Hillary's Sexist End-Game

This morning, on the Today Show, 1984's Vice Presidential candidate and Hillary Clinton campaign surrogate Geraldine Ferraro pulled the trigger and cynically played the unfortunate but inevitable "gender card" -- she called Barack Obama "sexist." In March 2008 she groused that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." She offended so many of us who are gender- and color-blind in this election cycle that she was rightly called on the carpet for her inane comments and removed from Clinton's "official" campaign functions.

Her comments today are no less shocking. When queried if misogyny was to blame for Clinton's defeat after a historically close and contentious campaign, she implored viewers that "it wasn't so much they were referring to gender, it was the way they attacked her. What happened in this race is every time you raised the issue, you're accused of playing the gender card. Latent sexism has been around in this country for a long time, in this campaign it was patent."

Ms. Ferraro needs a good long look in the mirror -- sexism cuts both ways and Hillary's continued presence in this campaign is, in and of itself, a manipulation of the very concept of sexism.

People throughout the U.S. and abroad are scratching their collective heads wondering why Hillary is still "going all the way to Denver" when the delegate campaign mathematics ate her for lunch weeks ago.

For all her unfathomable tenacity against NO odds, she's been curiously dubbed by political talking heads as "The Terminator", the "Energizer Bunny" and compared to Glenn Close in the film Fatal Attraction. Those pundits owe apologies to Mr. Schwarzenegger, Ms. Close and the cute pink bunny. Why?

Because the elephant in the room is a simple concept -- the Clintons' flaunting of Obama's clear and decisive victory defines nothing short of unadulterated sexism. Before this unanticipated hot-button word makes you utter "what the f---?" and turn off your brain(s), hear me out. Hillary, we'll assume, has no Y chromosome. Then how could the Clintons be playing the "gender" card and be labeled as sexists?

I know that this may seem unfathomable to you, so you'll have to temporarily suspend the logic of "conventional wisdom." A woman working the "gender card?" Say it ain't so.

Notwithstanding Bill's "racist" statements about Jesse Jackson after Obama won the South Carolina primary and their operatives' deliberate fanning of the Jeremiah Wright and "Muslim" rumor flames, there's a real reverse discriminatory narrative here that is plainly evident if you step back from the minutiae of the tiresome rhetoric and look at the whole "forest" for a moment.

Imagine if Super Tuesday had gone the way Mark Penn, Terry McAuliffe, Howard Wolfson, Patty Solis Doyle and the rest of Clinton's doomed advisors had assumed it would. Their "inevitable" candidate Hillary would have been coronated and she would have steamrolled herself into the Democratic Presidential nomination with a formidable, decades-old, well-branded, supremely-well-connected political machine and a massive bankroll to ensure that she was (like the Titanic) "unsinkable." Then she would have called on Democratic Party leaders to clear the decks for her and throw the other Democratic contenders overboard. All of them. White, black, male, female, gay, straight or transgender.

If the shoe was on the other foot, they Party leaders would no sooner tolerate an unelectable man (of any color) running around, dissing Hillary and messing with their perfectly-oiled campaign at this stage than Bill would have tolerated oatmeal for breakfast when offered a McDonald's Egg McMuffin®.

Obama is a young, brilliant, charismatic statesman with a moving personal narrative. a picture-perfect family, a stunningly effective campaign team whose strategists ran a brave, hard-fought campaign against spectacular odds and beat the most powerful Democratic political machine of the past two decades.

Obama is gutsy, articulate, elegant, unflappable and full of ideas and energy. Everything that the Clintons secretly believe is their personal bailiwick. He MUST, Clinton insiders say, be stopped at all costs, even if she takes herself and the Democratic Party down with her.

The Clintons' now plaintive cries of "it's not over by a long shot", "every state deserves a voice" and "we're doing this for the good of the party" are insulting. The Clintons do everything and anything for one purpose only -- to keep a Clinton in power.

And they are not going to let someone less seasoned take what is "rightfully theirs." He hasn't yet "paid his dues." It's "not his time." She did her time as an educated and ambitious woman at "the back of the bus." He should sit quietly in the rear and respect the nice lady up front.

