Hillary and Jennifer Love Hewitt: Attacked Because They're Women

After the Huffington Post and Hoops Hype, the first Web site I check out each day is the Drudge Report, for the very simple reason that Matt Drudge often gets the news before anyone else.

But today, when I went on the Drudge Web site, I was extremely disappointed, not at the news of the day that was being made, but at the news of the day that Drudge chose to make: the main photo on the site is of Hillary Clinton looking tired. The headline of the site, under this unflattering picture, is "The Toll of a Campaign." As if the toll of the campaign is weighing so heavily on Hillary's face that it is making her look haggard.

Now, Hillary does not need my help defending her. For one, I am a speechwriter for another candidate. Two, I'm a guy, and it seems awfully stereotypical for a man to have to step in and defend the damsel in distress.

But I am offended by the attacks on Senator Clinton because there is no question that the slams against her are hypocritical and come because she's a woman.

Where's the picture of Fred Thompson, exhausted from the campaign trail? Okay, that's a bad example. Fred may be exhausted, but if he is, it's from eating too many doughnuts and staying up late watching A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila.

But you know what I'm talking about. Mike Huckabee is all smiles on the trail, but if he looked tired, you wouldn't see a picture of his mug headlining the Drudge Report.

Hillary is a woman. Get over it. You may like her views, her experience, her campaign tactics, or you may not. That's legitimate. That's political discourse. But to put up an unflattering photo of her on a well-read site like Drudge for the purpose of showing that she's looking tired -- what's the point? The point is an attack on women for not looking perfect.

Recently, Jennifer Love Hewitt was on a vacation in Hawaii, celebrating her engagement. Web sites ran unflattering photos of Love in a bikini. They took pride in slamming her. One caption read: "We know what you ate this summer -- Everything!"

What did Jennifer Love Hewitt do to deserve it? She was celebrating her engagement! The sport of bashing women because they don't look perfect is the sport of misogyny.

I'm disappointed to see that this misogyny has gone from attacking celebrities to attacking presidential candidates. It wasn't right for celebrities. It's not right for presidential candidates. And it's we, the people, who have to say, it's shameful to publicly slam Jennifer Love Hewitt for her appearance, and it's simply terrible to do to Senator Clinton.

Comments

[CLYDEFOROBAMA63]

I really need to put in my own two cents worth here. Both with her policies and campaign tactics, HRC has shown herself to be more republican than democrat. I am fairly well informed and educated. I do not have a problem with a woman president, but HRC is not the one. If she is elected nothing will change in Washington. Just like GWB in 2000, several economists have said her plans are not economically feasible. Everyone ignored this in 2000 and gave the big dumb jerk the benefit of the doubt. I can't vote for her but it has nothing to do with her gender.

[Kane]

Mr Littman,

I admire your instincts.

Did Drudge put an unflattering photo of Hillary on the website because she is a woman, or was it because she is a democrat?

Considering that Drudge's audience is primarily republican, it's doubtful that Drudge would post unflattering photos of Elizabeth Dole if she were running for president.

[kdjoins]

Look at this article from Oct 23, 2007 about how Drudge was favorable to Hillary until it was reported that her campaign was strategically leaking to him. Since then, Drudge has had it in for her.

"Hillary Clinton woos man who nearly ruined her husband"

· Campaign staff use Drudge Report against poll rivals
· Internet journalist gentle with Democrat candidate

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Tuesday October 23, 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections08/hillaryclinton/story/0,,2197220,00.html

[kirafa]

As someone who worked on the Obama campaign and logged in several thousand calls, I have to say use of the gender card will not work in her favor.

The first call sheets I had were to see if Senator Obama had the support of black voters. Many of the people I spoke with were afraid for his safety if he was voted into office and many stated they would not vote for him for that reason. The second round of calls I made were to registered Democrats in my state and not any certain demographic. I am very sorry to say, racism was alive and flourishing. Many stated they would vote Republican before voting for Senator Obama.

It was then that I conducted a small test of my own. I started asking men about Senator Clinton and learned that many men still just cannot accept that the best "man" for the job might be a woman. I would say for every ten men I asked, I received a resounding "NO WAY! I will vote for a Republican before I vote for her!"

Withe these responses, I started feeling very depressed, thinking is it possible that we could lose the election simply because of race or gender?

I came to the conclusion that it is very possible and am now supporting Edwards. I know him personally and worked with his office when he was a Senator. I know that he is genuine and even though, he was not my first choice. I cannot stand the thought of another eight years of cronyism and destruction of the constitution or seeing another young man die for a war that noone can seem to justify.

I have stopped working on any campaign and am simply daing all I can for the party to insure that we have a winner, any one of them.

[Nancyann]

Maybe it's time to stop the air brushing. If we don';t know what she really thinks about anything at least we can see what she REALLY LOOKS LIKE AND ITS NOT PLEASANT. We certainly don't want to have to look at that in the White House........

[kdjoins]

Hillary isn't in Drudge's sites of late because she's a woman, although he relished that unflattering photo of her all day.

Drudge's grudge is this: The NY Times reported a few months ago that Drudge was so important to media messaging that campaigns strategically leak info to him. In particular, they zeroed in on Hillary's top campaign staff leaking key info to Drudge. Up until that time, Drudge HAD been publishing favorable info ahead of the pack concerning Hil's campaign. Since then, Drudge has been emphasizing any supposed issue with her campaign. It seems he resented the assertion that a campaign was using him to their own ends, which, according to the NY Times, Clinton's was.

