The Sexism of Obama's Supporters?Interesting article
at Salon.
I received e-mails and phone calls from women voicing various strains of frustration: They told me about the sexism they felt coming from their brothers and husbands and friends and boyfriends; some described the suspicion that their politically progressive partners were actually uncomfortable with powerful women. Others had to find ways to call me out of earshot of their Obama-loving boyfriends. Some women apologized for "sounding so feminist." Interviewees expressed vexation at not being able to put their finger on what it was about Obama-mania that creeped them out so badly, while maintaining a deep assuredness that something was not quite right. Perhaps most surprising was that the majority of the women I spoke to were not haters: They were Obama supporters, or at least Obama-appreciators.
A close friend who's a registered Democrat confided in me that she had been unable to make up her mind between Obama and Hillary, and so she had not voted. When her 8-year-old asked her whom she'd voted for she stalled for time, saying that both of the candidates had good qualities, and so it was a tough decision.
He replied, "Well, I hope you didn't vote for
that woman!" Of course, he got quite an earful from his mom at that point.
That said, I think at least some of what's going on here is more of the "get with the program" argument. Now that Obama is perceived as "inevitable" his supporters are getting more testy with Hillary's supporters. Of course, I have a perfect personal record on that score, having never played the inevitability card.
Cough, cough. Okay, maybe once! ;)
