Sexism Case Study: Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton is not a better candidate for president because she is a woman. She is a better candidate because she has immersed herself throughout her life in policy, law, and governance and has worked on 417 bills to make things like expanding health coverage, expanding civil rights and negotiating higher wages for victims of discrimination happen.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/browse?sponsor=300022#_=
She is a better candidate because she has written policy plans — covering everything from education to criminal justice to income inequality to immigration to discrimination — that the most respected leading experts agree are smart, implementable and beneficial.
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/
http://qz.com/610963/bernie-sanders-refusal-to-reveal-his-economic-advisers-is-an-ominous-sign/
But somehow she is just a corrupt monster? Somehow she is just greed personified? Somehow she does not represent feminism, or women and children, or goodness and decency, or intelligence over barbarism?
What explains these truly bizarre antagonist feelings toward Hillary Clinton?
Yes, it is Sexism and Misogyny. And here is how they work to blind people into accepting ineffectual, untested, unproven, hypocritical male candidates over her.
1) Change the Rules of the Game
While it has been standard for politicians and celebrities to make speeches to private organizations, now that That Woman does it, speeches are immoral.
http://qz.com/441327/yes-hillary-clintons-speaking-fees-are-high-but-only-compared-with-other-women/
2) Diminish Her Accomplishments, Her Intelligence, Her Learning
Completely ignore any and all progressive work that she has done, while elevating her opponents’ weak records.
3) Deny That She is a Person
Remove her humanity, assume that she has no empathy, no feelings, no hopes, no ideas while demanding absolute perfection, absolute purity and to have never ever changed her mind.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2015/11/16/i-dont-need-hillary-clinton-to-be-perfect
4) Equate Woman with Evil
Although the United States has been an exceptional country and the land of opportunity where high achievers have been celebrated, now that That Woman does it, being rich and successful are immoral.
https://sites.psu.edu/randolphrcl/2013/02/19/hillary-clinton-the-most-successful-woman-in-politics/
5) Conduct a Witch-hunt
Question everything about That Woman, from her dress, to her voice, to her facial expressions, to her friends, to her family, to her motivations, to her plans, to her history and never allow a rational response to stop the hate, while being completely incurious about the same of her male opponents.
Not so long ago, it was possıble for women, particularly young women, to share in the popular illusion that we were…nymag.com
It is to our society’s great peril if young women cannot even imagine that perhaps the way Hillary Clinton is being treated is exactly how all women in competitive fields are treated.
But the good news is that if Hillary Clinton becomes the next President of the United States, she will outperform any male counterpart, build more consensus, and implement more initiatives. Why? Because science:
