1 Boring Old Man

Hillary Clinton Hits ‘Sexism’ In Media Coverage
Says Gender Bigger Drawback Than Race

QUESTION. Do you think this has been a particularly racist campaign?

ANSWER. I do not. I think this has been a positive, civil campaign. I think that both gender and race have been obviously a part of it because of who we are and every poll I’ve seen show more people would be reluctant to vote for a woman to vote for an African American, which rarely gets reported on either. The manifestation of some of the sexism that has gone on in this campaign is somehow more respectable or at least more accepted. And I think there should be equal rejection of the sexism and the racism when and if it ever raises its ugly head. But it does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by comments and reactions of people who are nothing but misogynists.

QUESTION. Isn’t that how it’s always been though.

ANSWER. Oppression of women and discrimination against women is universal. You can go to places in the world where there are no racial distinctions except everyone is joined together in their oppression of women. The treatment of women is the single biggest problem we have politically and socially in the world. If you look at the extremism and the fundamentalism, it is all about controlling women, at it’s base. The idea that we would have a presidential campaign in which so much of what has occurred that has been very sexist would be just shrugged off I think is a very unfortunate commentary about the lack of seriousness that should be applied to any kind of discrimination or prejudice. I have spent my entire life trying to stand up for civil rights and women’s rights and human rights and I abhor wherever it is discrimination is present.

I voted for Obama in our Primary. At the time, I thought Clinton was more electable, but I voted for Obama for several reasons. First and foremost, he voted against the War on Iraq. When that vote happened, I couldn’t believe Clinton voted for the War. I decided that is was based on wanting to support our President. It was the way things were going at the time. But I’ll admit that I thought she’d "sold out" – done the politically expedient thing. I still have trouble believing that she voted for the war because she thought it was a good idea. My second reason was that I thought Obama might just be a great President – nothing assured, just a gut reaction. I didn’t think Hillary Clinton had a great President in her – more like a good President. I would’ve been comfortable either way, but I am sure that had I voted for Clinton, it would have been because she is a woman. I know for sure that I did not vote for Obama because he is African-American or because he is a man.

I got mad at her along the way when she commented on the Reverend Wright flap, and even more when she said she could get the blue collar white vote. But I have to concede that otherwise, she’s been restrained. I suppose that even those two comments are understandable. It is, after all, a race for something both of them want a lot. When I try to be objective, I can’t argue with what she’s saying here. Certainly, the constituency she has had on her side [over 50% of voters are women] is a greater advantage that Obama has had [12% of Americans are African-Americans]. But it does seem that the negative jabs have been more aimed at her. If you put in Hillary Clinton in Google and then look at images, there are a lot of joke pictures [there used to be a lot more]. And the right wing email jokes are much more frequently about her. So, I can’t argue that she hasn’t taken a big hit in this race. But Obama got slammed too. That Reverend Wright business was plenty racist. And there’s little question that the Appalachian vote is against a Black Man.