American Presidential Politics: Freedom to Exercise Sexism Without Shame

Cynthia Ruccia, the founder of Clinton’s Supporters Count, Too, used the word “disheartened” to describe her feelings in the waning hours before the 2008 presidential election. In her post the other day at the New Agenda, Ruccia writes:

“Like many, I have been completely disheartened (to say the least) by the sexism coming from the Democrats, first against Senator Hillary Clinton, and then a newer, cruder, more virulent strain of it against Governor Sarah Palin. I am not a great writer—I’d much rather talk—but the sexism has become so painful, I have been unable to do either. I find myself wanting to curl up into a ball and hide so I don’t have to see it and don’t have to listen to it.

“For all of us, it is too achingly familiar. We have all experienced sexism, and it hurts. It hurts because we are marginalized every step of the way. We have never been dealt with fairly because our femaleness has allowed all cultures, ours included, to feed the prejudice that people like us, females, don’t really matter for much. It is a discrimination that goes as far back as history itself. We women have fought back against it at certain periods in history, with mixed results. Many of our female heroes had to give their lives for the cause (remember Joan of Arc?), and although they set into motion the mechanism for advancement, they never lived to see the promised land (Susan B. Anthony comes to mind).

“As women, we have several positions that we fall back on. One is exhaustion, which is where I believe many find themselves now. How can we not be tired when everywhere we turn these days there is one heinous example after another of our national disease: Misogyny. Unlike racism, which we are growing to tolerate less and less in America, sexism is absolutely acceptable. If this campaign year has proven anything, it is that Americans not only tolerate discrimination against women, in many instances they revel in it.

“Another position we women take is denial. And why not deny? Who wants to spend a lifetime screaming about this inequity? It’s exhausting, and let’s face it, joy is a much more pleasant way to live.

“But our best position by far is when we decide we are all in this together and we rise up against this injustice. Believe it or not, we have so much to be grateful for having watched these two courageous women, Hillary and Sarah, buck the system. By going where no woman has gone before, they have been human targets, willing to take the incoming fire. Although what Hillary withstood has receded a little in our memories, we have the spectacle of Sarah being eviscerated with glee by the Democrats. They are taking her apart with great creativity and total impunity. Why? Because as a society, we still permit the exercise of sexism without shame.”

Read more.

Hillary Confronts Sexism on the Trail in Kentucky

It’s been awhile since the “Iron my shirt!” incident at a Hillary Clinton rally in New Hampshire, which may have helped Clinton humiliate the pollsters and pundits by taking the Granite State’s primary.

But many women will tell you their outrage has simmered ever since. It reached the boiling point recently with the formation of Women Supporters Count Too, led by Cynthia Ruccia of Ohio.

Hillary has persevered on the campaign trail, putting in long hours and making her case to the voters in states like Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and West Virginia. With her blow out win in West Virginia, she’d won five of the last six primaries, compared to Obama’s single win in North Carolina.

Incredibly, after her West Virginia win, the pundits joined forces with the Obama camp in an all out effort to force Clinton out of the race. John Edwards leapt aboard the Obama bandwagon the very next day in a grandstanding attempt to take the sting out of Obama’s humiliating defeat in the Mountain State.

In today’s Washington Post, Lois Romano reports from Maysville, Kentucky that Clinton is confronting sexism out on the trail. Romano begins:

“Women of all ages and nationalities push against the rope line carrying books and T-shirts, posters and stuffed animals -- anything for her to autograph. They tote huge signs that shout "Hillary Cares About Me"-- and they tearfully grab her hand to implore her to stick it out, to take her trailing campaign all the way to the Democratic convention in Denver.

“They say they have come to show support for Hillary Clinton not merely because she is a woman or because her campaign is breaking historic ground, but because she speaks to them about their real problems and they are furious at the way she has been treated.”

Romano continues:

“In an interview after church services in Bowling Green on Sunday, Clinton for the first time addressed what women have been talking about for months, what she refers to as the "sexist" treatment she has endured at the hands of the pundits, media and others. The lewd T-shirts. The man who shouted "Iron my shirt" at a campaign event. The references to her cleavage and her cackle.

‘“It's been deeply offensive to millions of women,’ Clinton said. ‘I believe this campaign has been a groundbreaker in a lot of ways. But it certainly has been challenging given some of the attitudes in the press, and I regret that, because I think it's been really not worthy of the seriousness of the campaign and the historical nature of the two candidacies we have here.”’