[MaxGowan]

Matt,
Very nice piece, and I am in complete agreement. Although I'm not a Clinton fan, much of the piling on can be attributed to her being a woman. (The MSM conduct towards Bush can be safely described as "beyond obsequious.") I don't know Jennifer Love Hewitt's work but I now have a real respect for her, given her response to the media. There was nothing wrong with those pix, she looks healthy and normal (which is a relief these days), and it was nice to see her as justly happy as she is over her engagement.

[Technician]

I agree that publishing unflattering pictures of Jennifer Love Hewitt is tacky. However Hilliary is a candidate for the office of President of the United States. Very little about her is off limits. Certainly not a public picture. The Liberal Press woulg dance in glee if they were to find something similar to publish about a Conservative candidate. Hiliary is not Superwoman, she has feet of clay just like the rest of us.

[jplraider]

While I agree that there is no doubt the picture of Hillary on Drudge is an attack on HRC, I disagree completely with your statement that it’s because she's a woman. This has nothing to do with her sex, and everything to do with who she is. Like her or hate her, she is who she is because of her positions and her actions. To claim otherwise (as you have) is to purposely deflect away from her past.

[DANIELLECLARKE]

Hillary is playing the gender card and you are supporting her with your blog.

I am sorry but she hasn't been responsible with her actions and attacks and she hasn't been responsible with her views she has shared especially those at the BLACK BROWN FORUM.

SEE BELOW FOR MY REFERENCE:

Are The CLINTONS Too INVESTED In The PRISON INDUSTRY? "Supreme court rules yesterday on Crack Cocaine sentencing disparities"
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/danielleclarke/CBXf

The following is a list of links that explain the truth of Bill and Hillary Clinton with regards to their continued support for keeping people who use Crack Cocaine in prisons.

Bill never would reduce the crack cocaine that was asked for by many during his administration. Yesterday the supreme court gave permission to judges to have disgression in sentencing guidlines.

Clinton Signs Bill To Disapprove of Equalizing Crack-Powder Cocaine Sentences

""at the npr black brown forum""
With Her Eye On Nov. '08, Polls Dictate Clinton Crime Policy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/celeste-fremon/with-her-eye-on-nov-08_b_75207.html
""When asked about her own policy,

"""Clinton said she agreed with the feds' recommendation for equalizing the sentences,

but she opposed making the sentencing changes retroactive"".

"I have problems with retroactivity," she said. "It's something a lot of communities will be concerned about as well."

Obama, Edwards, Richarson, Dodd, Kucinich said they were in favor of the sentencing change being applied to those already serving time.

IS THIS CHANGE???

[janmB]

Hillary was active in a number of organizations concerned with the welfare of children after law school ---often worked for FREE WHILE THE MALE CONTENDERS WERE MAKING SERIOUS-MONEY !! She was the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979 and was listed as one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America in 1988 and 1991. Hillary advised the Children's Defense Fund in Cambridge and joined the impeachment inquiry staff advising the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. She has been active in the White House for 8 years----Served in the SENATE ARMS COMMITTEE---been overseas countless times--knows all the dignitaries ---and she may well be a genious---have you heard her speak ?
President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation She chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, Legal Services, and the Children's Defense Fund.
Co-Founder, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
Board Member, Arkansas Children's Hospital
Board Member, Children's Defense Fund
Awards
-Humanitarian Award, Elie Wiesel Foundation
-Women Who Make A Difference Lifetime Achievement Award, Family Circle
-President's Award, League of United Latin American Citizens
-International Women's Philanthropy Award, Lion of Judah Conference of Combined Jewish Philanthropies
-Distinguished Bridge Builder Award, Leon H. Sullivan Foundation
-Recognition, Military Order of the Purple Heart
-Distinguished Service Award, National Association of Elementary School Principals
-Bully Pulpit Award, National Council for Adoption
-Black Women of Courage Award, National Federation of Black Women Business Owners
-Martin Luther King Jr. Award, Progressive National Baptist Convention
- Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service
-Woman of Steel - Role Model of the Year, United Steel Workers of America
-Arkansas Woman of the Year-1983
-Arkansas Mother of the Year-1984
Hillary won many admirers for her staunch support for women around the world and her commitment to children's issues.

[janmB]

The MEDIA will decide who is president because Americans are easily manipulated. They decided DEAN wasn't the ONE cause he shouted at a rally & the MEDIA made fun of him for it and people were too embarrassed to support him.
If the republican MEDIA is afraid Hillary may go all the way --they'll destroy her cause as I said people are gullible.

[bonniehanover]

She whines enough on her own. She might become more human if the images we see were not so manufactured. I would love to see a woman president but not this woman. She is so scripted and phony. I fell for Barack at Hello and he has never disappointed me with phoniness and saying things just to get elected. Her snipes at him make me want to flog her. He has been above her crap. She said that she was attacked because she was winning; now that she is not winning, she is attacking the winner. Interesting, no?

[gardenbookie]

Nonotchka, Hillary Clinton does NOT have the female vote "going for her". I'm a female and believe me, she wont be getting this vote! And it has NOTHING to do with the way she looks.

[fetacheese]

i'm sorry, this may be slightly off-topic, but everyone's comments are KILLING me in regards to....

WOMEN = plural

WOMAN = singular

jesus christ! i can't read one more f-ing sentence of someone who sounds seemingly educated and then states: "I am a women" or "that women is an idiot".

:::CRINGE:::

may the gods of spelling and grammar strike down!!!