Lest you think my sexism label is misapplied, let me suggest that this behavior is not just your typical Clintonian gall or bravado. Politics is too nasty a contact sport to tolerate such petulance, especially when the stakes are so high. It is a highly calculated gamble by Hillary that no one will call her on the reverse discrimination of her own overt sexism.

Do you really believe that, if the tables were turned, the Democratic elite and the Clintons would tolerate a man who is mathematically unelectable pulling out the Karl Rove playbook and playing the "gender" card? Or dismissing Hillary's ability to be "Commander in Chief on Day One?" Or brazenly suggesting that THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE (the ancient, mealy-mouthed, flip-flopping, newly-evangelical "maverick" John McBush) would be a better person to answer that ringing phone at 3 AM?

Quite simply and sadly, this tragic passion play is an exercise of deeply ingrained Democratic "wussiness" and sexism.

The Democrats are so afraid of fracturing the party more deeply than the destructive Mrs. Clinton has already done (quite deliberately and expertly, I might add) and alienating the women, minorities and Independents that the Party needs to win the general election that they have stood on the sidelines like scared schoolchildren who are afraid to tell the class bully that the game is over and that she lost.

If Hillary were a man -- for example, a terrific populist candidate like John Edwards -- she would have been long gone. Then why is this woman still on the stump with the blessings of her own political party, her supporters and the media pundits who are witnessing this train wreck in slow motion?

By their deliberate inertia, the Democratic elite are allowing Hillary to continue to smear the Party's democratically-elected candidate and to undermine his position in the general election. So Obama will lose and she can run again in 2012? So she can say "I told you so about the electability of a candidate of color?" So the Clintons' political "brand" is preserved and enshrined as a team of "gritty fighters" that they would like as their legacy? Maybe.

Or could it be that SHE'S playing the gender card and she knows that no one will touch her because of legitimate fears of being labeled (by the outspoken but out-of-touch Geraldine Ferraro and her minions) as "misogynist."

One thing is clear. This is not just about sour grapes. No one in the Democratic Party - especially in this unique political climate of inevitable change from disastrous Republican rule -- would tolerate this level of disrespect and peevishness from a loser if it were anyone other than a Clinton.

But the fact is that she IS being tolerated, even excused for this inexcusable behavior. And I need not point out the obvious in this historic election year except for the fact that it bespeaks the aforementioned "elephant in the room" -- that she's the first woman of any color to get this far and he's the first black man to have a clear shot at the Presidency.

The implied sexism of Hillary's continued presence in this campaign is self-evident. And she's working it for every last ounce of political capital. Her "run to Denver" implies that the people of the United States are not ready to throw a woman overboard or inaugurate a black man as President. But sexism - like racism -- is a word (or concept) that dare not speak its name. It's too dangerous. Too uncomfortable. Too politically incorrect. Except when it's the truth.

Where are the thoughtful, outspoken and outraged feminists of this country - including the disappointed crowd who ardently supported Hillary's brave campaign yet still love this country - to tell her that enough is enough. Why don't these women point out that Ferraro's playing of the "gender card" is as insulting to the electorate as it is to her highly qualified but short-on-delegates candidate? Why are they not incensed that we will not and cannot allow one person's ego to drag down the entire party down for one person's future political ambitions?

We all know that this psychodrama is precisely what Republican strategists' wet dreams are made of -- a never-ending, self-immolating Democratic campaign that will forever validate the notion that the Democrats will continue to be the champions of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory."

Senator Obama's Democratic Presidential campaign victory is no "fairy tale." Mrs. Clinton's continued defense of her presence on the national electoral stage is.

Comments

[devadasi]

Thank you Gary. You're saying what so many of us are thinking but either can't articulate or are just too taken aback by the insanity of the Clintons and their thug like operation.

[TopDog]

Hillary is like Britney, cannot stand the thought of being out of the spotlight even as she flails. It is like an addiction. She must have the audience. She must be the star. She must win. She has dreamed of it all her life. She has been groomed for it. I for one will be glad when she is no longer on the stage. Let's try something new.

[TOMKAT777]

I having been riding the Hillary Train since the beginning of the Primaries, but right now I am getting fed up. When Hillary and Bill started the whole race bating thing I continued to ride on the train with her , thinking that it was a clever way to win an election, but now Hillary is claiming sexium as the reason shes losing...she is too hypcritical to me... I'm getting off this train, NOW!

