Hillary Clinton, Sexism, and the Historic Presidential Bid

Some of Hillary Clinton's supporters believe there is sexism at play in the defeat of their candidate. However, I couldn't disagree more because I beleive that what ultimately did her in may have been Clinton-Bush fatigue.

 

No one in the media originally brough up the gender card. The Clinton brought gneder in to the race when she complained of being treated harshly by the other candidates, all male, because she was a women. After this incident what was supposed to be her coronation was over. Then you have the mocking by late-night comedians, which can be over-the-top. However, when these same comedians parody President Bush, of whom I am no great defender, and are over-the-top no one complains. Finally, you have the parody by Father Michael Pflager regarding her feeling entitled. While his parody was inappropriate for the environment in which he did it, the parody is something that would have went largely no comment and recieved no punishment if it were of President Bush.

 

If women want a female Presidnet and women want to run for president they are going to have to learn to deal with the same indignified parodies as male politicians do. We cannot laugh at parodies of George W. Bush or John McCain and then complain about a parody of Hillary Clinton. That is a double standard.

 

Until the air of inevitability came crashing down around her and she was not coronated she ran a campaign which looked like her saying she was entitled to the presidnecy, not because she was a woman but because she was a Clinton. Reality set in when Barak Obama started winning in the small contests she ignored. She felt entitled  and she was going to win the large primary states, so the caucuses did not matter.

 

Her hubris and sense of entitlement in the end is what beat her and not any parody, perceived sexism of the media, or the the challenge she got from the other candidates during debates. These were all fair challenges.

 

Women need to still be proud of the historic presidential bid of Hillary Clinton because as she said in her concession speech the highest glass ceiling has been cracked on many places.