Huh - I Guess It WAS Sexism After All…
By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on December 17, 2008 at 8:24 PM in Bamboozling, Barack Obama, Ed Rendell, Hillary Clinton, Obama Comrades, Obama's Cabinet, Rahm Emanuel, Rod Blagojevich
When Gov. Rendell made his obnoxious comment about Gov. Janet Napolitano. You may remember it from this Campbell Brown video:
Well, despite his protestations to the contrary, when Gov. Rendell decided to endorse CHRIS MATTHEWS in his run for the 2010 US Senate run in PA, he pretty much sealed his own place in the Sexist Hall of Fame. I mean, REALLY - how can he go from supporting Hillary Clinton to supporting one of the most sexist, misogynistic men in the MSM, who ROUTINELY demeaned and belittled Clinton??
Unbelievable.
And along those lines, did you catch Rahm Emmanuel complaining the other day that he couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time? Oh, no - that’s not right. No, he said he couldn’t be a father and answer a reporter’s questions all at the same time. I am not kidding. It was in the Chicago Sun Times, regarding the whole Blagojevich debacle:
President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, refused to take questions from reporters this morning about whether he was the Obama “advisor” named in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich…Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama’s news conference this morning. He was spotted two hours later in the lobby of Chicago’s City Hall. He was there to listen to his two children performing in a concert with their school, Anshe Emet.
A Sun-Times reporter pressed him to comment about whether he was the emissary named in the criminal complaint.
“You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Don’t do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.”
Asked, “Can’t you do both?” Emanuel replied, “I’m not as capable as you. I’m going to be a father. I’m allowed to be a father,” and he pushed the reporter’s digital recorder away.
Holy cow. Can you IMAGINE what would have happened if, say, PALIN had said that? Oh, here’s a little example of the crapola said about HER being a parent:
Where the hell was Ed Schultz when Rahm Emmanuel couldn’t even answer a SIMPLE question because he’s a FATHER??? He’s something - besides being a father. Let your imaginations go wild…But hey - I didn’t hear any hew and cry from the Brotherhood of Sexist Men about THAT response, oh no.
Oh, but Schultz isn’t the only one. Remember this little gem by Campbell Brown questioning Palin’s fitness as a mother?
How about when Obama got all pissy with reporters for following him around when he took his two girls trick or treating? Oh, wow - can you IMAGINE if Hillary or Sarah or ANY WOMAN in public life got all cranky with the national media if they were out and about with their kids?? Whooey - the airwaves would be filled with the videos of them, over and over, with the predictable question of, “if they can’t handle a little thing like this, how are the going to deal with National Security” or whatever the issue of the day is. Yeah. But Obama can tell these folks to get back on the bus, Gus, and with a very few exceptions, we don’t hear a lot more about it. Just like the little Rahm fit.
Gwen “I Want to Help Obama Get Elected So My Book Is Relevant And Sells” Ifill asked Rep. Heather Wilson the wrong question. Rep. Wilson pretty much says it all about the vast discrepancies between the sexes, with some bonus discussion on how much more Palin was vetted than the other candidates:
It really is remarkable. Somehow, Governor Palin is capable of being governor of an entire state while having five children, and HER abilities are questioned all of the time. How DARE she not be there full time for her children!! Rahm Emmanuel has a hard time answering a question when he is at his kids’ school to just LISTEN to a concert, and gets whiney about how he cannot do two things at once. Please. Don’t use your kids as a damn excuse, Rahm. Funny - it seems you were capable of multi-tasking before, you know, talking to your good buddy, Rod, and being Obama’s right hand man.
My advice, if you can’t handle being a parent and a Representative/Obama tool, maybe you should give one of them up. I vote for giving up the Representative/Obama tool part. That would make one less Chicago politician in Washington, which would be just peachy with me. Just go home with your kids, Rahm. You can teach them all about Politics, the Chicago way! Make sure you tell them ALL about Uncle Hot Rod, Uncle Billy (Ayers), Uncle Tony (Rezko) while you’re at it. Or maybe you could call Hillary and ask her how to do more than one thing at a time. I’m sure she could teach you how to walk and chew gum at the same time.
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I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career.
Harp, you won’t EVER hear a man ask that question. That’s what a wife does, don’t you know? Unless that wife happens to also be a politician in which case she’s fair game to critique and belittle-a la Gov. Palin. I am so disappointed in Rendell. I really thought he was supportive of women and Hillary until recently when I do believe he’s shown his true colors. Endorsing that pig Matthews is beyond the pale.
My point exactly. Men are just automatically assumed they can do both, even if they are single dads.
Point is spot on.
I don’t know how much longer I can remain a Democrat if all it takes is a famous name to be endorsed by pols like Rendell. And you can be sure that all sorts of Dem commentators will howl foul if Jeb Bush runs for Senator and/or Prez. Jeb certainly has the credentials and is not his dopey bro, but the left will be lamenting about dynasties and the need for “change”, you can bet!
