Okay, let me say that at first I was jokingly saying that I was glad that the GOP had finally developed some concern about the problems of sexism, but it's getting to the point that I must say I find it a more than a bit cynical and disingenuous that the Republicans are dropping the gender card every few minutes now that "they got a girl."
IF this means that in the future, Republicans are more concerned about sexism, that would be a good thing, but it just seems that this is nothing more than a Rovian attempt at Machiavellian politics and it's thoroughly disgusting.
This latest "pig in lipstick" fluff put forth by the McCain camp is just ridiculous. McCain himself used that expression when talking about Hillary Clinton last year. Was he being sexist? Where were the scores of Rightwing pundits and enthusiasts coming out to blast McCain for sexism when he did the same thing with Clinton (well, not exactly the same thing: Obama was clearly talking about McCain - not Palin - in his comments)?
Nowhere.
Obama is absolutely right to go on the attack about this cynical silly blather. How dare the GOP try to use the serious problems of sexism for pathetic attempts at political gain? It undermines the Democratic process. This is exactly the sort of politicking from which Obama represents a change.
We've too many serious problems to deal with to allow the Republicans to try to change the subject to a non-issue. Shame on them.
For what it's worth, I did a google search on "republicans on sexism," "republicans sexism 2007," "republicans sexism 2000," "republicans sexism 2003," "republicans on sexism quotes," and a few other terms so I could check to see all the many quotes where Republicans complained about issues of sexism and gave speeches saying that sexism needed to be addressed. Then I checked "sexism mccain quotes," "sexism mccain 2000," mccain on sexism 1996," etc, etc.
The results?
I could not find ONE SINGLE quote pre-2008 where the Republicans talked about sexism.
So how 'bout this? I'll start a contest:
FIND THE REPUBLICAN QUOTE ON SEXISM!*
Prizes and fame ** to whoever can find a SINGLE Republican quote where they rail against the evils of sexism anytime in all of history, prior to August 2008.
The Republicans have been a party since the 1850s, I believe. Surely at SOME point in all of the last 150 years SOME Republican had SOME kind words to say in defense of women's rights?
Anyone? One quote?
[* "I dig chicks," does not count as speaking against sexism...]
[** Well, "prizes and fame" may be a bit of a stretch, how 'bout a pencil sharpener and a kind word from me at this blog? Not that I'm especially concerned that a quote will be forthcoming...]
9 comments:
As president, I will establish a liaison with the 50 governors to encourage them to eliminate, where it exists, discrimination against women. I will monitor federal laws to insure their implementation and to add statutes if they are needed.
ding ding ding! A winner already. And Ronald Reagan his own self, the Dark Prince! Who knew?
Tell anonymous what he's/she's won, johnny...
Except, of course, he did not such thing. Reagan was all talk, no walk.
(In a booming voice)Anonymous.. You have just won (start the cheezy music) a lifetime supply of bullshit. Yes, thats right, the shit will be delivered to your front door every November!! Provided to you by the Republican Bovine Association, this is the finest shit in the world. Back to you Dan.
Good points, fellas. Ought we accept a quote that was merely an empty promise and ultimately didn't mean anything? Ought, I wonder, it actually count against Reagan - and by extension, the GOP - that he made a cynical lip service nod to the problems of sexism that really meant nothing?
Could we have perhaps a better example?
I'm serious: In ALL my searching (not extensive months-long research, but still), I could not find the FIRST GOP quote in opposition to sexism before this Palin hullabaloo. Could it be possible that this current "concern" is mere lip service, too?
Say it ain't so.
I think with this election we have the choice between making history, and repeating it.
Pablo,
Yeah, we could get Carter's second term ;)
The Reagan quote has a context which makes it less concerned about sexism: Reagan was explaining why his OPPOSITION to the Equal Rights Amendment did not mean that he was a misogynist. He did do some symbolic things for women: appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court (Sandra Day O'Connor), women as Ambassadors to the UN (Shirley Temple Black and Jeanne Kirkpatrick) and Peggy Noonan was his primary speechwriter. But he also continued to campaign against pay equity, hate crimes against women, denied that marital rape could exist, etc.
That's been the general history of the GOP: promote individual conservative women to positions of power while saying that most women should stay home, make babies and keep house, and totally undermining anything that empowers most women. Palin is cut from the same mold.
I do agree that the "pig in lipstick" thing was ridiculous, although I only caught bits and pieces of it since I was on vacation, but the parts I caught sounded like pathetic politics.
Concerning women staying at home and making babies, etc... Does such a belief matter as much as long as it is not enforced in the public square? Have Republicans actually said that's what women are supposed to do, or is it just a matter of more conservative families having the wife stay at home? I'm just wondering if it is a genuine concern, or if it is a stereotype. The truth is, I don't know. And I hope people have no problems with the wife staying home if that's what the family has agreed upon.
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