In recent months, I’ve noticed a trend I find troublesome: the absence of young female leadership in the Democratic Party. We have our lady stars on the left, but they seem older like Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, expert in a single field like Elizabeth Warren, too far left to attract the center like Cindy Sheehan, or media celebrities like Katrina vanden Heuvel, Jane Hamsher, or my personal favorite, Rachel Maddow. I’m not putting any of these women down. They just don’s till the niche that Palin does for Republicans, and it’s a niche we need to fill, and it stems from the scarcity of woman candidates.
This morning I found an editorial by Ana Holmes and Rebecca Traister that crystallizes my thinking on the subject:
…But the sad truth is that Democrats often prefer their women fulfilling similarly diminutive models for behavior. Consider how Hillary Clinton has been treated, at times, by those in her own party: Democratic leaders never really celebrated Mrs. Clinton’s nation-altering place in history as the first female candidate to get so close to a major party’s presidential nomination. Indeed, she is most appreciated when she plays well with others in the Senate or the State Department; when she behaves like a fierce competitor, she is compared to Glenn Close’s bunny-boiling virago from “Fatal Attraction.”
The left’s failure to nurture and celebrate female politicians has had a significant effect on its policies. In recent years, Democratic majorities and progressive legislation seem to have been built on steady trade-offs of reproductive rights, culminating this year when the first female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, was forced to push through health care reform with a compromise on abortion financing.
An older generation of female Democrats, including Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Pelosi, are about as eager to mount a Palin-style girl-powered campaign as they are to wear a miniskirt on the House floor. For them, proudly or aggressively touting one’s feminist credentials (if you’re actually a feminist, that is) is taboo. It’s considered too, well, female.
But as women of a different generation — of, gulp, Sarah Palin’s generation — we wonder if Democrats shouldn’t look to her for twisted inspiration, and recognize that the future of women in politics will be about coming to terms with (and inventing) new models.
Imagine a Democrat willing to brag about breaking the glass ceiling at the explosive beginning, not the safe end, of her campaign. A liberal politician taking to Twitter to argue that big broods and a “culture of life” are completely compatible with reproductive freedom. A female candidate on the left who speaks as angrily and forcefully about her rivals’ shortcomings as Sarah Barracuda does about the Pelosis and Obamas of the world. A smart, unrelenting female, who, unlike Ms. Palin, wants to tear down, not reinforce, traditional ways of looking at women. But that will require a party that is eager to discover, groom, promote and then cheer on such a progressive Palin… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
The rest of this two page editorial is well worth the read, and I strongly encourage you to click through.
It amazes me that the Republicans are able to field so many female candidates, especially considering their positions on women’s rights. How women can support a party that preaches reproductive slavery and helps greedy corporations to steal their children’s future is beyond me.
As much as we hate what she represents, Snake Oil Sarah has a style that resonates with middle America. We dodged a bullet in 2008. If Palin had been able to discuss issues intelligently, actually knew what she read, and could remember her own name without writing it on her hand, it would have been a horse race that McConJob and Mooseolini might have actually won. Then we would be funding five wars, not just two, out of a full depression.
Whom do we have available to fill this niche, and how can we balance the gender gap?
10 Responses to “Just Like Palin, Only Sane!”
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“Consider how Hillary Clinton has been treated, at times, by those in her own party: Democratic leaders never really celebrated Mrs. Clinton’s nation-altering place in history as the first female candidate to get so close to a major party’s presidential nomination.”
Hillary should have been elected President. I think perhaps women realize this now (and perhaps a few men too?) and women are not prepared to take the risks that Hillary Clinton took.
It is — and always will be — a man’s world, even if it’s the wrong man.
The definition of misogyny is “having a distrust of women”. Perhaps the Democratic party is more misogynistic than they like to admit.
The really scary thing is, Snake Oil Sarah is learning on the job, and a lot of people really like her. And you have to admit, she has guts.
Josie, perhaps you’re right that Clinton might have been a better choice. I actually leaned toward Hillary, after Edwards dropped out. What moved me to Obama was not mysogyny. I disapproved of her campaign tactics. I certainly give Mooseolini her due. I hate everything she represents, but she gets people to identify with her.
Jo, I have to thoroughly disagree with you. She wouldn’t take back her Iraq war vote (as Edwards had done) and her policies would have been to the right of Obama. I agree that we need a woman as president, but not Hillary.
I saw her as right of Obama. I assumed that the would appoint corporotist advisers, and sadly, they were the same bunch Obama appointed.
I think women will never have true liberation until they are in the legislative body. We women need to be writing the laws. We can’t and won’t have true equality and representation until this happens. I wrote about this in July. You might enjoy reading it. My perspective is a little different.
http://www.ksvoboda.com/?p=400
Welcome Katie. 🙂
Actually my take on this is closer than you think. I said the problem stemmed from a scarcity of female candidates on our side. I liked and recommend your article.
A woman’s place is in the House… and the Senate.
We have to grow our own like the Repubs have. There a millions of women that are against the right to abortion – look at every abortion rally and it’s 80% women. My mother in law was one of those women who kept voting R just because of that one issue. The Repubs have seeded school councils, mayoral positions and like. We need to do the same thing.
Lisa, what an excellent point.
I think it is a little unfair to reference Pelosi or Clinton as female leadership for the Dems. Both figures have been very polarizing in their careers. The Dems have never pushed for being that extremist party (Even though right extremists attempt to label them that at any opportunity), as a result, the Dems are not going to be able to produce a Palin out of their ranks.
Another thing you have to remember is that Palin has that W. aura about her. Dumb as a doornail, but someone you can have a drink with. (many men hope that drink gets her back to their place. I mean, it’s pretty obvious she puts out!)
People are intimidated by intelligent, forceful women. As a result, they have a difficult time with getting a party to notice them, much less take them seriously. Look at the vast minority of women CEOs. Yes, the numbers are getting better, but not their salaries. People don’t take them seriously because they don’t want to take them seriously. Men feel less masculine, and my guess is that women feel jealous. Both of these are feelings of anamocity. This kills them in elections. They will get painted as cold, unfamily-like, neglectful, and (this one I find tragically humorous) over-ambitious (right because I am going to elect someone without ambition. That person is going to work well for me and my neighbors’ interests.)
So, the female candidate that will take home the gold right now is: Pretty (in an above average sort of way), intelligent (but smart enough not to let people on to that fact), with a family (and a really quiet husband that does not make significantly more than her and shares the housework), and just humble enough not to let on to her ambitions (this is more of the clause under intelligence, but I thought I would clarify). Basically someone men feel like they would have a shot at in the bar, but doesn’t make women uneasy.
Welcome to America. Brains and attention are ceased by customs upon entering.
Otis, the only quality Palin has that I want to emulate is her ability connect.