The democrat party is the penis worshiping party.
I’m an Independent — and the sooner the democrat party is dead and buried the better for the Nation and the world.
I’ve never seen such blatant sexism or is it just good old hating women — misogyny?
Our vote was totally worthless this year — a joke.
I knew Ifill was Obamabot the moment I saw her. You can tell she is for Obama. Just look at her.
She is one of those women who hates herself. All women who voted Obama hate themselves.
Rendell got good press from the MSNBC crowd and he plans to keep it that way. No surprise here.
Ok. This is what its like when you lose. Everything seems to be in the tank and grouchy. Obama, Emanuel, C. Kennedy, T. Kennedy, Rendell—the whole entire Democratic party. I just see everything through very different eyes than I saw before. I even wonder what it would be like to be pro Obama—I could just like all this stuff and wave a flag at the train to DC. Not going to happen. I think sometimes I will wake up and it will just be a bad dream but not so. Is Santa Claus coming this year?
Is Taylor Marsh writing about this sexism, or she did she abandoned once Axelrod and others waved cash in front of her?
I bet she is sexist, and I bet she did not care about sexism when she wrote about it.
She voted for Obama — she was one of his cheer leaders.
Speaking as an elderly man who spent a lifetime dimly aware of the issue of sexism, but never actively engaged in opposing it, I have to say that this past election cycle has been a real eye-opener for me. This would be the silver lining in this appalling situation: misogyny and sexism are now clearly out in the open. The Democratic party was hiding extreme sexist and misogynistic proclivities. Who knew? I sure didn’t. But I sure DO NOW! I was SOOO naive! And for a large part of this self discovery, I can thank the fools on MSNBC, particularly Matthews and Herr Olbermann.
Speaking for myself, I’m pretty demoralized and depressed right now. Do you think PUMA can coalesce around the idea of defeating Tweety in his 2010 Senate run? I’m ready to fight. If we can’t win this battle, it really will be time for the old rockin’ chair.
I would be more than happy to join into a coalition to defeat Chris “Tingly Leg” Matthews!! Sign me up!
Yes, the DNC was certainly hiding its sexism, claiming to be the party for women. Hahahahaha. I don’t think many of us believe THAT any longer…
Glad to have you, oowawa.
Rendell endorsing Chris Matthews has done it for me! I stopped watching MSNBC in the primaries because I could no longer stand their sexist and over the top comments against Hillary Clinton.
I hope “big mouth Matthews with the leg problem” loses big when he runs for public office. Rendell is just another politician who in his own way “pays to play”.
I still like Ed Rendell. Okay, I have a soft soft for the guy because I’m originally from the tri-state area and I think he did a damn good job. Has he put his foot in his mouth? Sure. Who hasn’t? Is it disappointing that he said he would support Chris Matthews. Yes. Because Matthews is ridiculous.
But Rendell spoke to the issue of sexism in the primaries when no other Dem did [man or woman]. And interestingly enough, he referenced his wife, who is a Federal judge, and said he was amazed at how pissed she was at the treatment Hillary was receiving. Why? Because his wife is one tough cookie, he said. And then went on to add: his wife had “never” used her gender as a fallback. And he seemed genuinely “surprised” at her reaction.
Why? I don’t think it’s because he’s a sexist pig. I think it’s because [as a man, even a man married to a strong woman--and maybe because he's married to a strong, competent woman] he’s never personally, in his gut made the connection–a woman, any woman [even Midge Rendell] has to be 10x better and work 10x harder to advance to positions that men consider their due.
A strong woman makes that look easy. It isn’t.
And before everyone goes crazy–I am not a radical, man-hating feminist. I’m married. I have kids. I like guys. I’m just an ordinary woman who has lived a life and seen this time after time after time. Of course, I shouldn’t even have to make that qualification but the issue always comes up [at least in my current circle; long live the Bible Belt].
My own husband is loving and supportive but even he slips into gender-bias, makes a crass statement from time to time [which I always call him on :0)]. My sons do the same thing. Maybe, it’s a DNA issue.
I’m not looking for saints and faultless people–men or women–in public office because there are none. We have to judge public servants on the long haul–what they’ve done, what they’ve said and what they’ve managed to accomplish. Rendell’s comment about Janet Napolitano might have been ill-advised. But it doesn’t approach what we all heard leveled against HRC and Sarah Palin by Obama supporters.
Chris Matthews is another case all together. He’s a true toad. If he runs, I hope he loses bigtime with or without Rendell’s help [which I hope is lukewarm at best].
But as far as I’m concerned, Eddie Rendell is one of the good guys [warts and all].
Just IMO, and not having anything to do with you, but when you write that you’re not a man-hater because you are married, etc, it reminded me of an observation I’ve often made.
People often seem to equate “man-hater” with lesbians, but lesbians can avoid men to a large extent if they want to, or find it easier to be friends with them (no sex to complicate things).
