There's a new name for courage (found on Democratic Underground a few years ago): ovaries. Let's use it.

Stephen Colbert calls them, "Thatchers."

Only right wingers think that democrates are the party of "gay marriage and abortion". In reality, there is a lot more to the Democratic party, including a desire for a balanced budget, an end to the war in Iraq, and a return of traditional civil liberties. I don't know if Matthews himself is biased, or if he is simply reflecting the views of conservative friends, buy only a person who is unfamiliar with the reality of the Democratic party would make a comment like his.

pathetic - just switch male for female in this rant and see if you think all is well with this pathetic screed born out of jealousy

Hey joan, mayber woman can't solve everything in the world and are not inherently superiour to men, as types like you truly believe.

so he was a guy, big deal. his command of the language and ideas were superiour to anything the soccer-mom everything-is-an-offence can muster and so you're response is...a jealous rant?

Salon's idiotic desire to see hillary clinton run for dems is surely behind this screed?

I think Nancy Pelosi is an example of a female politician with plenty of cohones.

This country is in such desperate straits -- and the so-called "liberal media" has been so predictably conservative since the onset of the Bush Regime -- that the LAST thing we need, Joan, is to waste time splitting hairs.

If the pundits and talking heads are giving their kudos to a Democrat, frankly, I don't care if it's a man, woman or a cross-dressing transexual.

Hell is freezing over, Joan... Because they've actually found a Democrat they want to cheer.

This is something to be HAPPY about!!

In the past, Rove would have figured out how to destroy him by lunchtime.

But it isn't happening, and the Rovian Death Ray isn't working...

And maybe, just maybe, the Dems are realizing that there are times when we have to play to the base, and acting accordingly.

So...Why can't we just smile proudly, and think to ourselves, gee, talking heads and the rest of America...we're glad that you like the new Democratic Senator from Virginia. THIS is what the state of Virginia wanted, instead of George "Macaca" Allen.

THIS is what a veteran, and man with a son in the military, looks like America, because you're NOT seeing it in the Administration.

This is a GOOD thing, Joan, a GOOD thing.

Sometimes, I think that we Dems are so used to being beleaguered and bitterly oppositional that we go into autopilot... but, Joan, times are changing.

They liked Webb.

This is a GOOD thing...

And if we have to make Webb the poster boy for getting out of Iraq, and let America think he's in charge, while Pelosi does the heavy lifting, at this point, WHO CARES???

I don't care WHO gets the credit, or who appeals to the hoi polloi...

JUST GET IT DONE ! ! ! ! ! !

Besides the utility of balancing Bush's co-opting of Nancy's glory as first female speaker, the testosterone-laden pundit response goes deeper than just 'men are strong, women are compassionate'. Alot of Republicans, I think, are relieved to have any 'real men' in Washington after the last 6 years of the faux tough guys who have ruined our country. They likely agree with most of what Webb said, and are glad to see an actual military man discuss the state of our military. The 'man show' effect is their way of dispersing their guilt for agreeing with a Democrat by belittling the next-biggest target of the night: Nancy Pelosi, a kind of 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction' that turned male aggrandizement into female bashing. This all contributes to what the author describes having happened following the STOTU, but it is not all of it. The other, more subliminary motive was one person: Hillary Clinton. Again, it is not about men vs women, but rather that man (Webb) vs. that woman- the Democrats' presidential frontrunner. It is not that the frontrunner for the Dems is a woman, it is that it is that woman. Despite the inflated poll numbers and media stance, Hillary is not well-liked on either side of the aisle, and from my experience, by either gender. These are all passing themes though, and I don't think we need to worry too much about gender bias when it comes to leadership-- we are all so starved for REAL leadership that it matters little from where it comes. Nancy has proven her leadership already, let Webb have his moment and let us all take hope from the clearly well-thought-out strategery that the Dems have finally produced here.

Dear Joan:

I'm sorry to hear that you love Chris Mathews. That's as misguided an attraction as his is for men he finds macho--surely you remember his gushing about Ahnuld? But his incompetence as a commentator runs deeper than any psychological quirks of his makeup.

The other night, watching Mathews and other Beltway nudnicks, I saw them behave like mean-spirited adolescents, and it's not the first time. When the subject of Al Gore came up, their collective wisdom was--? That he was too fat to run for President, but you'd know he was running if you saw him buying Slimfast. The joke dragged on, and the sniggering was beyond tacky, it was revolting, with Mathews was at its center.

There is, no doubt, a bit of nervousness in Washington over the slow but steady rise of women in the traditionally male halls of power. I'm not saying it's right but it is understandable. It's happening or has happened in every workplace across our country from the moment women were allowed to compete with men. And because, just like racism, this issue has not been fully dealt with there is a much needed discussions (and more likely therapy) that must happen before we as a country can move on. Only I don't think this is the time.

To be honest, in times as dire as these with this dangerous President clearly on the ropes (with the nation and his own party), this is not the time to get sidetracked into a discussion about how sexist the political talking heads (idiots for the most part anyway) are or even politicians in Washington. That conversation should happen but to have it now it will simply wither into back-and-forths within a few days and in the meantime Bush is in his corner getting the cut over his eye taped and catching his breath. Knock this fool and his policies out NOW. Don't get sidetracked. And I'm not suggesting that more than one issue can not be handled at one time, that's clearly not the case. But on the list of what needs to be done now (and there is a TON), where does this kind of debate fall? Nancy, love her or hate her, is a very strong and capable woman that's rubbed elbows and thrown punches with these "guys" for years. And now she's in a position that no woman has ever held. I'm pretty sure that after two years, things will be a little different in Washington. At least that's my personal hope.

It irks me that our scripted Presidential debates and all forms of political speech making is, in the end, analyzed more as if it were the red carpet at the Academy Awards than the politics and policy of our country. I mean really, fire all the B.S. filled experts and commentators and just get Joan Rivers and her daughter to do the damned things. Who looked where, how often did they stand, who sat near who, did they clap enough... and we wonder how we're going to fix what ails our nation? This is nonsensical talk about things that are next to meaningless. Petty theatrics is not policy. Let's talk about what was said and not what someone wore... And if these "guys" want to talk about how tough or ballsy another "guy" is, just call them on it then and there. "So you're telling me that after the State of the Union speech, and all that's happening in this country... you're comments are about this or that guys genitalia? And you get PAID to have an opinion?" Just punch them in THEIR balls and start talking about what really IS important, like how to fix the immeasurable damage the Republicans and George Bush have done to our nation. And once the ship has stopped sinking we can beat it into these peoples brains that women can be just as strong and effective leaders as men, and have a saved nation as proof.