Pigs and Bitches: Real and Perceived Sexism in the National Election

With female politicians playing such a prominent role in this year's presidential election, both their opponents and the media often find themselves accused of sexism in their commentaries. Hillary Clinton suffered numerous instances of sexism from her critics, including the persistent label "bitch." When audiences grew tired of Chris Matthews' perceived unfair treatment of Clinton, they responded by helping her claim victory in the New Hampshire primary just to prove him wrong (see Eric Boehlert's commentary on this event at http://mediamatters.org/columns/200801220003) The slurs directed at Clinton and more recently at Sarah Palin are evidence that misogyny still plagues the United States. The media and opponents hurl sexist insults at them on a regular basis, often with minimal response from the public. I do not particularly like Clinton or Palin, but I am outraged that such overt sexism is permitted in our society. They should be criticized for their policies and voting records, not for their gender.

This is not to say that opponents and critics should give women special treatment. They should be prepared to face the same amount of insults and criticisms as men in their positions. It is the nature of those insults that concern me, not the fact that they are being questioned by what is supposed to be a critical mass media. There is some public concern amongst the Democrats that Biden will come across as misogynistic if he debates Palin aggressively. However, he will also be accused of patronizing her if he does not put forth his best effort. In my opinion, he should approach the debate just as he would any other political contest with an opponent; as long as he leaves out specifically sexist comments, he should not be criticized for his treatment of women. The infamous "lipstick on a pig" comment and the alleged outrage from Republicans exemplifies a ridiculous example of how gender is being made a highlight instead of a sidenote in this campaign, but the Democrats should not fall into this trap. Women do not want to be treated delicately simply because of their gender, but they also do not want to be criticized simply because of their gender. Once we can look at our political candidates with equal levels of skepticism, then we can start to champion women's rights.