Eleanor Clift: Hillary, You Didn’t Win. Now Don’t Whine

[babylonsister]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/139263

Hillary, You Didn’t Win. Now Don’t Whine
Eleanor Clift

The sense of grievance that permeates the Clinton campaign hurts her and the Dems.
May 30, 2008




The key to the winner winning is how the loser loses. Those cautionary words were spoken some weeks ago by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who is close to both the Clintons and Barack Obama and whose hardball style of politics helped win back the House for the Democrats. However the nomination fight is resolved, it must be seen as fair by supporters of the two candidates, who have run an excruciatingly close race.

If that's the goal, it doesn't help that a group of women plan on protesting outside the hotel Saturday where the Democratic Party's rules and bylaws committee is meeting. These women are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore. But their complaint, that Hillary Clinton may be denied the nomination because she's the victim of sexism, doesn't hold water.

Sexism by whom? By the press? By Barack Obama? To be sure, there have been sexist comments. Some women are still smarting over the time when Obama pulled out Clinton's chair after a debate, seeing it as chauvinist as opposed to gentlemanly. But highlighting sexism undercuts Clinton's argument that she is the more electable of the two candidates. How can she be more electable if sexism is this strong within the Democratic primaries? What would happen in November? If she's the candidate, would hordes of men see the light?

snip//

Blaming gender bias may help some women vent about an outcome they didn't want, but there are more mundane reasons for what looks like a failed nomination fight. If Clinton had not voted for the resolution that gave President Bush the authority to wage war, the door would not have swung open for Obama to enter the race. His antiwar stance gave him a moral claim on which to stake his candidacy. Secondly, the Clinton campaign's decision to not aggressively contest the caucus states allowed Obama to build up a lead in delegates that Clinton was never able to overcome. Now Clinton supporters are arguing that caucuses are undemocratic, and if only the Democrats had the same system as the Republicans, winner-take-all in the big primary states, Hillary would be the nominee.

The sense of grievance that permeates the Clinton campaign is out of proportion to reality. Women see the way Hillary's cleavage became news when a Washington Post style writer, a woman, did a feature on a lower-cut-than usual top she wore on the Senate floor. Silly and sexist, yes, but what if Bill Clinton hadn't waded into the South Carolina primary with remarks that seemed to conjoin Obama with Jesse Jackson? Would that have made a difference? Life isn't fair, but don't cry for Hillary. She's proved herself more than worthy to win; now she's got to muster the grace to lose.

© 2008

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. She should now go gracefully

[jaxx]

2. I have issues with the heir apparent idea.

from the article: <snip> O'Connor founded the Institute of Women and Politics at AU. As a woman over 50 who has devoted her professional life to cultivating women leaders and looking ahead to the day when she might see a woman president, she learned a hard truth: that for these women, youth trumps gender. "I don't vote for a woman just because she's a woman," a former student told O'Connor. "I do," O'Connor responded, explaining that Clinton and Obama are "identical" on the issues. "This is gender versus race." O'Connor has been quoted saying it will be generations, plural, before another woman will be positioned as the heir apparent the way Clinton was at the outset of the race.


I don't think it's just youth trumping gender, I think it's voting for the person who best represents your thoughts. I find the sexism stuff foolish. Sexism is using it to promote your self interests....and it works both ways. Saying vote for HRC because she's a woman and it's our turn to see a woman in the WH is about as sexist as it gets. HRC started out as a candidate and has evolved into being "the woman". Sad, but true. The more she protests, the more I shake my head and wonder what happened to the woman's movement where equality was the desired outcome. There is no entitlement to the office, there is no owing her anything because she's a woman. It's all about this country and getting us back on track to succeed. It has nothing to do with a man or a woman, but the reality of who's ideas you can support. Yes, they are close on many issues, but they are different people with different routes to the end result.

I am woman. I was there when we burnt the bras, 61 years old....yeah I flaunt it. White. And appalled at the way some have taken us back to the dark ages with the idea we're entitled. Men used to think they were entitled, which led to the movement for equality. Have we come full circle? I hope not.

I am now off the soapbox, and thanks for listening.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. I'll climb up now, thank you.......

Wheezing and groaning, but here I am - a bit older than you - and the phrase that got me was "... before another woman will be positioned as the heir apparent the way Clinton was at the outset of the race,"

I think some folks have forgotten that the whole point of feminism was to show that women can choose. Whether it's what to wear, where to go to school, what profession to embrace, have kids or not - it was always about choice. Now, these "feminists" are lamenting the fact that the kids we raised are doing exactly that?