Romano describes an inspired and invigorated candidate:

“An energetic Clinton has stormed Kentucky's middle-class communities for the past four days, shoring up her support before Tuesday's primary, which she is expected to win overwhelmingly. She's attracting some of the biggest and most intense crowds she's seen in weeks, such as the 2,000 who attended her rally in Lexington on Monday night, where she was joined by her husband. And while there are plenty of men in the stands, it's the women who are most passionate.

“And so as her Democratic opponent refers to her politely in the past tense, and the likely Republican presidential nominee simply ignores her, and the pundits snicker that she's delusional and should just step aside already, she is a woman definitely not preparing her remarks for a graceful exit anytime soon. And that's what her supporters want to hear.”

To read Romano’s entire article, go here.

Here are a couple of must read articles documenting the sexist and misogynist assaults on Hillary Clinton throughout the Democratic primary:

Jonathon Tilove's article in the Seattle Times, Hillary Hatred Finds Its Misogynistic Voice and

Stanley Fish’s post at Think Again (NY Times), All You Need is Hate.

And in case you missed it, check out this video that stunningly portrays what Hillary Clinton has been up against in this campaign.

Video of Clinton Supporters Count Too on Fox’s O’Reilly Show

Just found a link to a video clip of Cynthia Ruccia and Kimberly Myers of Clinton Supporters Count Too on Fox’s Bill O’Reilly show last night. You can bet no one is going to tell those women to “sit down, shut up, and get with the program” any time soon. You can watch the video here.

Ohio Daily Blog: Clinton Supporters Deserve Respect

I just checked in on an entry at the Ohio Daily Blog by Jeff. He's written very sensitively about the growing demands by outraged Clinton supporters for attention and respect.

Jeff reports:

"As I commented yesterday in connection with the NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsement of Obama, "[s]witching from Clinton to Obama is going to be painful for women and feminists solidly in her camp ... and for good reason, having waited so long for representation in our highest elected office and having such a powerful champion get so close to that goal." That was confirmed immediately and dramatically by the announcement in Columbus yesterday by the new group called Clinton Supporters Count Too that they are prepared to campaign against Obama in November in protest of sexism inflicted on the Clinton campaign. And that is followed by a report today that a newly formed PAC called WomenCount has raised $170,000 in jsut 48 hours to run ads in major newspapers to call on Hillary Clinton to stay in the race until all women's votes have been cast. "

Jeff makes other connections:

"There are active discussion threads about Clinton Supporters Count Too around the Ohio blogosphere, including here and here. The tone of many of the comments is alarming. Sexism is real and prevalent in our society, as is racism, and both have been on display in the Democratic presidential nomination contest. [UPDATE: Thanks to Jill for alerting me to this column by Marie Cocco in the Washington Post, recounting examples of misogyny directed at Clinton from all sides.] Yet a number of commenters are responding to the anger and frustration of Clinton's disappointed supporters by minimizing or ridiculing their objections."

And Jeff ends his post on a plea for healing:

"This is a time for healing. The message of these women must be heard and respected, because their concerns and their frustrations are real. It is true that the Democratic Party is clearly superior to the Republican Party in elevating women to positions of power, and that electing John McCain would be a disaster for women's issues. That is not the point right now. The Democratic Party isn't free of sexism and must re-commit to eradicating it, and it must take part in confronting the sexist coverage of Clinton in the media, and it must otherwise rise to the occasion by listening to and respecting what these Clinton supporters are saying. That is what is required for healing and unity among Democrats."

Clinton Supporters Count Too Holds News Conference in Columbus, Ohio

Catherine Candisky in the Columbus Disaptch describes a news conference held at Broad and High Streets in Columbus, Ohio yesterday where Clinton supporters said the New York senator has been pounded by sexist insults, her superior credentials ignored while Democratic leaders have remained silent.

‘“Our party has been witness to the most outrageous display of misogyny and sexism in modern campaign history,” said Cynthia Ruccia, a former congressional candidate from Columbus and Clinton supporter. “If Sen. Barack Obama is our party's candidate, we will actively campaign against him.”& amp; amp; lt; /p>

“Mary E. Davis, a 65-year-old retired judge from Pittsburgh, said she will vote for Republican Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, if Clinton is not on the November ballot.

