Walking the Walk of Feminism

While not a celebrity, when it comes to feminist credentials I take a back seat to no one. As a teenager in the 1970s, I was on a road crew and drove a truck for the public works department in the village of Paw Paw, Michigan. We took black electricians' tape to the classic orange, diamond-shaped Men Working signs and added a 'W' and an 'O' so they read 'Women Working.' As a young lawyer I specialized in sexual harassment law and traveled with my colleagues around the country, giving the first series of now mandatory sexual harassment lectures to executives at newspapers, radio and television stations owned by Capital Cities/ABC. For the past ten years I have been an advocate for children and recently left my law practice to work on their behalf full time.

The celebrity feminists who have made gender a factor in this election offend me. Their posture is about as ironic as you can get. Let me join Hillary Clinton in her finger wagging and say: "Shame on you! You know better than to play on voters' emotions with a rash oversimplification of equal employment opportunity." These women have done a grave disservice to the feminist movement to which many have devoted their lives.

Feminism is not a badge but a way of life. Being a woman does not make you a feminist nor is it a prerequisite to being one. A feminist lives his or her life in a way that supports and encourages a shift from the elitist and machismo sensibility of traditional backroom politics to a sensibility based on reason and fairness. Both men and women propagate the fear based tactics of power politics, as Clinton has so aptly proven by diving headfirst into the muck and brawl of a negative campaign.

There is a lot of talk about Clinton's judgment with respect to her vote to authorize the war in Iraq. But in my view the most critical test of Clinton's judgment is not what she did in 2002, but what she is doing right now. The Ohio and Texas primaries were the place where Clinton's judgment was tested as to whether or not she could win an election without resorting to the raunchy, negative tactics of party machine politics. What did Clinton do when she came to this fork in the road? She huffed, puffed, cried, and attacked her way back into this primary by using the tried and true tricks of negative campaigning successfully used by the Republican political machine, not just against the Democratic candidates, but also against their own party's primary candidate John McCain when he threatened George Bush's nomination in 2000. Ho-hum. These tactics may have worked in Ohio, but ultimately they are utterly unimaginative and do not bode well for Clinton's ability to think outside the box.

A feminist candidate is by definition the candidate that walks the walk of change. Up until recently I was proud to say that this time around, the Democratic Party had two strong feminist candidates. But when the going got tough Clinton chose the tired and ultimately boring path of negative campaigning. As a result, we are down to one feminist candidate in this presidential election and his name is Barack Obama.

Follow Susan Kaiser Greenland on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mindfulmom

Comments

[uheardme]

When will White feminists demand coverage for "missing women of color" on par with the treatment WHITE WOMEN receive in the MEDIA. You White Girls need to call "feminism" "white feminism". It would be more accurate.

[antaeus]

A lot of us have already been critical of the MSM's treatment of this issue. The "Nancy Grace" school of ratings hounds is driving this inequity, not thoughtful people.

[Herrington]

Challenging the feminism of Clinton supporters is not likely to get much in the way of conversions. It might just firm up some wavering minds, but not in the way you might have hoped. Still, honesty is worth the risk, isn’t it? It’s the thing, honesty, that is the engine of life. Without it, cynicism, despair and corruption would push the land into a death spiral of lost aspirations, crushed on the rocks of lies. Sort of like the situation in which we find ourselves.

Feminism is little different an aspiration than humanism. For each of us there is a place determined by what we are able to be and not what others think we should be. Of all the caste systems, large and small, from sexism to a teen clique, no one of them serves a purpose other than to oppress. And the essential ingredient of that oppression is the lie, lying to peers, lying to the boss, lying to children and most of all lying to yourself, that you are doing no harm.

As we see this primary and then election play out, one thing is on the line that I have not heard anyone consider. With a woman, a black man and a white man as candidates, if the result is that the nation selects the white man, at least this Republican white man, both humanism and feminism will lose.

I will not argue that Obama is more of a feminist than Clinton, that is ridiculous on the face of it. I will argue that he is more of a humanist than Clinton is a feminist, by thought and by deed. So in considering the race, consider the intersection of feminism with humanism and decide which is more representative of us all, and not just our identity politic.

[vernonbc]

Right on Susan! Couldn't agree with you more. Besides all the points you make, a true feminist wouldn't be riding her husband's coattails, she'd be earning her position based on her own abilities.

[aceofbasebaby]

In that case, give up any faith of seeing a woman president in your lifetime. Get real - you really think if Obama were a woman - he would have made it this far? It's time for feminists to stop trashing Hillary - the very fact that's she running should be the success. Whatever road she takes to get there isn't a sign of how much of a feminist she is or not - that's her character. We should separate the two things.