It would be a ragged defeat if we'd raised a generation of young women who were programmed to vote for the candidate with the same genitalia as theirs. That differs not at all from their voting for someone whose skin was the same color.

It's not about "gender v. race." What an absurd claim! It's about new ideas, change, doing things a better way, a different way, and that' precisely what feminism is all about, too. We're making a lovely circle if we stay true to our goals.

The sad truth, and Senator Clinton should really face this, is that she was the self-designated "heir(ess) apparent" simply because she was married to Bill Clinton. That's why she carpetbagged her Senate seat; that's why she was a front-runner in the primaries; that's why she's on the national stage in any way now.

And that, my friends, is the antithesis of feminism.

I shall now turn the soapbox over to anyone who wants it...........

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Cheers and clapping

I agree with you 100%. The whole point of feminism was to take gender out of the equation, and to rate ideas against ideas rather than look at the gender (or race, for that matter) of the messenger.

[roguevalley]

30. Tangerine LaBamba and the poster ahead of you, kudos. You

said what I feel. I LOATHE the idea that gals have to vote fem even if the candidate is not your best choice. thank you.

[Diane R]

37. Original feminist clapping, too. Great post.

[TahitiNut]

42. Bravo.

:applause: "And that, my friends, is the antithesis of feminism."

Yes, and so is Nell on the railroad tracks. The melodrama has been nauseating.

The inherent assumption that "a woman can't make it on her own" (without BOTH out-machoing AND playing "I'm a girl") is really despicable. For decades I've worked for, been befriended by, and worked with women who've been EVERY bit my peer (or better) and the suggestion that has been pervasive in the Clinton campaign disgusts me.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. You said it eloquently

I'm a white woman a few years your junior, but not much. I actively knew sexual discrimination while I was growing up; my father deserted the family and left us with huge debts (he was allowed, as the husband, to use my mother's furniture and personal property as collateral for a loan without her permission and knowledge-she lost it all after he skipped, because he defaulted on the loan which she knew nothing about). My mother went to work, doing the same work as a man for less pay, and was told that this was right because "A man has to support his family. You women just go to work so you can buy hats." I know what it was like to go and try and buy a big ticket item and be asked to "Bring around your husband so he can sign the papers." I know what it was like to be not so much looked down upon as looked as being less intelligent, less serious, than a man. To me, these are the real issues of women's lib. I think Clinton's take on "sexism" is laughable compared to my experiences as a child, experiences, I might add, that I seriously doubt Clinton ever came close to experiencing.

[jaxx]

8. I never met a man I didn't feel equal to. ;-)

Your experiences are those that many of us have had to overcome. I refuse to go backwards and be reguarded as less than competent to appease somebody's ego. One thing I learned along the way is to never make less of yourself and be afraid to rock the boat.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

19. I'll tell you a story

I'm a writer, and short after my first novel was published, I went to a gathering of my (former) colleagues, all professionals. Mostly men. A cocktail party, just the monthly thing associations do. Everyone was excited for me, having gotten a fat book contract, and now, a published book!

(I didn't know then that everyone wants to be a writer.)

A man I know for a long time came up to me, congratulated me and said, with a wistful look, that he'd always dreamed of leaving our profession behind - it's a high-stress one - and becoming a writer.

Without thinking, I found myself getting ready to say to him, "Oh, it's just a little book, not really a big deal."

But I caught myself. And I said to him, "If you write it, maybe you'll have the kind of experience I'm having."

When I told my agent - a woman - about it, she vowed to tell that story to every woman client she had. And she did.

[jaxx]

23. Good for you!

Making less of ourselves is a hard one to overcome. It's like walking a step behind...it was expected.

[rebel with a cause]

27. Did you know that men use to be paid

a "family wage" and when "equal pay for equal work" became a law, instead of them paying women that same wage, they cut out the "family wage" and put everyone on regular rated pay. That is why it is much harder to support a family now with only one paycheck. I remember when I was young being told that women were only working for the extra things they wanted for their family, and I knew some women that did just that in the factory where I worked. Their husbands had good paying jobs and they only worked for things their husband might not want to pay for like vacations, fancier clothing and other material things. But the majority of women were working to support themselves and their families. Then there was the male machanic that sat around most of the day watching the women on their way to the bathroom, only working when one of the machines broke down, and he got payed twice as much as we did. I hated that guy, he was a scum bag and he made more money than I did. :grr:

[beac]

20. "it will be generations, plural, before another woman will be positioned as the heir apparent"

Yes, let's hope so.

