I do believe that voter backlash can occur, but the idea that the anger should be the sole reason for voting for Palin (or Hillary) irrespective of whether or not one agrees with their stand on the issues, seems a bit superficial. In fact, some women I talked to after McCain picked Palin, felt that they were being condescended to in that they felt McCain seemed to think independent and moderate democratic women would flock to him once Hillary was out of the race simply because he selected a woman for the ticket. At the same time, as Sanchez points out in her book, some Hillary supporters ultimately voted for McCain-Palin, but apparently not in large enough numbers to make a difference.
Overall, I would say You’ve Come A Long Way Maybe is a must-read for anyone interested in how far women have come in politics and how far we have yet to go. If anything, Sanchez makes clear that the lesson of the 2008 election is a bitter-sweet one -- we have come a long way towards electing a woman to the nation’s highest office, but, as some of the events in 2008 make clear, we just aren’t there yet.
Article comments
1 - Sandra
Wow, great review- makes me want to read it although like you, I am a bit hesitant to read stuff about the 2008 election- reliving it is too painful. I am also a Hillary supporter. I was wondering, did Leslie Sanchez talk at all about the sexism of Barack Obama? You don't say in your review so I was just wondering.
2 - Still4Hill
As my name indicates, I was and still am a Hillary Clinton Democrat who was thrilled to be able to vote for her on Super Tuesday and was bitterly disappointed that the "roll call vote" in Denver was staged. That said, I think it is important to note, as Sanchez has and as you highlight, that some of the sexism was incipient within the subcultures of campaigns.
As furious as I was with the men at MSNBC (except Dan Abrams and Pat Buchanan who were fair to Hillary), I have to take a step back and admit that the packaging of Hillary - by men - was what fueled the sexism in many ways.
One lesson for the future, desexing women candidates is a crummy idea. I happen to think Hillary Clinton is very sexy, and the guys should have left her as she is.
3 - Stacy
Sandra- thank you.
Sanchez did not talk about sexism specifically from Obama but did talk about how the campaigns often ended up falling into the usual stereotypes. I think it's important to distinguish between sexism from some Obama supporters and from Obama/Biden themselves. I don't recall Obama or Biden explictly referring to Hillary or Palin or Cindy McCain in a sexist way but I do know some of their reporters did. I'm not saying it didn't happen, I just don't remember specific examples of Obama and Biden doing that.
Still4Hill- yes, agreed. Mark Penn and some others really didn't do Hillary any favors by encouraging her to *not* be herself and let her funnier, more human side shine through more often. And of course, that was based in sexism- the idea that if women appear emotional or caring then they can't be strong leaders. It really is ridiculous.
4 - msakel1
Really? Where was everybody when Sen. Obama was at his (insidiously) sexist best?!
Remember the 'infamous snub' at Bush's Speech when Hillary extended her hand and mercifully Kennedy started talking to her while a weakling senator turned the other way! It's on youtube.
Remember his infamous speech the day after his disastrous ABC Debate in Carolina with Gibbons and Stephanopoulos where he "flip-offed" his female opponent (giving her the finger) by bringing his midfinger to his cheek and appearing to 'scratch' it? That was a junior high schooler's way of being 'vengeful'! Not to mention disrespectful and notoriously sexist. He was shit-scared of HIllary Clinton and it showed clearly and insidiously.
And the worst, in my opinion, was Obama's infamous statement soudning like any boardroom prima donna afraid of his female colleague:
"Periodically, Hillary will feel 'down' and start launching attacks against me to boost her appeal"!!!!!!
Obama was, in fact, the most sexist of any other Presidential candidate in history.
(Not to mention his race-baiting 'fairy tale' that never was, Robert Kennedy's murderous timeline committed by Hillary,
and his ever-ready excuse for failure: "I don't look like the other presidnets on the dollar bill"...)
If you were to look at Obama's Campaign and his blogger-obamatons you will see sexism swimming in a sea of misogyny!....
No other presidential candidate in history, nor his Campaign, has engaged in more sexist vitriol against his female opponent(s) than Sen. Obama did in 2008-09!....