[Raisean]

I've been following this race faithfully... and for a while I was for Hillary until now! Please don't fall for her tricks, please don't give us another 2000 election! It's not worth it! The party will be ruined if Hillary gets what she wants out of Florida and Michigan. The party made it decision, if we must renege then please give half to Hillary and half to Barack from both states! The country has spoken... The majority has spoken... Are you listening? We can't be like Bush. We've finally got a chance and we're about to ruin it, all because one person wants to throw a temper-tantrum like a 2 year old. Who else has the support of cross-over republicans? Who else has a better chance with independent voters? Which candidate has been able to bring out the youth voters, when no one else could? Which candidate has the least amount of dirt that could be dug up by the republicans? Who is the one the republicans are most afraid of? Which has a better chance of beating McCain? All of these questions are very critical... These are questions that we must ask ourselves. We shouldn't be voting on race or gender, but on the issues... Hillary has yet to say anything that proves that she is more qualified for the job than anyone else... We shouldn't be voting for ourselves, but for the country as a whole!

[efranklin]

I'd like to have a female president. My superiors are mostly female, and they all do a fine job. However, there is (like Bush Jr.) a decided aspect of nepotism to Hillary's standing. Other prominent women world leaders (e.g., Merkel in Germany, McAleese in Ireland, Calmy-Rey in Switzerland, Halonen in Finland) did not enjoy the luxury of their spouse being a former president, which make their stories all the more compelling.

[naugiedoggie]

The fundamental argument made against Clinton here, is a redressing of the usual argument from Obama-bots: "she doesn't act like a WOMAN should act." You can spin it like Linda Blair's head, and it'll still stop facing the same direction.

I'm really quite sick of this yammering from the bots about how she should be "more like a woman" -- what the F does that mean, exactly? It means, "act like an incompetent sissy" so that their candidate can win. You could cut the intellectual dishonesty with a plastic picnic knife.

Obama and his Knights of the Living Dead have pulled every kind of backstab like this. They'll say and do anything to get him into the Oval Office. Including criticizing others who deploy the same techniques.

Hillary Clinton has what it takes to win. That counts positive for me. I'm not electing a grandma, or the head of the Social Work department, I'm electing a President with a red button within reach. If Ms. "Look everybody, I'm a Feminist" Greenland wants to drink the kook-aid and abandon her integrity in the cause of electing Obama-san, there's nobody to stop her. In the process, she only gives up her claim to any credibility. That doesn't seem to mean much to her, anyway.

Thanks.

mp

[vernonbc]

Don't know what fundamentalist meetings you've been attending but I've never yet seen an argument from an Obama supporter that Hillary doesn't act like a WOMAN should act. I've heard a lot of reasons why they disagree with her but not that one. I'm a woman and I find your thinking that all women should act a certain way pretty degrading.

[OtayPanky]

If Hillary was really the embodiment of the ideas and ideals of enlightened feminism, she wouldn't be arousing such antipathy among women who are educated, intelligent and self-identified feminists - such as those commenting passionately and powerfully on this excellent blog post.

But in too many ways, for too many years, Hillary has been the embodiment of something else. Her current behavior, and the behavior of her campaign, is proof positive that she is just another Machiavellian vying for power at any cost.

Actually, truth be told, she and Bill are really two peas in a pod. Their narcissism - and particularly their willingness to take down the party if they can't get their way in the primary season - is just stunning.

To borrow from Socrates - any true feminist who is a supporter of hers is thinking with the little head rather than the big head. And women who are willing to do that do more damage to the authentic goals of enlightened feminism than any regressive republican ever could.

[winoohno]

WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???

So you are the "ultimate feminist?" How humble you are... I suppose other women in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s are riding backseat to your monumental resume of feminist actions??? As an educated man, even I remember the suffrage movement. You lost your bearing right out of the shoot!

"A feminist lives his or her life in a way that supports and encourages a shift from the elitist and machismo sensibility of traditional backroom politics to a sensibility based on reason and fairness"

Did you just make this up? Can men be feminists? Machismo? Who says that anymore? So, only women are reasonable and fair?

This article really turns me off. I appreciate you chastising Hillary for going negative, but it doesn't have anything to do with her being a woman. She was desperate. The larger issue is some women's need to vote for Hillary just because she is a woman. Every time Hillary talks about her femininity and "making history" she is selling your gender short by soliciting a vote for having ovaries. The feminist movement is so disjointed right now because there are a lot of younger women that don't want a career, but just want to stay at home and raise their children properly, and I think it great because equality means having the choice to do whatever you want to do. Being a feminist is not trying to hang drywall or drive 5-ton trucks because the boys do...

