Everybody loved Raymond (though I never really got that).
Now, it seems, that Everybody Hates Hillary. Or, at least, it’s good sport to pretend you do.
Anna Wintour doesn’t like her wardrobe.
Bill Kristol doesn’t like the white women who support her (does that mean it’s OK to support Hillary if you’re a woman of color?)
The Washington Post doesn’t like her cleavage.
Maureen Dowd doesn’t like her because she’s not angry enough.
Bloggers think she’s too weepy.
Rush Limbaugh ridicules her wrinkles.
Even women writers are finding things to dislike about her.
I want the remaining male candidates running for president to be subjected to the same sexist scrutiny for the duration of the campaign.
I want Tim Gunn to get after John McCain about those sweater vests.
I want Men’s Health to write a scathing article on the fact that Barack Obama needs a little bit more upper body toning.
I want Field and Stream to stage an intervention for Mike Huckabee’s hunting outfit.
And how about someone from the Clinique counter weighing in on Ron Paul’s skin care regimen?
Of course, I wouldn’t mind it one bit if someone from the World Weekly News broke the story about Ralph Nader’s alien love child!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I don’t care how good (or bad) she looks or how well (or poorly) she dresses. I just think she is evil. Barack does not strike me that way. He is either much smoother, or he really is a more positive person. Probably the most telling thing Hillary said was “I have so many opportunities for this country” instead of “we have so many opportunities” because she honestly believes the focus is HER. I could handle Barack Obama as president far more easily than her. And yes, this is coming from a conservative who realizes their political perspectives are practically identical.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
You’ve chosen to focus on superficial criticisms of Hillary Clinton, and ignored the important criticisms – such as her time on the Board of Directors of Wal-mart – and her statement that she would consider using torture as President – and her vote to let George W. Bush start the war in Iraq.
Please don’t set up these straw men arguments. It’s transparent.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I agree that she’s getting a huge amount of negative press from people, and a lot of it does have to do with the fact that she’s a female. It burns me up that she’s getting those negative comments because she’s a female. I just wish that she would get the negative comments for her issues instead.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Anon…PunditMom’s point is that the media is too critical of superficial things. I support HRC but I’m also OK with real substantive gripes about her. Want to talk about her war vote? Fine. Want to talk about welfare reform? Fine. But let’s keep her boobs, wrinkles, and hair cut of our the debate. Unless we want to rehash how Barack is a smoker.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
You really think Barack Obama isn’t being bashed by Hillary Clinton’s supporters on account of his race? Fine, let’s go on to something even more superficial: Thomas Buffenbarger’s attack yesterday, warming up the crowd before Hillary Clinton spoke, calling Barack Obama’s supporters “latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies”.
Now THAT is low.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Dude…I love Barack too, so you won’t get me to fall into some comment war. And I esp don’t war with someone who can’t even ID themselves.
But gotta say, that’s a funny line. Me, I’m a chai latte drinking, Prius driving, wish-I-had-a-trust-fund baby. And Birks? So 1993.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Veronica, I agree — let’s have a good discussion, but no need to be anonymous!
I’ll go make the chai lattes, now!
February 20th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
And evil? Really?? I can understand not liking her. But evil? Compared to Bush and the Iraq war, so not evil.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I am sooooo sick of people saying, “It’s not because she is a woman, I just don’t like her.” As if all this sexist coverage (which you so beautifully encapsulate) has nothing to do with their feelings about her!
February 20th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
It’s too bad he’s out of the race because I’d have a few things to say about Mitt Romney’s helmet hair.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Amen! She’s in a no-win position, and I hate to say it, but a lot of the criticism does stem from sexism. She is being scrutinized in a way that the male candidates are not. And when she calls the media on it, they make her out to be over-reacting.
Thank you for pointing it out.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:25 am
She’s not evil but there is something about her personality that grates on people.
If people focused that kind of attention on men – Donald Trump would never have his own TV – after all his “hair” looks like it was picked up off the road (after being run over by a semi about 100 times!)
February 21st, 2008 at 12:14 pm
It is really sexist and sad. She is to be admired. She has acheived so much, she’s so smart. It’s just sad.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Excellent job. I don’t know why men find such a time understanding this. My own husband who I consider a very liberated man, doesn’t get my claims of misogyny either. When men say, oh, no its her policies that I don’t like, it sounds contrived when they list the “reasons.” She has paid her dues, has allt he qualifications, and well, its still not enough. What an opportunity to stick it to the Republicans and we are letting it go. I’m pissed. BTW, I linked to this post today. Nice nice job.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I’m pissed, too, Sherry. I can’t imagine having to “suffer the slings and arrows” that she has easily dismissed. She’s such a champ.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
You’re right about everything you’ve written. But, it’s so much easier to talk about her flaws because she is such a divisive woman. It’s easier to talk about her wrinkles and piano legs when she bashes Obama about his “soaring rhetoric.”
If she can dish it, she can take it.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I did say evil, and I started to elaborate but I felt a rant coming on. If you really want to know, I’m happy to elaborate but I know my opinion of her is not well received here. I don’t care one bit about her being a woman, though, and I don’t really think she’s “accomplished” much of anything that can be clearly identified. I feel similarly about Barack’s “accomplishments” but at least he does not make my skin crawl. He seems much more positive and able to motivate people.
As for the President Bush comments, he’s not in this race, so it’s not terribly relevant to the discussion at hand, in my opinion. For the record, I don’t feel too swell about McCain or Huckabee, either.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Really, someone should just duct tape Limbaugh’s flappy jaw shut. He is as unattractive as they come.
Yes, the comments are superficial and silly, as is what I’m about to say, but one of the first things I thought when the campaign began in earnest was “Wow! Hillary looks great!” I don’t understand the attacks on her appearance. Pure sexism–and IMO off the mark entirely.
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:13 am
Ahhh, that picture…which begs the question, did the English press run intentionally unflattering pics of Thatcher when she was PM? THe answer is probably yes but then no one over there probably gave a crap about her failure to botox and her block-like physique.
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Speaking of Thatcher, I saw a picture of her at William & Mary a couple of weeks ago. I never knew she had a connection with the place, but she’s been the Chancellor I believe. What a great example of a woman who can lead.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
The nitpicking done of anyone in the public eye has grown so tedious. This post is valid for any of them, except perhaps those celebrities who court the media.