I don't want the first woman president to get there by being the "heir" who is entitled to the Presidency because it is "her turn." I don't care for Hillary for a whole host of reasons (the biggest being the way she has run her campaingn), but one of my initial problems was the dynastic aspect of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton.


(thanks for letting me stand on your soapbox, jaxx ;) )

[eridani]

45. I'd call it the organized vs. the disorganized race myself n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Well written piece

I'm not an Obama supporter or Clinton supporter. I am a woman, and frankly I don't see the sexism that Clinton supporters say cost her the nomination. I have felt that she didn't help the feminist cause by linking her experience to her husband's, rather than pointing out what she had done in her Senate career.

[njlib]

7. Well said

I am a woman who supported Kucinich, then Edwards, and will vote for whoever wins the nomination. I had C-SPAN's Washington Journal on this morning and a woman called in who was a lifelong Democrat, but said if Obama is the nominee, she'll vote for McCain. It will be the first time in her life she votes Republican and she'll do it without any hesitation. I just don't understand the logic. I'm hoping the Rules Committee settles the delegate issue today, so we can start concentrating on getting people to realize that a vote for McCain is a vote to continue the downward spiral we've been on for the past 7+ years.

[angstlessk]

22. being a saturday, I was still in bed and had my teevee on and heard that call, the last

before the DNC rules convention...I cringed. I do not believe her one moment..the anger WILL subside over time and IF she is indeed a Democrat she will either NOT vote or vote for Obama.

[cornermouse]

9. re: Eleanor Clift.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Clift

Eleanor Clift (born July 7, 1940) is an American news editor, columnist, political commentator, pundit, reporter and author. She is currently a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine. Her column, "Capitol Letter" is posted each week on Newsweek.com and MSNBC. She is a regular political panelist on the nationally syndicated show The McLaughlin Group, which she has compared to "a televised food fight". She is also a political contributor for the Fox News Channel.

Brought to you by the people who normally excoriate anything and anyone who is connected to Fox. 'Nuff said.

[babylonsister]

10. Quit your complaining. Gen. Clark was also a contributor to Faux.

'Nuff said. :eyes:

[cornermouse]

11. General Clark is supporting Hillary

And you've thrown the kitchen sing at him as well. 'Nuff said.

[babylonsister]

13. Oh please. So as long as someone supports Clinton on Faux, they're

okay, but everyone else, all bets are off? Your logic escapes me.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. And let's not forget the illustrious Ms. Ferraro, who works for Faux,

but she's a Hillary supporter, so I guess she's different from Ms. Clift? The twisted logic just baffles the hell out of me. Ferraro = Good; Clift = Bad.

[babylonsister]

15. Twisted logic indeed. I like Clift and do think she's been

pretty evenhanded in her criticism of both Dems. Methinks the poster is ingesting sour grapes.

[cornermouse]

16. Whatever.

Eleanor was fast losing credibility with me long before everyone but Clinton and Obama were eliminated.

I found plans to make a brick BBQ and I got the Neil Diamond cd today. It's pretty good and I'm afraid I'm going to be busy elsewhere till after November and Neil's going to start drowning all of you Obama supporters out. An excellent companion to Fogerty, Springsteen, and the Eagles, btw.

[babylonsister]

17. Have a nice summer and fall! nt

[beac]

21. Yes, by all means...

fire up the grill, rock out to "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" and don't vote.

I'm going to start calling you and your ilk Timothy Leary Democrats : "Turn on, Tune in, Drop out."

[Tangerine LaBamba]

24. Someone who's not going to vote

because the candidate she wanted didn't win the primaries is someone on whom the concept of feminism is totally lost.

[beac]

25. I can see the bumper sticker now...

"Stay-at-Home Suffragettes for Hillary!"

[Tangerine LaBamba]

26. You just made me,

as "Monk" would put it, "LOL out loud."

[rebel with a cause]

28. that cracks me up

everytime I hear him say it. Ahh, Monk. Not afraid to admit all his phobias.