[Yansher]

Thank you for a great post.

[missjabez]

I am a woman, and I couldn't agree more with Gary Cohan. Don't be deceived by Hillary Clinton's subdued behavior. If she can't win the nomination--and unless she's seriously deluded she must know she can't--she will bring down Obama by any means necessary. The Jeremiah Wright thing didn't work, the subtle racism didn't work, and the moronic cries of "elitism" didn't work. So what's next? Sexism! I don't think it is any coincindence that so many bitter feminists are coming out hollering about sexism. They may not work for the Clinton campaign, but they are probably being egged on by them. Hillary Clinton is a cancer on the Democratic Party and she needs to be removed. Why are the party leaders so afraid of her and her obnoxious husband?

[kempis]

Thank you for proving that it's not only women who can be overcome by hysteria.

What horrible sin is Hillary Clinton committing? Still running? When she trails by a whopping 1-2%? When the "frontrunner" has run out of steam since his good run in February? When the "frontrunner" loses more head-to-head, key electoral state polls against the GOP candidate than she does?

Look up the Democratic National Convention of 1980. Ted Kennedy fought Carter all the way to the convention and he trailed by about 800-900 votes. (And I trust that fighting spirit serves him well now as he battles the brain cancer I was so saddened to hear that he has.)

Man, just when I think I MAY be able to come around and do the unity thing, some ass writes something hateful about Hillary Clinton (and women) like this.

Thanks for helping me to snap out of it.

Good luck in November with that attitude.

[kissmygrits]

Where did you read something hateful about women? Hillary Clinton does not represent women everywhere, anymore than I do. It just doesn't work that way. We're not all the same person...

[belicheat]

Jesus christ. Clinton supporters keep bringing up 1980 over and over again as a shining example of why Hillary should stay in the race. Not sure if you've noticed, but we LOST the White House that year. The historical precedent set by Ted Kennedy is that yes, you can take it to a floor fight, and you will cost your party dearly. Are you really that dumb to not see the writing all over the wall.

Obama has won more states. Obama has won the popular vote. Obama has won the pledged delegate majority. Obama has won the superdelegate majority. Hillary has lost. Get over it.

[DennyCrane]

Calling someone sexist is like calling them racist in the sense that the burden is on the accused to disprove it. In this case, Hillary can claim sexism and if anyone calls her on it, she can claim that also is sexist. But let's be clear. Any other candidate in her position would've been told to drop out weeks ago. But because she's a woman and/or a Clinton, she's subject to special treatment. Feminist should be offended by her conduct. Feminism is about working for equal treatment, not SPECIAL treatment. Equal treatment doesn't just mean you get the job without your gender being used against you. It means sometimes losing the job, not because of your gender, but simply because you weren't the best person for the job. I get tired of these women supporting Hillary who seem to hold her to a different standard. They forgive her for all her lies, dirty tricks, and Republican-like behavior. It's like she gets all these get-out-of-jail-free cards just because of her gender.

[XYZ]

Well just remeber the longer the run for Hillary the deeper her money hole gets, and I'm sure it will be one doosey of a number tommrow. Don't worry she has ruined her chances of ever running again into the ground, not because of the political fallout if Obama doesn't get elected, but her huge debt that this campaign has generated.

[Manx]

I agree. If Hillary were a man, she would be called a "buffoon" for not knowing when to exit the stage after a lackluster performance. Now is the time for her to be magnanimous but I wonder if she is capable of showing magnanimity.

[missjabez]

I don't think she is capable of being magnanimous. In this campaign, she has shown herself to be an incredibly petty person.

[SLal]

If Hillary was a white man, leading in popular vote, I seriously DOUBT that he would leave the race. That is an absolutely, positively ABSURD statement!

I personally do not know one HIllary supporter with any intention of helpng Obama win in the fall.

[kissmygrits]

Then you know a lot of dipsh-ts because Obama has nearly the same platform as Hillary. If you vote for John McCain, or effectively do so by abstention, know that you are voting for someone who voted against the Fair Pay Act (look it up - it regards the ability of women to sue for inequities in wages) and who has vowed to overturn Roe v. Wade. Thus, if your tantrum plays out into McCain winning, you can explain to your daughters and granddaughters what civil and privacy rights were -- they surely won't know any by then -- when they ask and just don't understand why you would ever do something so incredibly near-sighted and childish with their future.

