Letters to the Editor
Carol Richards
Published Letters: 459
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Joan WILL update this, don't worry....please....
[Read the article: Americans more ready for a black president than a woman?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Look, people have already pointed out many reasons why it simply isn't prudent to read that data has indicative of race gender perspectives. Well, wait...ok, sure, if you already have a certain perspective then, yes, that type of poll will be very relevant to you.
Joan is smart. Everybody jumped on her for blogging about reports that Barack made a poor impression of Edward's wife (sorry, I don't remember her name- hey, watch those judgments!) and all that...People thought it was part of Joan's plan to make sure we know that Barack deserves some very serious doubts. Then Joan came back the next day and showed that it's actually much more complicated than just reading a report and forming an opinion. She got some well deserved praise for pointing out the weakness of her reporting.
So now Joan reports on a poll and she is sad because she believes it is accurate. Joan is busy and always needing to push out a blog and I have no doubt she read the poll and didn't stop to look at the very odd metrics applied and all the tacit assumptions and context that go into something like that. She just read the result and felt sad.
I don't think she'll feel comfortable letting that stand. Either she'll find other research that contradicts that and report on that as well or she'll write an intelligent blog in which she points out all the reasons our first response to ANY poll with that sample size and that much ambiguity should be to feel certain that we really learned nothing from it.
Would I be saying this if the poll had indicated that racisim is more intrenched that sexism in elite circles. YES. I would have ever fallen in love with Salon if I just wanted progressive opinions. Salon built its reputation on clear thinking.
I predict that Joan will have something to say about the context of this sort of "poll" by tomorrow. Just you wait!
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@Joan will update her blog
[Read the article: Americans more ready for a black president than a woman?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]sorry, but that important last sentence in my previous post should have said
"I would NEVERhave fallen in love with Salon if I just wanted progressive opinions
It's always been the quality of thought that most Salon writers use to come to their opinions that keeps me coming back to this place.
It's not that I'm a huge Joan fan, but I know she won't even blink an eye once she gets some space from that poll that made her feel sad.
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This is like arguing "Zeus or Thor"
[Read the article: Americans more ready for a black president than a woman?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have no idea if my example above is mythologically accurate, but...wow....
Somebody please give me a relatively clear and simple set of criteria that helps a reasonably intelligent person distinguish between a sexist response of disregard for Hillary and a non-sexist response of disregard for her.
If you don't have a few very clear principles regarding this sort of distinction, yet you are getting mad or upset or judgmental about supposed sexism or racism, it really is like getting mad at somebody's tone of voice because you think it means they don't respect Zeus and His work in the world. You are simply getting upset about unsorted feelings that have to do with an unsorted clutter of things going on in your life. That doesn't have to be the case. Let us know how to make the above distinction regarding revulsion to Hillary and then a real and helpful and compassionate conversation can take place.
I consider myself feminist through and through. Over the years I have not appreciated Hillary much at all (even when I side with her in particular causes). I don't like Hillary much for a number of reasons (could very well be wrong). Is it possible that my lack of regard and respect for her is independent of an "unconscious" sexism? Is it possible to not like her for other reasons? If so....how do we know when that is taking place? Will a poll help us make this distinction?
How about this:
to the degree that you believe/feel that woman are inferior men, your disliking of Hillary is sexist.
This has holes in it, but it's a fairly good starting point. and:
to the degree that you believe/feel that woman and men share equal rights and capacities regardless of cultural narratives, your disliking of Hillary is not due to sexism
again, too simple...But at least this points to why it is bordering on psychotic to assume that people's reactions to Hilary are primarily due to (or not due to) sexism. If this is the kind of conversation you really wish to have, i think it is imperative to start by being very clear about your criteria for making really basic distinctions. If you can give clear examples of how it is possible to have little respect for Clinton and still be a strong feminist then we can have a conversation that doesn't have to be angry or mean. I can read your criteria and get interested in the thoughts and how they might relate to myself and others. But, jeez, all this magical talk that presumes to some type of cyber-psycic mind reading is....odd.....But it also points to the real causes of the misery on earth today and why the importance of the upcoming election is highly qualified.
If we talk about why we do or don't want her to step off of Air Force one, we probably have more a chance of understanding each other. But....