‘“Davis said Clinton's credentials have been disregarded as party leaders try ‘bullying her out’ of the race.

‘“One candidate is well-qualified. The other candidate is not well-qualified, but the qualified candidate happens to be a woman,’ Davis said, referring to the Democratic contest between Clinton and Obama.

‘“I will take four years of John McCain rather than have a candidate not prepared.’

“While Clinton trails Obama in the delegate count, her supporters argue that she has won several key states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania.

‘“To be told at this point to sit down, be quiet, get with the program and take a back seat to an opponent with a clearly weaker resume because the party thinks it can take our loyalty for granted is a supreme insult,’ Ruccia said.

It appears the outrage at the sexism and misogyny that has been simmering below the surface in this campaign for months is rapidly coming to a head, and Democratic party leaders had best pay heed.

To read more of Candisky’s article in the Columbus Dispatch, go here.

Growing Backlash From Women in the Democratic Party

In reference to my previous post, Dems to Women: “Sit down, shut up, and get with the program,” I’ve exchanged a couple of comments with a reader identifying herself as Jill, who rightfully expressed reservations about the threats a group calling itself Clinton Supporters Count, Too, has made regarding the general election.

My original information on this story came from Ben Smith’s blog at Politico. And as I explained to Jill, I wasn’t convinced the group was seriously threatening to actively work against Obama if he becomes the nominee.

I’ve since found more detailed information on Clinton Supporters Count, Too, as reported by Rick Klein at ABC’s Political Punch. Here are a couple of paragraphs from Klein’s post:

"We {Clinton Supporters Count, Too} have a plan to campaign against the Democratic nominee," the group said in a press release Thursday. "We have the (wo)manpower and the money to make our threat real. And there are millions of supporters who will back us up in the swing states. If you don’t listen to our voice now, you will hear from us later."

Ruccia tells ABC News that she believes "millions" of women share her group's views, though they have only begun to make contact with like-minded women. They're disgusted, she said, that Democratic Party leaders haven't more aggressively denounced sexist media comments and coverage in the campaign, and are angry at the drumbeat for Clinton to get out of the race.

As I explained to Jill, I disagree with the group’s plan to actively oppose the Democratic nominee; however, I consider the stand the group is taking against the horrendous onslaught of sexist and misogynist abuse leveled at Hillary Clinton throughout the Demcratic primary a wake-up call for Democratic party leaders.

It’s way past time to speak out loudly and firmly against the ill treatment Clinton and her followers have received from Democrats, the media, and Obama supporters.

For example, how many times during this campaign have the good old boys ganged up on Clinton to try to force her out of the race? Most recently, the week following her win in Indiana, the drumbeat became intense. Keep in mind, folks, Indiana was Clinton’s fourth win out of the last five state primaries: she’d previously won Ohio, Texas, and Pennyslvania; Obama had won North Carolina. Clinton followed up by thumping Obama by 42 percentage points in West Virginia.

A respected second-term U.S. Senator from New York, Hillary Clinton is arguably the better candidate in the Democratic race. It shouldn’t be asking too much from the media and Demcratic party leaders to offer Clinton fair treatment and a level playing field until a nominee has been officially declared.

Dems to Women: “Sit down, shut up, and get with the program”

Politico’s Ben Smith cites his colleague, Beth Frerking, on the growing backlash among women in the Democratic Party who are fed up with the rampant sexism targeting Hillary Clinton since the day she announced her candidacy.

Frerking reports on a group that calls themselves, Clinton Supporters Count, Too:

“Organizers Cynthia Ruccia, 55, and Jamie Dixey, 57, both from the Columbus area, say they’re coordinating women, men, minorities, union members and others in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan – all important swing states next November – to impress upon Democratic party leaders what they think has been outright discrimination – and not of the racial kind.

‘“We have been vigilant against expressions of racism, and we are thrilled that the society has advanced that way in accepting Obama as a serious candidate,’ Ruccia said. ‘But it’s been open season on women, and we feel we need to stand up and make a statement about that, because it’s wrong.’

“With growing calls for Clinton to leave the race,' she said, 'women feel like ‘we’re being told to sit down, shut up, and get with the program.”’

I know the feeling, and I’m very proud of my “sisters,” back in Ohio where I was born and raised before making Minnesota my permanent home several years ago.

My thanks to Politico's Ben Smith for getting the word out.