Hillary Aides: The Treatment Of Sarah Palin Has Been Sexist

If Barack Obama wins this election Hillary may as well become a Republican (not that we want her) because she isn’t going to have any friends left on the left.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sarah Palin found some unlikely allies Wednesday as leading academics and even former top aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed the Republican charge that John McCain’s running mate has been subject to a sexist double standard by the news media and Democrats.
Georgetown University professor Deborah Tannen, who has written best-selling books on gender differences, said she agrees with complaints that Palin skeptics — including prominent voices in the news media — have crossed a line by speculating about whether the Alaska governor is neglecting her family in pursuit of national office.
“What we’re dealing with now, there’s nothing subtle about it,” said Tannen. “We’re dealing with the assumption that child-rearing is the job of women and not men. Is it sexist? Yes.”
“There’s no way those questions would be asked of a male candidate,” said Howard Wolfson a former top strategist for Clinton’s presidential campaign.
The sexism charge was hurled with new intensity Wednesday afternoon by McCain surrogates, all women, at a news conference just hours before made her acceptance speech here – a speech in which she said this about the media and Washington elite: “I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion – I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country.”

I think the coverage of Palin, and the reaction to her by many on the left, has absolutely been sexist. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a female politician have her record as a mother questioned as part of her vetting for public office before. Nor have I ever seen so many people suggest that she maybe can’t do the job because she’s just a hockey mom.
But I do think Republicans need to be careful not to get into the sort of identity politics game liberals play. Just as Palin isn’t a bad candidate because she’s a woman, she isn’t necessarily a good one because she’s a woman.
There are plenty of reasons to believe that Sarah Palin would make an excellent Vice President, and we’ve been talking about those reasons a great deal over the last couple of days. But as the left turns to attacking Palin (obliquely, granted, but still) let’s not turn to defending her because she’s a woman.

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  • http://Array Jeugenen

    AMERICA LOVES A REAL WOMAN, PALIN, MORE THAT A PSEUDO- WOMAN, HILLARY; AND A REAL MAN, OBAMA, MORE THAN A PSEUDO- MAN, BILL.

  • Bat One

    R108,

    I couldn’t agree more. Biden is looking more and more like a very poor choice for running mate. I suspect he will alternate between bullying and condescension, which will nly make him look all the more phony. His focus will certainly be on himself, while hers will be on the audience. She has a lot of knowledge to absorb, though she is obviously a quick study. And her presentation will get better with practice. But the audacity of her sincerity and integrity come shining through.

    Incidentally, speaking of Biden, what exactly is it that he has done to earn his purported expertise in foreign affairs and defense policy? The Left is still touting the reputation, but I can’t seem to find any real accomplishments to support it.

  • robert108

    Bat: After last night’s grandslam performance, I doubt anything Biden can do will stop her from chewing him up and spitting him out. Everything he says will be turned against him, without mercy, and with a sweet smile.
    He’s toast.
    Sarah is authentic; the Dems are phony. We need a straight-talking conservative to reveal the real contrast between the two Parties; no pandering RINO can do the job.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/realitybasedbob/ realitybasedbob

    The McCain Co-Chair say no sexism.

    The bitter rep of the losing dem candidate (who was certainly looking forward to a nice cushy DC job if Sen. Clinton was elected) is calling sexism.

    Do you believe the rep of the person you were against?

    Or

    Do you believe the rep of the person you support?

    Or

    Do you believe what fits your own personal agenda?

  • robert108

    The McCain Co-Chair say no sexism.

    The bitter rep of the losing dem candidate (who was certainly looking
    forward to a nice cushy DC job if Sen. Clinton was elected) is calling
    sexism.

    Do you believe the rep of the person you were against?

    Or

    Do you believe the rep of the person you support?

    Or

    Do you believe what fits your own personal agenda?

    When you know the truth, you can’t be manipulated by those, like rbb, who try to create false belief.
    What’ true is true, no matter who says it, and what’s not true is not true, no matter who says it.(or can be made to look like they said it)

    You can’t cheat an honest man, rbb.

  • Bat One

    Given the overall response to last night’s speech by Sarah Palin and the general manner in which her VP candidacy has been received, I think camp Obama needs to quickly re-think the dismissive attitude it has taken toward Hillary Clinton and those who supported her. A Fox News reporter in Anchorage this morning notes that a survey found a 75% plus approval rating for Palin… among Democrats!

