Clinton Aides: Palin treatment sexist (or why Howard Wolfson should get an ass kicking)

[vegansrule]

Who s more of a turncoat, that sore loser Wolfson, or Joe Lieberman?


Clinton aides: Palin treatment sexist
By JOHN F. HARRIS & BETH FRERKING | 9/4/08 9:07 AM EST Updated: 9/4/08 9:07 AM EST Text Size:


ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sarah Palin found some unlikely allies Wednesday as leading academics and even former top aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed the Republican charge that John McCain’s running mate has been subject to a sexist double standard by the news media and Democrats.

Georgetown University professor Deborah Tannen, who has written best-selling books on gender differences, said she agrees with complaints that Palin skeptics — including prominent voices in the news media — have crossed a line by speculating about whether the Alaska governor is neglecting her family in pursuit of national office.

“What we’re dealing with now, there’s nothing subtle about it,” said Tannen. “We’re dealing with the assumption that child-rearing is the job of women and not men. Is it sexist? Yes.”

“There’s no way those questions would be asked of a male candidate,” said Howard Wolfson a former top strategist for Clinton’s presidential campaign.

The sexism charge was hurled with new intensity Wednesday afternoon by McCain surrogates, all women, at a news conference just hours before made her acceptance speech here - a speech in which she said this about the media and Washington elite: "I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country."

The tense encounter with reporters showed how McCain’s team has abandoned all pretense that this convention is about anything but Palin, her résumé and her wildly unexpected ascension to the GOP ticket.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13129.html

[Bunny]

1. Do you disagree with Wolfson's assertion:

"There’s no way those questions would be asked of a male candidate,” said Howard Wolfson a former top strategist for Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Or do you think he should have just kept quiet about it?

[TheWraith]

4. It's patently and obviously untrue.

If you don't believe that, then you clearly haven't been paying attention to politics.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. Politico, A RW leaning source, offers sensationalist anti-DEM spin and you lap it up?

We are our own worst enemy.

[poverlay]

3. Yep, and there's no way she would be on the ticket if she were a male. If she were male she

and the RNC couldn't whine about legitimate questions. Well they could, they can whine about anything. I'm a SAHD and if I suddenly added VP campaigning, Downs baby, daughter wedding, and moose killing to my already hectic Governating schedule I would be questioning my ability to handle it all. I certainly wouldn't expect others not to.

Vote Obama. He doesn't throw a tantrum when people question him or his qualifications...

[justinaforjustice]

5. Palin Running for VP as Self-Proclaimed Hockey Mom of Five

Palin has justified her candidacy by claiming her PTA membership, role of hockey team mom, and as mother of five children, which she duly parades repeatedly on stage. Therefore it is not sexist to inquire if she was an effective PTA member, hockey mom and, especially, mother to those five children.

By publicly treating her special needs infant as a stage prop at televised political gatherings and nationally humiliating her unwed,pregnant teenage daughter by publicizing the daughter's pregnancy, Palin is putting those issues in public display and inviting public comment.

The real sexism is in McCain's unconscionable choice of the patiently unqualified Palin to pander to women voters. Most women will see through that pandering. McCain's policies are extremely anti-woman: he opposes abortion and equal pay for equal work laws as well as unionization. His health plan will actually decrease access to health care. Smart women will vote Obama-Biden because they promote policies such as freedom of choice, equal pay, universal health care, unionization and raising the minimum wage which will actually improve the lives of women.