what the hell hillary is doing?

In what appear to be the waning days of her historic White House bid, the former first lady spoke out for the first time about what her supporters have long condemned, including derisive T-shirts, novelty items and commentary focusing on her gender. "It's been deeply offensive to millions of women," Clinton said told The Washington Post in an interview, in which she pinned blame primarily on tolerant attitudes in the media. "I believe this campaign has been a groundbreaker in a lot of ways. But it certainly has been challenging given some of the attitudes in the press," Clinton said of the contest that will crown either a black or a female presidential nominee for the first time in history. Clinton said she did not believe the campaign had been tainted by racism, adding that racism is apparently less tolerated in US society than sexism. "There should be equal treatment of the sexism and the racism when it raises its ugly head," she said. "It does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments by people who are nothing but misogynists."

setting aside the obvious Hilarity of clinton denouncing prejudice (ya know, of those white working class in the appalachians), what exactly is she trying to do? Suggest Obama is stealing the election through sexism? Help?

The Magnolia Electric Co:

I think we are witnessing Clinton's entry into the "damage control" stage now.

She is no longer directly attacking Obama, but rather, returning to her base- middle aged and older white women who feel that the feminist movement has stagnated in recent years.

And, as an avid hater of all things Hillary, I believe she is 100% right. Sexism is more tolerated than racism in the modern world. As a matter of fact, in my experience, "Millennials" are a step backwards from the state of Gen X feminisim at the height of Jeanine Garafalo.

Then again, I'm a white boy in suburbia, so what do I know?

As a matter of fact, in my experience, "Millennials" are a step backwards from the state of Gen X feminisim at the height of Jeanine Garafalo.

See, I disagree. Obama wasn't seen as "black" enough when this thing started, which was code for "he acts educated and speaks well, and those black folks aren't like that". For every Hillary Clinton Nutcracker Novelty, there's an Obama/Curious George Shirt. For every bible thumping "women belong at home taking care of the kids", theres another bible thumping "I won't let a black man tell me what to do". 2 of 5 West Virginians said Race was a factor in voting... and that's just the ones who would admit it.

Also, I think you are misreading the "Millenials". It's not that they don't care about race/gender, they just don't see the disparity without looking at older age groups. Anyone can do anything, as sesame street taught the millenials, so it's not on the radar of the millenials to have to fight for equality. They see Baby Boomers as racist/sexist sticks in the mud who won't change.

oh, and btw, Garafalo in 2016.

Woman is the Nigger of the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WomanIstheNiggeroftheWorld

Someone want to explain what the hell hillary is doing?

She's working the refs. She's taking on the media for a win-win situation. She comes across as tough and still fighting to her supporters (she's got some debt to retire), and she puts the media on the defensive in regards to her, Obama and Democrats in general. And as a bonus, she's working the women over for their votes, (which if anyone has ever seen the correlation between kitchen appliance sales and Oprah product endorsements you would understand that having the ear of women is an very powerful tool.) Maintaining her support among women will be critical for Obama in the general.

Thank gawd she's on our side.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_Is_the_Nigger_of_the_World

(grumble grumble, stupid Markdown...)

Someone want to explain what the hell hillary is doing?

She is doing personal damage control so she can run 4 years from now. She doesn't want to lose because she ran a bad campaign or she is divisive, she wants to lose because of sexism.

Now I think that is bull. I think the sexism that was seen was matched or exceeded by racism, with minimal net effect accept in places like WV. Secondly the Sexist Media basicly gave her a free ride until late november of 2003,(chris mathews said she was the sure winner every sunday for a year) and they have run with the , "she's a fighter" story for months after she has lost this nomination.

I think her arguement is not intended to harm obama but instead protect herself.

That said this is hurting Obama and increasing the "I won't vote for Obama." sentiment amongst her voters.

As a matter of fact, in my experience, "Millennials" are a step backwards from the state of Gen X feminisim at the height of Jeanine Garafalo.

I disagree as well. Younger folks are seeing race, gender, and religion to be less and less of an issue. That means less discrimination and also less activism.

Part of what Hillary doesn't seem to understand is that young voters don't get this stuff.

The "pimped" comment being the prime example.

Young people have not broken on the economic, gender or race lines that their parents have in this primary.

Hmmm. I think Clinton has a right to complain about sexism, but I think it is absurd to suggest that racism has not been an issue (I seem to recall clips of a seemingly "angry" black preacher running on the loop for about a month straight, besides, as was pointed out, the curious george T-Shirts and the like). It is equally absurd that the media is to blame for it, the same media that showered her with adulation up until Super Tuesday, treating her as the "inevitable" winner and buying into her talking points about "experience".

Younger folks are seeing race, gender, and religion to be less and less of an issue. That means less discrimination and also less activism.

I agree. I remember one baby boomer complaining that the the so-called "Harold and Kumar" generation sees such discrimination less as a moral rallying cry than a sign of stupidity. Not wrong--stupid. I know I grew up in a very different world than my parents did on a lot of these issues, so it makes sense that we take a lot for granted.

