It may seem like ancient history now, but just 10 years ago Hillary Clinton ran for president against a young, first term, African American senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. Considered the early favourite to win the Democratic nomination, Hillary and her entire campaign were completely blindsided by the rise of senator Obama in 2008. First there was his surprising win in Iowa. Next came his stunning upset victory in South Carolina of all places. (Note: This was the same spot where Bill Clinton infamously compared Obama’s campaign to Jesse Jackson’s ’84 and ’88 campaigns).
Over a year before Twitter truly took off, and barely into the new era of Facebook being open to everyone (not just college students), the 2008 campaign was very different than the 2016 campaign we just went through as far as social media goes. It was during the 2008 campaign where Obama was first heavily scrutinised for his lack of “American roots,” his ties to rev. Jeremiah Wright, and for a photo circulated by the Clinton campaign showing Obama in what appeared to be ‘Muslim garb.’
However, one overlooked attack on Obama from the Clinton campaign during the 2008 primary, is one that Bernie supporters will be able to relate to heavily, and that is the charge of sexism.
I’ve been really bothered by what I perceive as sexism [among some male Obama supporters] and have spent hours defending [Clinton] … A lot of guys just can’t stand Hillary, and it’s the intensity of their irritation with her that disturbs me more than their devotion to Obama
While that quote may sound just like something a Hillary supporter may have said about Sanders supporters in 2016, that was actually something said in an email from a Clinton supporter back in 2008 about Obama supports. The quote was included in article from Salon in 2008 entitled, “Hey Obama Boys, Back off Already!” Yet it’s amazing how if you just replace ‘Obama’ with ‘Sanders’ you would think it was from just last year and not 11 years ago.
Maggie Merrill, at the time a 31-year old grad student was quoted in the article saying, “There is this Obama-mania, where these young men get glassy eyes and start spitting out vague things about how Barack Obama is going to save humanity. Really, have you seen their eyes? It’s this faraway look. It’s scary.” That is almost identical language to what was used to describe male Bernie supporters during the 2016 Democratic primary.
And then we get this gem from one Becca O’Brien:
With straight white male progressive friends, I feel something that makes me viscerally angry and afraid — the viciousness of the rebuttals to the suggestion that [Obama’s and Clinton’s] policies are roughly equal or that Clinton’s have some benefits to them, the outright dismissal of any support of her, the impossibility of having a nuanced conversation … The whole ‘Hillary Clinton is a monster’ theme is so virulent.
Yes the attacks against ‘straight white men’ who support seemingly progressive candidates is nothing new and in fact was ironically used to smear supporters of Obama back in 2008 when he ran against Hillary. The rhetoric employed against Sanders supporters during the primary and that continues to be used against progressives to this day, is nothing but a recycled talking point that was once used against Obama and his supporters. The difference of course, social media. In 2008 social media was a shell of what it is today. Now all it takes is one article that suggest Bernie’s supporters are white men and sexist and within minutes it’s considered gospel truth as it gets spread around Twitter and Facebook. When Clinton used the same tactics against Obama, it didn’t work (though not for a lack of trying). Besides, with all the racial elements the Clinton camp used against Obama, charges of sexism were just sprinkles on top. But it should never be forgotten how charges of sexism were used against Obama and his supporters for daring to support a black man over a white woman.
In 2008 a member of Hillary Clinton’s finance committee dismissed John Lewis and Chris Dodd’s endorsements of Obama as “the guys sticking together.”
Then there’s this 2008 article written by Jake Tapper (who you may recognise from his porn name, Jake Tapper) which is headlined, “Is Obama Using Sexist Language?” In the article, Tapper highlights some Obama comments during the primary which some perceived as “sexist” and then concludes, “I find it hard to envision Obama using the same language if he were facing, say, former Sen. John Edwards.”
And then of course there’s this article from the Telegraph which suggested that some women were so disgusted with Obama’s ‘sexist campaign’ that they threatened to vote for John McCain over Obama.
While right-wing Democrats continue to spout off on twitter about ‘sexist Bernie bros’ and the ‘sexist left’ it is important to remember that the same rhetoric was once used against Obama and at one point reached a level where it may have ended up putting John McCain in the White House. The same rhetoric used against progressives, the rhetoric that tries to erase non-white leftists like myself out of existence, and that dismisses anything to the left of establishment Democrats as “sexist” and “racist” is nothing more than an old line from an old playbook. Dusted off and repolished for a new generation of smears, the ‘Bernie bro’ ‘sexist left’ narrative began in 2008 with the term ‘Obama boys.’
Never mind the strong support those on the left have given to candidates and politicians such as; Stacey Abrams, Nikkita Oliver, Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lucy Flores, Donna Edwards, Barbara Lee, Pramila Jayapal, Tulsi Gabbard, etc.
From ‘Obama boys’ to ‘Bernie bros’ this political fairy-tale will persist as long as the corporate bourgeoisie retains control of the Democratic party, smearing anyone to the left.
