McCain Camp Levels Charges Of Sexism

During the primary campaign, charges that Barack Obama or his surrogates engaged in sexist politics were, perhaps contrary to conventional wisdom, not all that common. For starters, much of that derision was aimed at the media -- several pundits and hosts in particular. Secondly, Hillary Clinton shied away (at least publicly) from inserting gender into the campaign, much to the consternation of her female supporters.

So it is with a little tinge of surprise and much more newsworthiness that the McCain campaign leveled charges of sexism today at Barack Obama for his treatment of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

In a comment sent out by the Arizona Republican's aides, adviser Carly Fiorina said she was "appalled by the Obama campaign's attempts to belittle Governor Sarah Palin's experience. The facts are that Sarah Palin has made more executive decisions as a Mayor and Governor than Barack Obama has made in his life. Because of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the Presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin."

As evidence, Fiorina pointed to comments from Joe Biden calling Palin "good looking" and Obama comparing his campaign staff to the "50 employees" under Palin's control as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer chimed in with a Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled "Ignore The Chauvinists, Palin Has Real Experience:

Ms. Palin has a tangible, impressive record of achievement and executive experience. She is head of the Alaska National Guard and the chairman of two multistate agencies that make energy decisions that affect all Americans. While Barack Obama spent almost all of the past two years running for president, Ms. Palin has been running a state.

...

All women should be proud of Mr. McCain's selection of Ms. Palin as his running mate, an historic moment that came the week of the 88th anniversary of women's earning the right to vote. Sarah Palin will break through the glass ceiling that, as she noted on her first day as the vice presidential nominee, has 18 million new cracks thanks to Hillary Clinton.

Fiorina's Biden example may be taken out of context. The Senator was actually mocking himself, saying Palin was more pleasant on the eyes than he. And her latter complaint is more politics than gender. But Pfotenhauer and Fiorina's statements are illustrative in two ways: they suggests that the McCain camp is growing more and more concerned with the mounting criticism of Palin and are hoping (in the classical political sense) to assume the role of victim. It also demonstrates the extent to which racial and gender sensitivities will dominate the general election. In the end, moreover, it could make Hillary Clinton an even more important actor in this process as she becomes the de facto referee of what attacks on Palin are legitimate and which are out of bounds.

Comments

[Paula1953]

I'm an OLDER woman from a time when women were truly victims of sexism. In this day and time however, I don't feel that the sexism accusations should be used so freely.
If you put yourself in a position such as Palin has, such as Hillary did, then you better be able to take that kind of criticism.
Just this morning I heard Micah of the Morning Joe show make a comment that was sexist but no one called her out on it. There were three male guests and Joe talking about the convention and Micah made the remark, "Men, men, men." Tell me, was this not sexist? How can women get away with this but men are ridiculed for saying a woman is better looking than they?
I feel sorry for my grandsons.

[usabroad]

In fact the true feminist would argue, of course I would ask the same of a man. What would we determine it said about a man who didn't allow his family time and consideration to weigh in on the decision? What would it say about a man to be less available to his wife and young, large family, including an infant with special needs and a daughter who needs even more support, at this time in their lives? What would we ask of the character of the man?

Of course we would be reminded that RFK had a big and young brood when he ran for the presidency. JFK had very young children. But both Jackie and Ethel were willing and prepared for the efforts and sacrifices and neither faced the family challenges that face the Palins right now, at this stage in their family life. And it is in no way clear that the Palin family was fully engaged in the decision--how could they have been with so little time?

I don't like the rashness of this, and yes, I certainly would ask the same questions of a man. Why now? And have you thought this through? And many more.

[wyntka]

The sexism is McCain's! Take her resume and switch the gender, and there's absolutley no way that person would be on this ticket. McNutty chose her exactly because she's a woman, and that's where the sexism is.

[openhand]

does this mean that McCain has played the SEX CARD?

[SheriChardonnay]

Roland Martin on CNN finally said it last night: If questioning Palin exeperience is sexist, then question Obama's experience is racist! WTG Roland!

[breakingnews]

The biggest question is WHY has she NOT spoken to the press? 6 days as the VP Nom and not ONE interview??? What is up with that? Has that ever happened before? It shows she is not ready. If she can't handle a simple interview, how can she be ready to lead the Nation????

[judyc]

She's being programmed.

[barriosbabe]

This whole mess is to get social conservatve men and women out to vote - and those women NEVER were for Hillary in the first place. I have a bookkeeper friend who is AOG and boy oh boy the fundies are fired up over palin!

OBAMA BIDEN 08

[wyntka]

Help - what is AOG? I'm not up on my acronyms.

[harriscrl3]

Sarah Palin is a JOKE and republicans need to own up to their nightmare rather than blaming Barack and the democrats. The woman is suppose to be ethical coming into Washington to clean it up so they say and the woman has one freaking scandal coming out after the next and she has only been the VP pick for 5 freaking days.

