Letters to the Editor
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Hate
What we see here, in this campaign, in these posts and in this country is that hate is a fundamental quality, where the hate is directed is an individual question. Let us be clear, hatred is a pretty common value, and let us be even clearer, whatever hate anyone projects indicates a self-hatred of some sort. Hatred against women or hatred against men or hatred against dogs or hatred against Muslims are all really the same phenomenon projected against innocent beings or things. The hatred is Human, its targets are not even the real targets. The targets are excuses for the dissemination of hate, the real hatred is directed inward.
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I'd feel sorry for Hillary ...
... if she hadn't gone out of her way to exploit gender and race divisions within the party.
What would have happened if Obama had "choked up" following his defeat in New Hampshire? My guess is his candidacy would've ended. How about if Obama suggested that Hillary can't win in November since she can't carry the black vote? Think that would go over well in the mainstream media?
The sexism in this campaign is undeniable, but I'd argue its been more overt and risks a serious backlash among female voters. The racism in this campaign, although quieter, has I believe been far more insidious. Between Rev. Wright, the Muslim whisper campaign, the Somali garb picture, etc. I'd say that Obama has faced a fair amount of race-baiting and handled it with class.
The difference is that while Hillary supporters can point to sexism and trust that half the electorate are on their "side," the Obama campaign has had to tread very carefully around any charges of racism lest they be accused of playing the race card. Once Obama becomes "the black candidate" he is finished.
These kind of race-to-the-bottom arguments about which minority is more aggrieved are, I think, silly and pointless. What's undeniable though, is that Hillary came into this race with more money, and the name-recognition and political connections that come with being the wife of a highly regarded former ex-President.
Given her advantages and the fact that Obama faces some obstacles of his own, can we please just call it a wash and move on?
Hillary is a lousy candidate who ran a bad campaign and that's why she lost. If Hillary were Harry she wouldn't even be in the mix, since Arkansas wouldn't have elected Bill if he had a same sex partner, thereby eliminating his shot at the White House and Hillary's entire political career. And if my aunt had nuts she'd be my uncle.
It's a political campaign, not an episode of "The Outer Limits." Get over the identity politics already.
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The article convinced me
I was ready to object to the premise that Hillary is losing because of misogyny. But then I went and read the article. It is brilliantly done, referencing offensive quote after quote.
Somehow Hillary, through years of abuse, has been de-humanized to the point that it's OK to utter astonishingly offensive "jokes" at her expense. She is also serving as a lightning rod for large amounts of resentment that older men feel towards women.
In some ways it is a fascinating strategy she has pursued to "tough it out" in the face of some of this stuff. It almost worked...
As for her campaign, she beat all the other challengers except Obama, but he's such a great candidate in his own right that it was too much to overcome. To bad she wasn't ready to run in 2004.
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to all the "where's the proof?" geniuses
Let's say Barrack had run a distasteful, mean-spirited campaign that i didn't agree with, in Hillary fashion.
If my reaction is "he's an asshole or a jerk", I'm stating an opinion based on my sense of moral outrage.
If my reaction is "what a nigger", I'm saying more about my own racism than I am about anything else.
Now apparantly, there are many here who feel that calling someone a bitch, a whore, a witch, or even a c*nt is justifiable when you have disagreements with them. If so, then I assume it's ok with you to call someone a nigger or sambo or whatever racially-based caricature under the same stressors and you would consider it excusable because of being riled up or passionate or since "politics is dirty business".
But if the n-word would make you shudder while c*nt flies by you, then you are part of what's been exposed during this campaign and what this article is pointing out. It has nothing to do with the candidates, which one's better, who should win, who played what card, whose race or gender did what for them, what you did or didn't like about the candidate. It has to do with your willingness to tolerate a derogotary term which is a denigration of an entire class of person. It's about your standards.
You can't say "I only called Barrack a nigger cause I don't like him specifically, I'm so sick of racism being blamed for it every time someone doesn't agree with him". Well, you could, but then you'd... sound like most of the letters here.
P.S. I'm an Obama supporter so please don't use your "whiny Hillary supporter" shit with me. I can be an Obama supporter AND against the sex-based language and yes *misogony* directed at Hillary AND at the same time disgusted by her campaign tactics. I know it looks like a death-defying feat of intellectual flexibility, but really, you should try it sometime, it's not all that hard.
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Some say sexism still exists.
quit throwing rocks.
women are EXTREMELY SEXIST towards men in a million and one ways.
look at your own feces first.
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After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans
The black, male Mayor of New Orleans ran for re-election...and won.
The white, female Governor of Louisiana didn't even bother to run for re-election.
Just tossing that bomb out there to stimulate calm, reasoned debate.
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Maybe
The issue here is the amount of vitriol directed at Clinton, its nature, the fact that it has gone unaddressed by the media and by leading Democrats...
Maybe the vitriol is due to the fact that her mug was shoved in our face by the media for the PAST two years?!?
The media christened her the WINNER of the 2008 election by flogging her in front of us all as if she already WAS the winner of the 2008 election.
That would generate resentment among people.
THE MEDIA IS LARGELY TO BLAME for people being fed up with her and wanting to get rid of her. She is NOT Christ. I REPEAT, she is NOT Jesus F. Christ.