Monday, May 19, 2008

Care to rephrase that?

This passage in the Seattle P-I caught my eye today:
Cynthia Ruccia, 55, a sales director for Mary Kay cosmetics in Columbus, Ohio, is organizing a group, Clinton Supporters Count Too, of mostly women in swing states who plan to campaign against Obama in November.

"We, the most loyal constituency, are being told to sit down, shut up and get to the back of the bus," she said.
Because, you know, African-Americans have had all the advantages in this country. Surely no one ever would have told one of them to get to the back of the bus. Right?

* * *

All sarcasm aside, I think sexism is well down the list of things that sunk Hillary's campaign. She was running on inevitability and Washington insider experience in a year when people wanted change. She represented a sort of two-family political dynasty (Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton) that a lot of people are weary of. She chose campaign staffers for loyalty instead of skill, and they made strategic blunders early on; her chief strategist didn't even understand the rules for awarding delegates. In short, she ran a poor campaign with none of the excitement that characterized her husband's run for office.

I really hope we can get past this idea that her loss is somehow a slap in the face to women — especially since the idea that her gender should have guaranteed her the nomination is, frankly, more insulting.

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