I have long suspected that people who dislike Hillary Clinton are really just sexist, whether they admit it to themselves or not. I never hear - from my friends or in the media - people say they dislike her policies or disagree with her on important issues. Instead, it's always something about "baggage" or "coldness" or some other nebulous quality...
In a recent commentary article for Salon.com, Edward McLelland writes about what he calls the "dude factor" in this race: guys who seriously would vote for either McCain or Obama, but not Clinton. In explaining this phenomenon, he notes that when asked what traits they want in a president, guys cite "independence, plain-spokenness, charisma, willingness to take a stand, respectability..." traits they admire in other guys.
But not in women?
They don't say that, of course. Interestingly, according to a recent CBS-NYT poll, 81% of Americans say they would vote for a woman for president, but only 56% think their neighbors would. What does that tell us? Americans are generally full of it.
The author asserts: "I told myself I wasn't dismissing Clinton because I disliked her. I was dismissing her because other people disliked her." I've heard that a lot. I think it's a crock.
He notes that there is a significant number of men who say they would vote for Obama or McCain, but not Clinton. But McCain & Obama have polar-opposite positions on a significant number of issues. As McLelland points out: "[Like Clinton,] Obama wants the government involved in healthcare. McCain thinks it should stay private. Obama wants to raise the minimum wage every year. McCain voted to abolish it. Obama wants to bring our troops back from Iraq by 2010. McCain says they may stay another 100 years. Obama is a dovish, big-government liberal who takes the kinds of positions that have earned Democrats the "Mommy Party" label. But he's not suffering for it the way Hillary Clinton is."
How do guys rationalize this disparity? Obama and McCain are "mavericks" - a great line for attracting independent voters.
But I think this is really about Hillary Clinton. In order to be a good president, she has to be tough-as-nails. In order to get all the experience necessary to be a good president, she has to develop an incredibly think skin. But men don't like women who are tough-as-nails and thick-skinned. It's a catch-22 that she simply can't win.
If she wins the primary or the general election, it will be because women have decided that it's time. We shall see.
1 comment:
I have long suspected that people who dislike Hillary Clinton are really just sexist, whether they admit it to themselves or not.
Hm. Hard to argue with the old "whether they admit it to themselves or not" argument, Em. Kinda imputes to you an amazing amount of clairvoyance.
I have no way of judging Mrs. Clinton as a person, or on a personal level. I do know that I can't stand her politics.
But I'd give every bit of shoe leather I have on behalf of a woman candidate for governor, president, congress, whatever - provided she was a conservative. (I do the same thing for male candidates, too).
You really can't chalk it up to sexism. Merely "knowing what one believes".
Provided that what I actually know about myself stands up to the old "whether they know it or not" test, of course. ;-]
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