Any woman past a certain age can remember a time when gender bias was open, blatant, ugly. Gender discrimination is still around, but these days it’s usually more subtle than the historic kind and the kind that was aimed at Hillary Clinton during her run for the Democratic nomination for president.
PMS jokes, mood swing jokes, make-up jokes and comedy routines about her pants suits were routine. So were comments about how she looked, whether she deliberately showed her cleavage at a dinner, her nagging wife voice and – and worse.
Male candidates were not subject to similar attacks.
You may well have heard some of those jokes or sexist comments coming out of the mouths of people you know and love.
But there wasn’t anything funny about the yearning by many women to see the ultimate glass ceiling shattered. Some of those women not only remember but experienced discrimination. So the idea of a woman president was pretty heady. Clinton’s loss was their loss and they took it hard.
I felt a certain disappointment as well, but not as much as some because, though I’d love to see a woman president, I didn’t much like Hillary and I couldn’t cast a vote for her or anyone simply based on gender. Or age, or race, for that matter.
William March, political writer for The Tampa Tribune wrote a thoughtful piece in Saturday’s paper in which he asked a number of local women how they felt about Clinton’s loss and whether they would support the presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Some said they would; others said they would but reluctantly.
National stories indicate that some women – even young women – are so disappointed and/or angry that Clinton lost that they will simply not vote at all. Others say they will vote for the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, even though they are Democrats. And quite a few are angry at the Democratic Party for not speaking out about the sexism aimed at Clinton.
The Tribune’s editorial section followed March’s story up on Sunday with a package in Commentary featuring many of the same women March quoted sounding off about the gender factor.
Rosemary Goudreau, the Trib’s editorial page editor, artfully summed up female discontent, while former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman, Clerk of Courts Pat Frank, and historian Doris Weatherford added their voices to the discussion.
While Freedman and Frank seem angry, Weatherford explained the discontent in her usual thoughtful, measured way.
Subconsciously, women, particularly older women who have witnessed a lot, resent the fact that nobody ever says thank you, and that (women’s) issues are put off to later,” she wrote.
I agree with Weatherford about the resentment and completely understand the anger some women feel over Clinton’s suspension of her campaign. Recent personal incidents in my own life have fueled exactly those feeling in me.
Only after some real soul-searching did I come to understand that I’d spent far too much time time and energy focusing on something I can’t change. The only healthy and productive thing to do is keep on keeping on.
Will women eventually get the appreciation we deserve? I don’t know. But I can continue to educate my grandchildren about how things were, how far women have come – and how far we have to go.
Patricia
1 year ago
As an African-American woman, I too get the anger. At the same time, I wonder why folks didn’t speak out more about the blatant racism that was and is still being leveled at Obama.
Americans very often don’t play nice.
Funny thing, I like you–had Obama not been in the race–might not have supported Hillary. I used to think very well of the Clintons but that has subsided over the years, beginning during the last Clinton administration. Had she been the nominee would I have voted for her? You’d better believe it. Anything to change the course we’re currently on.
At the same time, my sister, who is a scant five years older than me, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. She was very much a Clinton supporter, suspicious or disbelieving of Obama, and very hurt when Sen. Clinton did not get the nomination. My sis is one of those voters who will need time. For her gender was the bigger issue, and we lost an opportunity.
I get both ends of the spectrum. Like you, I have to do what I can, mostly helping to elect a Democratic president and focusing on teaching my sons that sexism–or any ism–is not okay.
Anon
1 year ago
Great discussion it’s just missing one major point. Obama was the better candidate. Although there were sexist comments throughout the entire campaign, all political candidates should come to expect hatred in every form. We need to stop tolerating it. When county commissioners bash gays we need to vote them out, when East Hillsborough hicks put up racist confederate flags we need to change the laws and try and kick them out, and when we encounter sexist remarks on tv and in person we need to call people out on it — it’s not comfortable and people will get upset but you need to make the person inflicting the pain feel embarrassed. just think of people with suvs….for the past 10 years we’ve all laughed at them because they are out of style…but now it ends up costing all of us money when they consume more than their fair share of the oil….I’ve started talking to people at gas stations asking them when they will change their ways. Most of them are pissed, but what’s better is that some get embarrassed. Call people out for what they are instead of holding your tongue and you’ll be suprised at how they change.
junior
1 year ago
I get e-mails from all Democratic candidates………………..THE BEST ONE WAS FROM hillary Clinton===she wrote me an e-hail and said the press said she showed to much clevage. I E-MAILED HERBACK AND TOLD HER IF YOU HAVE GOT IT FLAUNT IT.