    Those blue-collar voters in “fly-over” country, the ones who still ‘cling to their guns and their religion” are clearly taken with Sarah Palin, a woman who comes from the same type small town and who obviously understands their life and struggles far better than either Barack Obama, the slick urban radical, or Joe Biden, the premier D.C. insider and government lifer.

    Speaking of Biden, he clearly has his dick in a wringer, to paraphrase Ben Bradlee. And no matter which way he turns the handle, its gonna hurt. Biden will have to face Palin in their VP debate. If he really goes after her, he’ll be seen as an overbearing, patronizing attack dog, generating all the more interest and sympathy for the outsider, Palin. If he backs off, however, she wins on points as well on style.

    Incidentally, that debate is gonna need a very strong and determined moderator. Biden is known to be one of the US Senate’s most notoriously enthusiastic talkers. Given an open mike and a couple TV cameras, he is likely to go on from Nightline right through to Good Morning, America!

  • http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

    Zsa Zsa, yes, that is quite obvious to all but the most liberal or uneducated of OUR populace. I hope this completely backfires into their faces and they are shut up once and for all. Honesty and The Truth will conquer dishonesty and lies in the end.

  • robert108

    Someday I hope you will try to live up to that sentiment, 108.

    It’s not a “sentiment” with me; it’s a principle. I don’t “try”, I do.

    You might clean up your own act, rbb, before you attempt to advise others.

  • http://www.willisms.com/ Zsa Zsa

    The MSM and libs are fighting hard to demonize Sarah Palin and are losing the fight IMO. With the Dems efforts in doing so they have raised the ugly head of Sexism in their own party. It has always been obvious to me that the Dems are not really as concerned about WOMEN as they claim. Sarah Palin is so knowledgeable and capable and is about family and real people. I am pleased with Hillary’s acknowledgment.

  • robert108

    Bat: My opinion has always been that experience in a politician is far less important than his or her core principles. In fact, being in Washington for a long time is a negative, in my estimation. Greater possibility of corruption.
    I think George Washington should be the template for Presidential behavior, not Carter or Clinton.
    Sarah knows what is right, and that puts her miles ahead of either Obama or Biden.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/realitybasedbob/ realitybasedbob

    McCain Co-Chair: No Sexism in Palin Coverage

  • http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/realitybasedbob/ realitybasedbob

    Someday I hope you will try to live up to that sentiment, 108.

  • http://www.dartemis.net/blog/ sayanything-42

    R108 observes:

    You can’t cheat an honest man…

    Which “blackwater”boob will never understand, as he deals exclusively with everything he sees and hears in terms of its utility to his theses.

  • Well Hung Chad

    Anyone else get the impression that Hillary will be pulling the lever for McCain/Palin in November?

  • carrick

    The McCain Co-Chair say no sexism.

    LOL. Therefore it’s true.

    Yeah, right.

  • http://boyddrivefollies.blogspot.com/ Good Ol Boy

    Perhaps someday in the not too distant future, Hillary will say “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, it left me”. Wouldn’t that be a hoot- Hil quoting Ronnie!

  • http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

    speaking of Biden, what exactly is it that he has done to earn his purported expertise in foreign affairs and defense policy?

    Why, he’s the first Welshman, descended from coal miners in a thousand generations to be able to get to university! (Though I’m not completely sure they had universities a thousand generations ago!)

  • carrick

    None of us are in bed with McCain or his campaign. Hell I have no plans to vote for the guy.

    In any case, why do we have to accept everything they say as gospel even if we were planning on supporting them? That’s just stupid.

    I notice you’ve never even once criticized a thing your party says. Is there a reason for that RBB?

    Do you believe what fits your own personal agenda?

    I think this describes you to the T.

  • http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

    I don’t know if Hillary will be pulling the lever for McCain but there is the line of thinking that she and Bill want BHO to lose so she can run in 2012 and again say see I told you to vote for me.

  • robert108

    That’s obviously untrue, rbb! Reality trumps your lying bullshit every time. Why can’t you ever speak in your own words? Maybe you need a teleprompter.

  • HG

    Biden said the same thing this morning.

  • Mickey

    And Barry says: “No Hillary, No Way, No How”

  • http://www.willisms.com/ Zsa Zsa

    RBB’s, Your partisan attacks are so obvious. Every post you have here on SA is to degrade and display the wrong doings of Republicans. No one has ever said Republicans are perfect angels. As a matter of fact when Republicans do something wrong we hold them accountable. That is one BIG difference between the two parties, SO next time you do another post here at SA you might want to keep that in mind? Just a suggestion!

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