Deep Thoughts for the Weekend
I was reading Judith Warner's opinion column in the New York Times, and it got me thinking about the way in which the media handled Hillary Clinton's campaign for president. Now, I know that Clinton is a polarizing figure who can evoke strong feelings in voters. Fine. If you don't like her, then attack her policies, or go after what she believes in. Don't attack her just because she's a woman. Whether you like Clinton or hate her, she shouldn't have been subjected to such misogyny in the press. If you don't believe me, watch this video on YouTube.
As the video makes clear, Clinton is not the only female to be the subject of such sexist comments. Why do we still focus so much on a woman's looks? Why are her looks more important than her abilities? And why aren't men treated with the same scrutiny? Think about it...most of the discussion about Obama was about his character. Even the whole scandal with his pastor was based on what Obama believed in. But with Clinton, it was about her clothes, her makeup, her "castrating" attitude. The media delicately handled the subject of Obama's race. But there were no holds barred when it came to the subject of Clinton's gender.
I don't have much else to say. I'm just disappointed, I guess. I thought Hillary Clinton was a worthy presidential candidate, and I was excited to vote for a woman for our nation's highest office. I'll support Obama now--I believe that at this point, the most important thing is to get a Democrat back in the White House--but I hope that a woman runs for president again soon. And when she does, I hope there is more discussion about her policies, and less discussion about the way she looks.
As the video makes clear, Clinton is not the only female to be the subject of such sexist comments. Why do we still focus so much on a woman's looks? Why are her looks more important than her abilities? And why aren't men treated with the same scrutiny? Think about it...most of the discussion about Obama was about his character. Even the whole scandal with his pastor was based on what Obama believed in. But with Clinton, it was about her clothes, her makeup, her "castrating" attitude. The media delicately handled the subject of Obama's race. But there were no holds barred when it came to the subject of Clinton's gender.
I don't have much else to say. I'm just disappointed, I guess. I thought Hillary Clinton was a worthy presidential candidate, and I was excited to vote for a woman for our nation's highest office. I'll support Obama now--I believe that at this point, the most important thing is to get a Democrat back in the White House--but I hope that a woman runs for president again soon. And when she does, I hope there is more discussion about her policies, and less discussion about the way she looks.
posted by Astera @ 5:47 PM
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