Misogyny is the Willie Horton of 2008
By Bud White on November 5, 2008 at 3:10 PM in Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Misogyny, Sarah Palin, Sexism, Women
My boss this morning greeted me with a “Happy New Year,” and, “I am sorry about Hillary.” It was odd that he chose to acknowledge my disappointment about Hillary’s loss only after Obama won the presidency. I told him that it is indeed a new day for the country but that the Democratic Party will have to examine its conscience on the misogyny directed at Hillary and Sarah Palin. For a moment, his eyes literally welled with tears.
Just as the first Bush won the election with the racism of the Willie Horton ad, Obama’s presidency has been purchased at the expense of women. The elder Bush’s craven victory allowed Bill Clinton to enter the scene with momentum. The flagrant use of sexism and misogyny in Obama’s campaign has marred his victory and you can be certain that there will be consequences.
Dr. Socks asks of women: “Is there any other oppressed group of people on earth who are expected to excuse any and all injuries to themselves as long as someone else benefits?”
The answer, of course, is no. Obama received the benefit of doubt no woman would receive.
Obama enters the national stage as a product without experience and without policy proposals. Can the image live up to the hype? Will the media and Obama’s supporters’ frenzied misogyny be employed as part of the permanent campaign of governing? Did my boss subtly acknowledge the expense of Obama’s victory? As George Herbert Bush “bought” his victory by exploiting Willie Horton, Barack Obama bought his victory with sexism and misogyny.
Heidi Li Feldman asks President-elect Obama:
Having won the Presidency, will you, Senator Obama, prove that you are going to join us in the greatest civil rights battle of our time, the fight for full political and economic recognition of women both in the U.S. and abroad?
It remains to be seen if the country will acknowledge and recoil from the sexism of this election. It’s possible, but unlike racism, I think we’ve seen that sexism and the hatred of women continues to be a strategy, even among those who profess to “progressivism.” We can only hope that there will be a rising tide of dissension against the use of sexism.
It remains to be seen if Obama will reject sexism, a prejudice which was corollary to his victory. The first step is for Obama to acknowledge that he benefitted from it.

