At any rate, the MI and FL seating aside, Clinton has pretty much backed off attacking Obama the last week or two, and seems to me to be trying just to save face--which she is perfectly entitled to, it's been a long and exhausting primary season. I hope tonight brings the campaigns to a settled and graceful conclusion.

This article of psycho-christians' excellent, by the way.

If some public figure said that the earthquake in China was caused by the wrath of Zeus, who was offended because women's rights had reduced the number of compliant virgins available for him to deflower, any politician who consorted with him would be forced to repudiate him. But Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, John Hagee and other such figures have said essentially the same thing and gotten a pass. Afraid of coming across as arrogant elitists who don't understand or respect the faith of "real" Americans, the media has pulled its punches on the Christian right for years.

Indeed. I think there is something much darker here--the idea that it is not, in fact, the media's job to inform the public, but to entertain them and coddle their prejudices.

I agree with Clinton to a certain extent. Sexism is very, very real and it just doesn't shock civilized people the same way racism does. And, I'm counting on racism being a place even the Republicans can't openly stoop to give Obama some protection. You know Hillary would not have gotten the same protection from open Republican sexism.

And, there certainly is a backlash against feminism with a lot of girls reaping benefits - including Garafolo's generation - not to mention that you hear among babyboomers.

To change the topic - I can't believe Michael Medved even has a voice out there. It sure doesn't take much.

oh, and btw, Garafalo in 2016.

Far too smart to get the job. Far too smart to want it.

Re: millennials & sexism

I was born in '80, so I am technically in the nether zone between X and Y. I think the distinction is: those who came of age sexually before the Internet, and those who came of age sexually after the Internet. When I was 13, Penthouse was some crazy shit. When my brother was 13, he could find donkey-on-zebra action without leaving the house.

I understand that the younger a person is, the less likely they are to care about gender and race as a basis for prejudice. However, I hold this separate from the issue of sexism.

I submit to you that many Gen Y's learned about sex on the web, and as a result, got a very different take on it than I did. On the plus side, they have enjoyed some wild times to be sure. On the other hand, in Internet porn is the model, it is easy to see how disrespecting women sexually might become more commonplace.

When I was 13, Penthouse was some crazy shit. When my brother was 13, he could find donkey-on-zebra action without leaving the house.

Haha! As someone born in the early 80's, I can totally relate.

The Internet has created a generation gap where there would otherwise not be one, I have noticed. I have friends a few years younger than myself, and this is quite detectable at times. It makes me feel like an old codger even though for most purposes we share the same age bracket.

From a broader perspective, sometimes it seems like the early 90's has become a ravaged wasteland in a "war" between splintered generational sects; a cultural no-man's land created by the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the creation of the Internet, the controversies of the 60's and 70's fading into dull stains, the momentary flashes of new freedoms fading into the darkness of new wars and old superstitions.

I submit to you that many Gen Y's learned about sex on the web, and as a result, got a very different take on it than I did.

Of the younger people I know who like to surf the underbelly of the Intertubes, this doesn't seem to be the case; and as for the exceptions to this, they would have been misogynist pigs with or without the convenience of Internet porn.

Indeed, the Internet is in some ways less discriminatory; naked women are not coveted in inconvenient-to-purchase magazines containing small collections of meticulously air-brushed photos, they are everywhere, basically for free, in every flavor imaginable, along with naked men, donkey-on-zebra action, mind-searing pictures of distended anuses, and so on.

The Internet, after all, is more about pull, and less about push.

Good God | Comment is free: (Some say that we need to have some suffering to appreciate what it is like to be happy. Maybe, but we surely don't need as much as we have.)

If you can have eternal bliss in heaven devoid of evil then surely an ALL-powerful God could've been able to create a universe in which this is possible.

There is more than just generational issues here with regards to sexism and feminism. (to place my generation according to zaphod's rules, no internet, rampid promiscuity, solidlly post pill, solidly pre aids.... the best of times... but i digress)

Pretty well all women, who have come of age after the sixties have experienced tremendous opportunity with some obvious sexism. Some of us focus on our opportunities ( so very much more than our mothers) and some just focus on the inequalities. I also think that many women in the post pill generation don't understand the whole pro choice movement, and in some cases are actually antiabortion. I think that the democrats need to understand that, the old feminist wounds are just not there, even for old me.

If Hillary want to talk about sexism, she needs to talk about her opportunities and challenges, not as some victim of sexism. She needs to talk about how hard it must be for her to be a credible candidate for president without another female to model herself on.

Sorry to double post, but I am hearing Clinton on CNN right now, no one is really talking about the blatant anti muslim rhetoric that is all over the net, and I gather the country. Or the anti Non christian rhetoric.

Someone on CNN just said Hillary should get off the "oppression sweepstakes". Not a bad line.