CNN Panelist Defends Use Of 'Bitch' As Pejorative

Paging Geraldine Ferraro! When it comes to sexism, there exists a more fertile ground to critique than obscure hip-hop gestures. And, there are more fitting chauvinist villains than the Obama campaign. Take GOP consultant Alex Castellanos - the man best known for creating "Hands," an overtly race-baiting advertisement that Jesse Helms deployed to great effect in defeating his African-American opponent, Harvey Gantt.

Tonight, as a part of CNN's primary night panel, Castellanos took issue with Jeffery Toobin, who decried a recent newspaper column that referred to Clinton as a "white bitch." The thoroughly refined and scintillatingly relevant counterpoint that Castellanos interrupted Toobin to make - attached to an assertion that Toobin was "dead wrong" by the way - was that, "Some women, by the way, are named that, and it's accurate." Clinton was apparently one such woman, because she is "abrasive, aggressive [and] irritating."

Right about then, I really started noticing how abrasive, aggressive and irritating Castellanos was! See for yourself.

Comments

[syrupcore]

the implication by comparing "white bitch" to what you can't say about a black man is that there hasn't been racism in the campaign. total bullshit. Both candidates are facing their own private and public "...isms" in this campaign. Before people go bashing Hillary about her sexism claims (true, like her or not), consider that barack and/or his supporters would likely be saying the same sorts of things about the racism in the coverage of his campaign IF he were losing. He'd be right too.

We're a sexist racist bunch, Americans.

[joselopez]

If I recall, Tina Feye of SNL called her a "bitch" in her sketch and a compliment to her. So Alex is right on this one.

[devadasi]

Ha, good point joselopez.­....it's okay for Tina Fey to use the word, but but Castelanos. I realize it's not politically correct, but Alex was correct.

[tea in the harbor]

If you don't see the difference between a comedy and a news program, you have a problem.

[sky2blue]

"consider that barack and/or his supporters would likely be saying the same sorts of things about the racism in the coverage of his campaign IF he were losing."

Yeah, and we'd be soundly rejected for playing the race card.

Besides that, you're right.

[Caringthinkingperson]

his supporter did say someting like this, but the word was "Monster", and we consequently lost a very valuable foreign affairs advisor. Obama holds himself, and his campaign to a higheer criterion

[Beninn]

And Keith just said, "gypped."

[syrupcore]

keith who?

[rimmer]

Good point. To be fair though I never even realized that was an ethnic slur until just a couple of years ago when I saw it written out for the first time.

[olivia]

What perfect timing. Hillary must be so pleased.

[benne]

I'm always pleased to be called a bitch on national television. Even more pleased, if like this comment, the person calls all women potential bitches. Yes, that must be Hillary's grand plan -- to be insulted on national media.

[mooph]

All women are potential bitches, just like all men are potential bastards ... or worse yet, assholes. (When was the last time a woman was referred to as an asshole?)

Big deal. Pejoratives are used with frequency to categorize both men and women.

[goodtomeetyou]

Neither Hillary or any woman should ever be called such a word but yes she'll take the sympathy vote or any vote for that matter.

[robXdion]

He's purposely being sexist to drum up a backlash for Hillary. This is an old tactic and disgusting.

[olivia]

If Obama were a lesser person he would be complaining about the racist venom hurled at his footsoldiers in West Virginia. NPR did a story on it. Slammed doors and the N word were just the tip of the iceberg. There were threats of violence and death.

Obama is a uniter and rises above it all. Hillary is a divider and exploits the worst in people, even encourages it.

[devadasi]

You got it right Olivia. Obama could have easily exploited the racist venon hurled at his footsoldiers, but once again Obama takes the higher road. Hillary is a whiner, who wants it both ways. And Geraldine Ferraro? UGH. Even Rachel Maddow was disgusted with Geraldine's rants.