[standard]

(1) You mean "were" (subjunctive) not "was" (past tense).

(2) Hillary is NOT leading in the popular vote. Her claim otherwise is a carefully constructed lie, based on not counting all the valid votes cast and including certain invalid votes. To achieve her spurious count, she eliminates all votes cast in caucuses (Sen. Obama won these overwhelmingly) and counts votes in violation of Democratic Party rules (especially the votes in Michigan, where she was the only candidate named on the ballot).

(3) This race is scored by delegates, not the popular vote. The general election election will be scored by electors, not the popular vote. These may be bad rules, but they are the rules.

(4) Obama has done rather nicely this winter and spring with the help of his millions of supporters--including many millions of women. He'll do just fine in the fall.

[260Parkway]

Don't you get it, Hillary wants to go down in history as a better president than Bill. Chelsea already said she thinks her mom would be a better than her dad. It's a pride thing and you know how we women can be sometimes "I'm right and you're wrong". I'm sorry if she won't get the chance to stick it to Bill this go round, maybe 2012. Bill sabbotaged her campaign by knowingly doing and saying things that would damage her. You mean to tell me she couldn't control him and tell him to shut up before the damage was done? Blame Bill Hillary and not the sexist media. You were done in by your own husband.

[PrObama29]

It's over for Hillary. Tonight, she needs to thank her supporters, then turn around and back Obama.

[citizenxyz]

Thank you Gary for this article. Hillary would benefit from seeing her reflection in the mirror of your words.

[kcampbell]

She would have been long gone like whom? Jesse Jackson? Ted Kennedy? And they were WAAAAAAAAAY behind in votes and delegate counts. Write about something else pal.

[belicheat]

Not sure if you noticed, but Jesse Jackson and Ted Kennedy still didn't win the nomination. Also, their petty floor fights ended up costing the Democrats the White House. So, they didn't accomplish their personal goal, and didn't help the party further its goals. How is this a great example of why Hillary should stay in the race?

[burnt]

Thank you.

Yes, the Clinton Party's application of the double standard has been apparent for anyone not blinded by the spin. This most current tactic that Clinton must be allowed to "save face" is some of the worst application of double standard yet. No one at a level above dog-catcher politics believes that any man who has been defeated must first be allowed to "save face" before insisting that he quit a lost race.

She lost.

She lost a long time ago.

She continues to wreck damage and division upon the Democratic Party (if now only through her surrogates).

She desperately wants to get into the back room with the good-ol'-boys to buy a deal... since she knows without a doubt that she can not win fairly.

The self-serving Clintons have a well-deserved dark legacy to share with any who do not put the Democratic Party first. That they still cling to overtly playing the gender card is disgusting and speaks volumes.

Fortunately, so many women who insist on thinking for themselves, see through the lie and know it for what it represents... a tactic that no real feminist would employ.

[kira181]

Let us now sing along to the uplifting and unifying strains of the Obama campaign theme song which accompanied the candidate and his wife as they took to the stage to celebrate victory in Iowa: "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one.."

So funny. So hip. So cool. So blatant. So acceptable. Why, it's practically invisible -- even while it's working.

[calluna]

Careful....no grousing. Us ladies aren't allowed to grouse.

[PrObama29]

That never happened. Get off your cross, and help Obama defeat the Republicans.

OBAMA 2008

[allonfla]

That was written in Page Six of the New York Post. I don't believe one word of it. Where is your link to a video of this victory party?

[kira181]

Huffington Post. January 14, 2008.

[kissmygrits]

More b.s. from the Clintons. Never happened.

[LittleBrother]

The 2008 campaign has turned out to be a demonstration of the failure, or end-stage, of identity politics. Identity politics arose in response to structual, systemic bigotry and intolerance in Amerikan culture. But it's degenerated into just another category in the puerile "gotcha" politics in which Amerika remains mired.

Another striking, if unfortunate, revelation is the extent to which zealous Hillary supporters embrace a would-be "feminism" that's actually a virulent form of inverted sexism.

This thoughtful article captures just that distinction, IMO. Good work!