Comments on: You Know http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:01:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Pandagon :: Apropos of nothing :: May :: 2008 http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/#comment-272453 Pandagon :: Apropos of nothing :: May :: 2008 Sat, 17 May 2008 15:11:52 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/#comment-272453 [...] word “penultimate” belongs in the same category as the Oxford comma. What that category is, however, is out of [...] [...] word “penultimate” belongs in the same category as the Oxford comma. What that category is, however, is out of [...]

]]> By: bitchphd http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/#comment-271785 bitchphd Sat, 17 May 2008 03:18:29 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/#comment-271785 I had the same reaction as you, Lauren. I had the same reaction as you, Lauren.

]]> By: arbitrista http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/#comment-270419 arbitrista Fri, 16 May 2008 10:35:43 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2008/05/15/you-know/#comment-270419 I think a couple of things were going on this year. First of all, I don't think we're culturally as primed to recognize sexism as we are racism. I'm not sure why that it is. Second, I think that there were a lot of people who didn't support Hillary on policy or historical grounds, or who were uncomfortable with the dynastic component of her campaign, that criticized Hillary and (I think often unwittingly) made common cause with some pretty creepy people. Third, I think one of the reasons that the sexism wasn't rebutted aggressively is that it was, by and large, perpetrated by the mainstream washington press corps, whereas the race-tinged attacks generally weren't. You really can't underestimate that influence that the MSM has in legitimating certain kinds of discourse. In no sense am I defending what happened to Clinton this year - a great deal of it was pretty repugnant (although the handling of the Wright affair was just as repugnant). We really should be better at understanding sexism. I just think it's out of bounds for some to claim (and I'm saying you are) that all attacks on Clinton were sexist, or she ONLY lost because she was a woman, and more than it's fair to say all criticisms of Obama have been racist in orientation. And I certainly think that the Clinton and Obama campaigns have attempted to cast criticism in those ways - which is just politics. I think a couple of things were going on this year. First of all, I don’t think we’re culturally as primed to recognize sexism as we are racism. I’m not sure why that it is. Second, I think that there were a lot of people who didn’t support Hillary on policy or historical grounds, or who were uncomfortable with the dynastic component of her campaign, that criticized Hillary and (I think often unwittingly) made common cause with some pretty creepy people. Third, I think one of the reasons that the sexism wasn’t rebutted aggressively is that it was, by and large, perpetrated by the mainstream washington press corps, whereas the race-tinged attacks generally weren’t. You really can’t underestimate that influence that the MSM has in legitimating certain kinds of discourse.

In no sense am I defending what happened to Clinton this year - a great deal of it was pretty repugnant (although the handling of the Wright affair was just as repugnant). We really should be better at understanding sexism. I just think it’s out of bounds for some to claim (and I’m saying you are) that all attacks on Clinton were sexist, or she ONLY lost because she was a woman, and more than it’s fair to say all criticisms of Obama have been racist in orientation. And I certainly think that the Clinton and Obama campaigns have attempted to cast criticism in those ways - which is just politics.

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