[beac]

29. Monk still makes me LMAO my ass off

but I miss Sharona. :(

[Tangerine LaBamba]

32. Yeah, what happened?

I missed a year, and now there's this "other woman."

What gives?

[beac]

36. I heard that based on the success of the first year the actress wanted more money

-- which she totally deserved IMO --- and they didn't want to give it to her so they fired her. Sad. :(

The new female assistant just doesn't have the same bite as Sharona...

[Cha]

35. Looks like the mouse has had too

much whine and cheezewhiz. That's right..take your little bloody mace and go home.

[roguevalley]

31. Eleanor is a good egg and a liberal. Lots of them go on Fox News

to take it to the enemy. Your friends on the Hillary Team regularly contact Fox and sing the praises of Hannity and O'Reily on their pink website. Those people are the enemy, not our Eleanor.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

33. What I still don't believe

is Hillary's actually deigning to meet with Richard Mellon Scaife, let alone accept his endorsement. At that point, I realized her craven desire to succeed meant she'd toss overboard any principles, beliefs, or loyalties she'd ever had.

And, yes, I'd have been equally disgusted if Obama had done it. I am an equal opportunity disguster.

[OzarkDem]

39. GOP wannabe

out there shilling for GOP love and money.

[scarletwoman]

43. Do you have any idea how ignorant your comment is? No, probably not.

Eleanor Clift has been a steadfast liberal and defender of Democrats for DECADES.

Do you complain about Harold Ickes and Terry McAuliffe appearing on Fox News, too? Since you're so principled and all...

Pffft.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. An excellent article. Thank you Eleanor....nt

:kick:

[Irishonly]

18. Great Article

Blaming gender bias may help some women vent about an outcome they didn't want, but there are more mundane reasons for what looks like a failed nomination fight.

She hits the nail on the head.

[Cha]

34. I'm going to go with reality here and say that

hilary has proven herself to be a liar who gets a certain bloc of voters to believe her.

hilary hasn't been into reality this whole primary as far as I can tell..I don't think she's going to suddenly develope a conscience and a desire to live in the real world when being a dino is so much more lucrative.

[OzarkDem]

38. Clift is queen of the GOP wannabe's

not surprising. She also loves Bush, Reagan and the rest of the cabal. Clinton should take her shrill tirade as a compliment.

[Shakespeare]

40. This is an excellent piece. Thanks for posting. n/t

[Apollo11]

41. Dear Eleanor: When will you quit spreading the "race card" smear?

"but what if Bill Clinton hadn't waded into the South Carolina primary with remarks that seemed to conjoin Obama with Jesse Jackson?"

I mean - what's that all about? :eyes:

Bill is not allowed to mention historical evidence to support his point that the winner of the Democratic Primary in South Carolina doesn't always go on to with the nomination? :eyes:

We are supposed to believe that Bill and Hillary are a pair of Confederate Flag-waving rednecks? :eyes:

[Steerpike_Denver]

44. I am a white man in my forties

And I can honestly say I was raised, and have spent most of my career in a gender, as well as racially, blind world. I have probably had more female than male supervisors in my various jobs in this life, and if you asked me which I preferred, I honestly wouldn't have an answer. Some of them were great, mentoring, even-handed professionals; others were petty, manipulative or tyranical. Without going through and rating each boss I've had, and then matching it up to their gender, I really couldn't tell you which were the better at what they did. I doubt if much of a pattern would be revealed, any more than if you tried to correlate their qualifications to their height, or they hair color. The same goes for minorities. Offhand, I can think of three that I have worked for, two blacks and one hispanic. I have never associated their strengths or weaknesses as managers with their race any more than with their gender. (one was a black woman, BTW, and was probably the most incompetent boss I've ever had to endure. Would that make me a misogynist, or a racist, I wonder? Or her just an incompetent hack?) My mother, a 75 year-old feminist, who proudly wore her ERA bracelet for years after it became a dead issue, raised me to evaluate all people based on their actual qualities, which is much more difficult than taking a prejudicial shortcut, but much more effective. I arrived at my choice for president without consulting her, and was not surprised that she, like me, supported, in order, Kucinich, Edwards, and finally Obama. Neither of us has found any reason to trust Hillary, or to expect from her the kind of transformative leadership that is needed after this disastrous administration. I don't hate her, and would certainly vote for her over McCain't, or any other Republican, but I am glad Obama will get his chance instead. His gender and race are as irrelevant to this consideration as his hair color, his height or her husband.