GLORIA STEINEM 
Posted on 01/08/2008 6:24:20 AM PST by jdm
How desperate have Hillary Clinton's backers become? One of the more prominent supporters, Gloria Steinem, takes to the pages of the New York Times to complain about the ascendancy of Barack Obama because black men have had an easier time than American women. In doing so, she inadvertently makes the Republican case against the entire slate of choices on the Democratic side:
THE woman in question became a lawyer after some years as a community organizer, married a corporate lawyer and is the mother of two little girls, ages 9 and 6. Herself the daughter of a white American mother and a black African father — in this race-conscious country, she is considered black — she served as a state legislator for eight years, and became an inspirational voice for national unity.
Be honest: Do you think this is the biography of someone who could be elected to the United States Senate? After less than one term there, do you believe she could be a viable candidate to head the most powerful nation on earth?
If you answered no to either question, you’re not alone. Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life, whether the question is who must be in the kitchen or who could be in the White House. This country is way down the list of countries electing women and, according to one study, it polarizes gender roles more than the average democracy.
Be honest with yourself. Does anyone here think that gender is the disqualifying agent in this scenario, or motherhood? Or wouldn't most voters be suspicious of handing the reins of power over to someone who had ten years or less in any elective public office? Steinem makes the argument that Republicans could make against any of the top three candidates in the Democratic race, and does so rather effectively.
Instead, she goes on a strange rant about how a female Barack would never have had a chance in this race, and how women are "never front-runners". Oddly, though, Hillary spent most of 2007 as the front-runner, both in terms of polling and in terms of fundraising. She raised more than Obama did, and far more than Edwards, and vastly more than any of the Republican males. She only stopped being a front-runner when she made a serious of unforced errors that caused everyone to question her ability as a candidate and a politician, including making Obama's kindergarten essays a point of criticism.
What Steinem demands is that voters stop considering Hillary as Hillary, and instead think of her as Generic Woman. Steinem doesn't want equality of opportunity; she wants grievances addressed. And she makes it clear that Women come before Black Men on the grievance agenda, writing "Black men were given the vote a half-century before women of any race were allowed to mark a ballot, and generally have ascended to positions of power, from the military to the boardroom, before any women[.]"
It's time for Generic Woman, not Black Man, on Steinem's dance card. Sorry, Barack. You're not scheduled to be Generic Black Man until 2016.
Hillary had a lot of advantages coming into this race, something Steinem fails to mention. Besides the identity politics angle Steinem pursued, she had a lot of goodwill left over in the party from her husband's administration, a big political machine waiting for her, and money raining all over her for a year. At some point, however, Hillary had to show that she was the best candidate for the job -- and she's been failing miserably at that task.
Steinem shows everything that's wrong with identity politics. It's crass, it's irrational, it assumes that people should get "turns", and in the end it's anti-democratic. Obama hasn't played that game like Hillary has -- and that may be why Obama's beating Hillary like a bongo drum in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Gloria Steinem?
Puleeze. This woman ranted and raved throughout the 1970’s and early 1980’s...only to then marry money, and become for over a decade everything she claimed to HATE about women who stayed at home, and loved their husbands.
I thought you had to pass the bar exam to be a lawyer?
Gloria is forgetting that before Obama, IL had already produced the first female black senator: Mrs. Moseley-Braun, and she tried to run for President once too. People in IL are moving far to the left.
Where the hell were you and all you ilk when Juanita Broaddrick and numerous other womean were being assaulted by A.G. Bill Clinton, Gov. Bill Clinton & President Bill Clinton & Hillary's Husband?
female chauvinist sow.
That same thought crossed my mind. And I’d bet anything that Gloria and her ilk would use that very same “logic”.
Me, too!
I'm also a religious bigot because I don't like the Huckster.
The reason Hillary is losing is because of Hillary. She is not losing because she is a woman, but because her performance and her campaign are horrible.
Btw, if anyone ever bothered to read any of Steinem’s books, they would realize just what a man-hating loon this woman is. Steinem is downright bizarre in most of her rhetoric.
If I don’t vote for her, what are you going to do about it?
Hillary says Barack has not done enough spadework to be president.
Gloria, how many people have been lynched because of their female "gender"?
One of the many fun reasons why an early Hillary meltdown will be so much FUN!
I would address Gloria with ‘ ____ you Steinem’. But I demure on the off chance that she might take me up on it. Not a pretty picture.......
And in this coming election voters can vote for Cynthia McKinney, who covers all the bases. She is black, a woman, and a total fruitcake. Gloria should be supporting her.
Auntie Em’s farmhouse is circling in the twister and has Hildabeast from the East’s name on it. Where will it land on her? New Hampshire? South Carolina?
I think Hillary will campaign until she spends her war chest. So it may be a while.
Beatable candidate Vs. The lesser of Evils.
Which democratic candidate is more beatable? Obama or Clinton? What if the more beatable candidate did not get beat and we ended up with one or the other?
I think Hillary is more beatable than Obama but am not sure that risking having her as a president is worth hoping she wins the nomination. I think Obama would be the lesser of the two evils (do less damage) if, God forbid, we lost the presidential election. But I think Hillary would be an easier candidate to beat.
Who do we root against harder, Hillary or Obama?
I fear either scenario but having any chance of putting hillary in the Whitehouse really sickens me. I fear Obama might have a better chance of winning the general election, however.
What do you think?
I’d like to be appalled by this,
but
I can’t count how many FR Mormons have said if you don’t support Romney you are a religious bigot!
“What’s wrong with being sexy?” — Nigel Tufnel, Spinal Tap
OK, that makes complete sense, and who are you, Steinem?
GLORIA STEINEM
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