When someone seems like a “man-hater”, they (IMO) are heterosexual women, not lesbians. It’s the straight women who have to deal more frequently and intimately with men, and therefore are more likely to get frustrated and pissed off.
I never hear lesbians ranting about men (if that might be one definition of “man-hater”). The people I hear ranting about men are straight women. So I don’t think being straight and married has anything to do with not being a man-hater. Whatever it is that accounts for “man-hating”, I think it’s something other than sexual preference.
Govenor Rendell may have been one of the good guys in the past, but the leadership of the Democratic Party is setting a horrible example by endorsing candidates such as Matthews and CK. Did anyone listen to CK talk to the press? She did not answer questions about her qualifications and experience to be a US Senator. This is a sad day in our country when it comes down to money, media, and power.
Footnote - Caroline Kennedy would not be an issue if Senator Clinton had not accepted the SOS position. I wonder what Hillary thinks of CK as a possible replacement?
EWard, trust me. I am not making excuses for the Democratic Party as a whole. As a lifelong Dem, I’ve been appalled at what I’ve seen and heard during this election cycle. As for Caroline Kennedy’s possible appointment to the NY seat, I think it’s a horrible idea, smacking of privledge and patronage. If it’s a done deal [which I fear it may be], I won’t wince if the Dems choke on the choice.
Ed Rendell may prove himself a political toady in the future. Politics is a dirty business. But he defended Hillary when everyone was throwing stones. And for that, he gets Brownie points in my book.
[...] Huh - I Guess It WAS Sexism After All… : NO QUARTER I mean, REALLY - how can he go from supporting Hillary Clinton to supporting one of the most sexist, misogynistic men in the MSM, who ROUTINELY demeaned and belittled Clinton?? Unbelievable. And along those lines, did you catch Rahm … [...]
Barrington, I think you’re absolutely right. In the straight community [of which I'm a member] that very accusation is leveled against women who are critical of men–you’re frigid, you’re an Ice Queen, you’re obviously a lesbian.
I say this as a Northeastern-rooted person transplanted to the South. I am a fish out of water down here, a stranger in a strange land. As I said, I shouldn’t need to qualify my personal credentials. But after a decade of “southern-living,” it’s a knee-jerk reaction.
I apologize if I offended.
No, absolutely you didn’t. It just reminded me of that observation I’ve made. Everything’s cool!
[...] Huh - I Guess It WAS Sexism After All… …supporting Hillary Clinton to supporting one of the most sexist, misogynistic men in the MSM, who ROUTINELY demeaned and belittled Clinton?? [...]
Amazing post, as usual, RRR Amy.
This completely infuriating on so many levels. The double standard that Hillary and then Palin had to endure is as astonishing as it is disgusting.
If Hillary had ever DARED not to be “jane at the ready” - we would never have heard the end of it.
And Palin never got any credit for the great job she is doing — whether you agree with all her politics or not.
And Rendell should truly hang his head in shame for endorsing a piece of sexist, jealous, lowly pond dreg like Matthews.
Hypocrites.
Responding to Peggy Sue above (can;t get the comment to post up there…)
I appreciated that Rendell stuck up for Hillary, too, but his endorsement of the pig Matthews undoes all of that.
He is sending the message thar there is no penalty whatsoever for any of Matthews’ misogynistic behavior. Ergo, all women get thrown under the bus.
And for any Obama fans who may be reading, be aware that both Matthews and Chris Hitchens were the ones who put out the memo that Barack being in Rev. Wright’s racist, divisive church was Michelle Obama’s fault and influence.
Oh, blame the wife!
Can you imagine? A 47 year old millionaire, best selling author, father, U.S. Senator and, at that time, frontrunner for the nom. of POTUS cannot be responsible for his actions? If that were the case, per Matthews and Hitchens theory, then he should have no business running in the first place. Let his wife by POTUS if she’s that powerful.
Re Rendell: I read his comments differently. He said Matthews would be the strongest “Dem” candidate then went on to caution he’d be running against (the formidable) Specter. He also said, prefacing his remarks, he didn’t know for certain if Matthews would be running.
I don’t really take this as an “endorsement”, seems more like a weak type of praise?
Nevertheless, nothing surprises me anymore at this point. I want our country back. I hope if Matthews does run that he loses bigtime.
On the Matthews/Ed Rendell comments in this article, let me add a bit of local news you may not have heard. I live in the state, and I’ve been an Arlen Specter supporter for some time, and the big hit job being done on him right now is by some Polish group - I’m Polish, too, by the way - has caused this big stink over him telling some pretty inocuous Polish jokes at some event. The one mentioned in the local paper seemed pretty tame by most standards, and when you grow up Polish, you learn to have a sense of humor and not get too upset about it. But it’s been front page news for a day or two here. I guess they’re laying the groundwork for Matthews’ challenge.