Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - Posts
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Hanna and Dahlia, I'll play defense. I completely agree that the sexism vs. racism face-off is useless and also destructive—I'm with Kim forevermore on that one. But Hillary is right, the response to her candidacy has unleashed sexist and misogynist ghouls and evil spirits, and as they've whizzed around us, millions of women have been justifiably offended, Hillary supporters and not alike. I don't have girls, but I felt some kinship with Peggy Orenstein when she wrote last weekend in the NYT about struggling over how to talk to her daughter about those ghouls (specifically, a poster depicting Hillary as a witch) and what they mean about women and power. Yes, Hillary is playing the gender card by pointing that out. And no, she isn't helping unify the party by striding off to Florida to complain about the unseated delegates. Obama's riff is much more soothing to listen to: "No matter how this primary ends, Senator Clinton has shattered myths and broken barriers and changed the America in which my daughters and yours will come of age." That's true. But it's not the only truth of this campaign. Hasn't Hillary earned the right to remind of us that, and isn't the reminder worthwhile, even if it sometimes feels like browbeating?