She is a JOKE and you know she is bad when even the Thugs cant sell her and she is their pick. So because they pick a disaster they want to turn around and blame it on Barack and Joe. You SUCK your pick SUCK own it and MOVE ON and spare us this WHINING. I guess I know now what Phil Gramm was talking about he was talking about republicans they are the whiners and its more embarassing coming from a woman that we know has no business been VP. She is a bad pick she is not qualifed she is not vetted or tested and I dont give a whoot if she is called the barracuda the woman is as CORRPUT as hell.

Carol

[openhand]

BIG MISTAKE, you cannot have the ratings she does and be a joke? She has ZERO policy experience but she comes across as a strong politician. The U.S. is so obsessed with image, that a person like Nader will never make it, but OBAMA has a chance.

Work out a strategy to deal with her, dismissing her is not only ignorant but dangerous.

[maxwellinformed]

This dude kind of rocks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sft5-XhmfYs&watch_response

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Not.

[maxwellinformed]

Yeah probably not.

[CommonSense27]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/15/sources-recall-mccains-jo_n_112955.html

McCain is so sexist, it is not surprising he picked such a great example of low moral behavior and lack of experience and quality (Palin) because he couldn't pick his ol' buddy Joe Lieberman.­.. just nursing his hurt pride...

He is afraid of Larry King Live.... is that the kind of leader we want? How can he lead a country if he is afraid of answering honest questions????

[emmaspeaks]

picking yet another beauty queen to be close to is sexist. Many of JM's comments are sexist. Maybe Carly needs to talk to JM first.

[DavidAF]

This is so pathetic. In this country a man can't argue against a woman without being called a sexiest. But if a woman argues against a man, its fine. This makes no logical sense. Even if the man isn't at all talking about anything that has to do about the woman being a woman. People are so irrationally stupid. All a woman has to do to stop an argument is say, "its because Im a woman, isn't".

People, get out of the stone age!

[pzdoff]

A blind man could have seen this coming. They are worried what Joe Biden will do to her on the issues in the coming debates, so they are trying to hamstring him before the fact. On foreign policy, a snail could win a debate with Ms. Palin. She simply has very little knowledge of ANYTHING outside the state of Alaska....­...and that is NOT a sexist statement. The most qualified person is not even in this race......­.Senator Clinton. What a laugh, the racist republicans leveling charges of sexism....­..they invented the isms. J.C. Watts can tell you all about the GOWMC. That's GOOD OLD WHITE MENS' CLUB.

[terragazelle60]

Palin's choice for VP was sexist. Would a man with her resume have been given the nod by McCain? It was her sex that got the dude's interest.
Can I, as a woman tell a truth then be called sexist because I am talking about a woman? I think Palin is a horror for this country. Creationism taught in schools, no abortion for any reason, Hate for gays or anyone not like her, wanting to take polar bears off the endangered species list, being for the Bridge to Nowhere before being against it and her abuse of power...so­rry she has made my skin crawl with the thought of her teamed up with Bomb Bomb Iran. Being a woman does not give anyone special powers, does haveing a vagina mean you do not need the knowledge of what a nation of 300,000,000 people of all kinds need in a complex world?

[mesmerize]

Sexism is being used as a way to get women voters mad. I don't think it's Sexism, i think for some of us it's Madism. They spent all year running their campaign about Senator Obama not having National Security or Foreign policy experience only to turn around and go against everything they preached about by their V.P pick. I hope women can see through this charade.

[harriscrl3]

Does this surprise if you look up the word hyocrisy in the dictionary you see a pictures of the rethugs. Its in their genetic makeup they MUST be hypocrits and hence why they are drawn to picking the worse VP pick every. Sarah Palin makes Dan Quale look like a brilliant choice.

Carol

[emmaspeaks]

Its called politics at its best.

And talking about mad, Carly sure looks mad.

When do we get to the real questions. What has JM done that shows he has the judgement to be Commander in Chief...po­w is not experience for the office.

[ClevelandTom]

Why it is that Sarah Palin has yet to appear for an extended interview on any of the media except, as far as I know, for Glenn Beck who doesn't really count anyhow? She has been the apparant nominee for almost a week now. Biden did 60 minutes three days after he was selected.

Don't the American people deserve a chance to get to know Palin? Wouldn't Palin like to respond personally and directly to the some of the questions about her qualifications, her political relationship with Sen. Ted Stevens, or her side of the "trooper-gate" story? What are her thoughts on a U.S. energy policy?

If Palin were as great a VP candidate as the GOP has beaten a path to every available microphone to tell us, I would think she would have been in interviews almost non-stop in order to take advantage of all the interest in her. But that hasn't happened. And I think all of us, including Republicans, know why.