[Amomma]

Does a woman have to follow a Miss Manners, Nice Girl rule? She is slogging it out here. Did you watch the debates, she has a better grasp on all the issues. This is politics and she is not Obama, she is a woman who will have to fight harder and meaner.

[vernonbc]

I watched the debates. I don't see Hillary with a better grasp of the issues. I see someone with a Wikipedia-like grasp of a lot of facts, but she sure didn't show me that she has a mind to think deeply and philosophically and wisely. Just a lot of trying to baffle me with her bullshit.

[JimR]

"a woman who will have to fight harder and meaner"

So what you want is a female Karl Rove? Congratulations, you've got one.

[kellybelle]

Brava!

[vbond]

"But in my view the most critical test of Clinton's judgment is not what she did in 2002, but what she is doing right now."

Hillary Clinton is doing the most vicious violence to the very feminism that she has drawn around her shoulders like a Cloak of Invisibility, hoping that women will not see her as the most incredibly unworthy vessel of their cause,

She has soiled herself and those who so blindly support her because she is a woman.

She should be ashamed.

So should they.

[debwarot]

Thank you - very well said indeed!

[GoodbyeKitty]

Well Said!

[Ermasdaughter]

I agree with every word. She's set us back....

[thewhitewitch]

Nope- it's comments like yours that are doing that.

[southsideirish]

You're called "thewhitewitch." Ermasdaughter shouldn't give you a second thought.

[westview]

Lets see, it is not a feminist stand to do politics the way men do. In other words to learn the game, play it by the rules and win on the same ground with the same ground rules? A woman must do it outside the box in a new way? That does not sound like feminism it sounds like the old double standard to me. Really, the way Obama has repeatedly used sexism himself with his snide remarks "your likeable enough", and taken advantage of the sexist behavior of the press without complaint or speaking out as he demanded on his own fancied issues over supposed racist remarks is sexism incarnate. He has not spoken out during this election about biogtry towards women except to compliment his own mother and her work as a single mom, What point can you possibly be making about Obama as a feminist candidate?
He is most certainly not in tune with women or their issues. He has cut a swath of separation across america endorsing offensive behavoir towards women with his silence, setting the example by letting the press go uncritized in their sexist attacks to bring down his female opponent. He is splitting the party by and gaining voters through sexism and misogny. There is a reason most working women have turned away from him. He is the embodiment of the glass ceiling so many of them have hit. He is the young talented man trained by the woman on the job who sees her trainee promoted ahead of her with less years of experience and a much lighter resume.
Clinton was Obama's Senate mentor. He did not tell her he was angling for her career path at the same time against her. Kennedy put him there to learn from her so he could run Obama against her. Whenever Mrs. Obama says he could not run again because this is the only time he could win we all know she means, this is the only time he would be the main male candidate up against a woman. That makes this his best shot. That is sexism in its purest form. Disgusting.

[southsideirish]

"Lets see, it is not a feminist stand to do politics the way men do. In other words to learn the game, play it by the rules and win on the same ground with the same ground rules? A woman must do it outside the box in a new way? That does not sound like feminism it sounds like the old double standard to me."

Alright, let's settle this right now. As a guy, I find this position unabashedly evil. Not offensive. Not annoying. Not even just wrong. It's flat out evil. Man or woman is immaterial to me. I'm a Gen X-er with a feminist spouse that makes the lion's share in the house. And both SHE AND I treat the type of this type of "game playing" with the same level of contempt no matter who the candidate happens to be. Don't dare assume I, or anyone for that matter, is just mad at Hillary for employing the tactics "only reserved for a man." I hate the men who use those tactics just as much. You think I'm employing a double standard. I call, "BS!" I'm treating her fairly, with the exact level of disdain I feel for the GOP when they do things she's done.

[BadChristian]

Well put southsideirish.

If a man plays by rules that are despicable, it's likely to be a despicable man... The more people who accept despicable rules, the faster we all race to the bottom of the pit. Men and women alike.

[standforpeace]

This is a beautiful post. I truly believe that we need to be the change that we want to see in the world. I know that for many it sounds like just another stupid slogan, but that doesn't make it any less true. That 3 am commercial was an appeal to the worst in us. It probably worked because the worst in us is remarkably easy to trigger. But we all need to face up to the fact that it came from the same playbook as Bush and Cheney's "We have to shock and awe the hell out of Iraq because if we don't then there will be a mushroom cloud over New York or Washington or Omaha or whatever." We don't need anymore of that in the White House.

There are lots of critics of our long primary season, but one thing that happens over the course of these months is that we as a country get to find out alot about each candidate's character. So far the choices that Hillary has made have not inspired the feminist in me.