This man needs some education on women's issues. ANd he has 2 young girls?...
5 - Alamar Fernandez
StacyB's review of Leslie Sanchez's LWM is my favorite, so far.
She addressed the issues I had in a way I could not.
I Love the fairness of Leslie's approach with all three ladies. I love the way she adds humour to her writing. She's a witty lady.
StacyB wrote:
"I did have one small beef with Sanchez’ interpretation of how women should respond to sexist attacks against women politicians. As I said in the beginning of this piece, sexism is sexism, regardless of ideology. For example, as a liberal feminist I should be just as concerned about the sexist treatment of Palin by some in the media, the blogosphere and by the D.C. pundit class when it occurred, as I was/am by the treatment of Clinton. That said, nothing is going to get me to vote for a candidate with whom I disagree on key issues. In other words, I am not going to vote for a woman simply because she is a woman."
I say, AMEN.
She continues: "And I am a bit perplexed when Sanchez makes statements such as this (talking about the potential of a voter backlash against the sexism):
'Sadly, apparently not enough women were truly aware of how demeaning this was to Palin- at least not enough of them to get angry and stand in solidarity and vote her into office. (p.91)'
StacyB:
"I do believe that voter backlash can occur, but the idea that the anger should be the sole reason for voting for Palin (or Hillary) irrespective of whether or not one agrees with their stand on the issues, seems a bit superficial. In fact, some women I talked to after McCain picked Palin, felt that they were being condescended to in that they felt McCain seemed to think independent and moderate democratic women would flock to him once Hillary was out of the race simply because he selected a woman for the ticket. At the same time, as Sanchez points out in her book, some Hillary supporters ultimately voted for McCain-Palin, but apparently not in large enough numbers to make a difference."
I am left with a question about Feminism and what it is now. What is a Conservative Feminist, a Liberal Feminist, a did-all-the-plowing-work Feminist?
I am a Liberal and I am a Feminist. Does that make me a Liberal-feminist? I believe that men and women are equally valuable as Human Beings. Not the same. I like my genitalia...don't need a penis to feel powerful.
We, women, need to stand for each, as men stand for each other. Men go into the battle-field of politics and someone wins and someone loses. They don't attack each other in a sexist way.
We women need to do the same. And when we see a woman being attacked with Sexism...we need to call them out! Men or women.
Leslie quotes Roslind Wiseman author of the book the movie, Mean Girls was based on:
"What gets in the way with us women is we don't have a script. We haven't been told or taught how to speak to each other when we are in disagreement, and do it in a way where we don't take it personally."
I say like the Senators and Representatives who speak to each other with respect and civility...well they used to!
Perhaps we, women, have bought the sexism thing about ourselves...and we apply it to each other by rote. Women are very competitive with each other.
I believe that the day women allow each other the right to do what they choose to do with their bodies and their lives...that is the day that change will come for women.
For now, Idiology looms large. in this landscape.
This dialogue is long overdue.
6 - Alamar Fernandez
I apologize for the long comment.
7 - Stacy
Hi Alamar- don't apologize- you raise good points.
I think one of the things that happened with 2008 is that Clinton and Palin laid the foundation for all other women candidates for high office to come. Because in the US we have never had a female POTUS or VP, as Sanchez said and you stressed, we women have no script for this. As demeaning and frustrating as the sexism was I think unfortunately it was almost unavoidable in that the media and the electorate are struggling with this too. If anything good comes of what Hillary and Sarah Palin had to suffer in the form of sexism it is that books like this may help prevent the media and pundits from repeating their sexist commentary.
Hopefully, as more women occupy position in the House and the Senate, our society will begin to see that they should be treated like any other candidate and not as some freak of nature or oddity to be defined by the usual gendered standards.
The one thing that I think we can all do is to use our voices, our emails, our blogs to condemn sexism wherever it occurs irrespective of who the target is- at the same time we can't let some people hide behind the claim of sexism when it is really their views that are the subject of inquiry or criticism.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.