In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Finally.

Jill

It’s over. I could not be more relieved.

Now it’s time to fight the really bad guy.

UPDATE: I’m happy to see that they’re being classy about this and playing nice:

But she paid homage to Mr. Obama’s accomplishments, saying, “It has been an honor to contest the primaries with him, just as it has been an honor to call him my friend.”

Mr. Obama returned the compliment, saying, “I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.” [interestingly, though, the Times calls Clinton’s speech “combative” and then uses this exact same Obama quote twice in the same story. -ed].
…
“You can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory,” Mr. Obama said in remarks prepared to be delivered to his supporters. “When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen.”

30 thoughts on Finally.

  3. Yeah… I’m not trying to dismiss anyone’s disappointment. I’m not feeling exactly overjoyed, even though the candidate I supported won. I’m just so tired of fighting with fellow progressives on all sides of this thing. I’m tired of having Democrats be the enemy. I’m tired of hearing racism and sexism from people who I feel like should be on my side. I’m just… tired. So I’m glad it’s done.

  7. What’s been gag-worthy has been watching all the male pundits absolutely cream themselves over Obama tonight. They can’t disguise their glee.

  8. Classy? I don’t see it at all. Clinton’s speech aggressively stoked grievances, sowed division, and sought to force herself somewhere on the backs of an army of “18 million people” she implied are “invisible” to and not yet “respected” by Obama.

    So much for putting the movement first after defeat.

  9. I’m tired too, Jill. I’m tired of people acting like she was tearing the Democratic party apart when almost half the votes went to her and that kind of inflammatory behaviour was incredibly dismissive of those people. I’m tired of a mainstream media that pounded on Rev. Wright thing so hard for so long that the Obamas had to leave a congregation they had been part of for twenty years. I’m just tired of all the bullshit.

    But, and I know this makes me very unpopular in a lot of circles, I am so proud of Hillary Clinton for staying in the race. I have depression, and the last six years have been this seemingly endless struggle in futility. I’d essentially given up on life and ever doing all the things I dreamed about as a kid, like becoming an engineer so I could help others. Watching Clinton soldier on despite everything that’s happened has been incredibly inspiring for me. I’m going to think about her when I feel like shit now, and try to draw on her determination and resilience and the faith she must have in herself to be able manage the first two when everything and everyone seems stacked against her. If I can muster up even a fraction of what she has, I feel like I can turn my life around completely and get back on track.

  10. What’s been gag-worthy has been watching all the male pundits absolutely cream themselves over Obama tonight. They can’t disguise their glee.

    Ugh. I hear you. I like what Jay Smooth & has to say about the level of schmuckdom on display.

  12. What’s been gag-worthy has been watching all the male pundits absolutely cream themselves over Obama tonight. They can’t disguise their glee.

    No kidding. I went to bed after seeing the headlines on NYTimes.com and washingtonpost.com, because I didn’t want to read through all the gloating.

  13. But, and I know this makes me very unpopular in a lot of circles, I am so proud of Hillary Clinton for staying in the race.

    I am too. I think it’s good that she gave voters in a variety of states the chance to voice their opinions; I think it’s good that she gave Obama a run for his money, and that she didn’t bow out the second the tides turned. In some ways I’m disappointed to see that her campaign is over, but mostly, I just wanted this very ugly primary to end — and I would have felt the same way if she had won it.

  14. Its absolutely amazing that a nobody senator from Illinois could take down the Clinton dynasty. She was beating him by 40 points in polls from all the states back in November.

  15. Now I move onto Cynthia McKinney. Run Cynthia, Run! It’s so sad to see this woman get “Al Gored” by her own party. Getting more votes and still losing… ((shakes head)) Yeah, Obama’s going to do so well in November. Sigh, it’s too bad.

  18. Laura:

    So you refuse to vote for Obama because he’s not going “to do so well in November,” and your solution is to vote for . . . Cynthia McKinney?

  19. I know a lot of people are angry that Obama has the nomination…but can we just keep in mind one teeny, tiny fact?

    McCain is running on a platform of overturning Roe. And given the current age of the liberal justices…this is not an idle threat to OUR reproductive rights.

    Pppppllllleeeeeeaaaasssseee, do not let him set back women’s rights in this country 40 years.

  20. I was so irritated at all the pundits having fits because she didn’t conced last night. “She’s making all about her when it should be about Obama.” Cry me a river, dudes.

  21. I was so irritated at all the pundits having fits because she didn’t conced last night. “She’s making all about her when it should be about Obama.” Cry me a river, progressives.

    Fixed it for you.

  22. Yay, the Patriarchy has won! Again! Praise the Lord! Or something! Suckers.

    Hmmm. Suckers? I think what makes you a “sucker” is believing that just because a candidate happens to be in possession of a vagina that they don’t represent the interests of The Patriacrchy. This woman supported the war. She supported NAFTA. She has engaged in union busting. She remained silent when her supporters used vile, racist tactics against Sen. Obama. She, herself, engaged in race baiting.

    All of these actions and decisions are/were decidedly ANTI-feminist.

    Was The Patriarchy challenged when Margaret Thatcher took office? How about when Condi accepted that cushy job at George’s right hand? No? Huh? Who’s the “sucker” now?

  23. Yay, the Patriarchy has won! Again! Praise the Lord! Or something! Suckers.

    Hmmm. Suckers? I think what makes you a “sucker” is believing that just because a candidate happens to be in possession of a vagina that they don’t represent the interests of The Patriacrchy. This woman supported the war. She supported NAFTA. She has engaged in union busting. She remained silent when her supporters used vile, racist tactics against Sen. Obama. She, herself, engaged in race baiting.

    All of these actions and decisions are/were decidedly ANTI-feminist.

    Was The Patriarchy challenged when Margaret Thatcher took office? How about when Condi accepted that cushy job at George’s right hand? No? Huh? Who’s the “sucker” now?

  24. What’s been gag-worthy has been watching all the male pundits absolutely cream themselves over Obama tonight. They can’t disguise their glee.

    I find this really, really offensive. This was a historic night. The first African American to become the democratic nominee. I was watching MSNBC, and Chris Matthews aside, they didn’t seem to be “creaming themselves over Obama.” Tom Brokaw had tears in his eyes, but you know what, so did I, and so did my other friends of color. He then quickly pivoted to all the standard pundit points (Obama needs to work harder to reach working class whites, etc etc). He didn’t say anything negative about Clinton, nor did he do anything to imply he was in the tank for Obama. He simply acknowledged that this was a historic moment.

    I’m tired of this election, I’m hurt, and I’m angry too, but can’t we at least acknowledge that?

  25. Yay, the Patriarchy has won! Again! Praise the Lord! Or something! Suckers.

    Which speech are you talking about? Because some of the biggest “patriarchists” I’ve ever met have been feminists. Buying into the same system they’re purporting to dismantle.

    Hmmm. Suckers? I think what makes you a “sucker” is believing that just because a candidate happens to be in possession of a vagina that they don’t represent the interests of The Patriacrchy. This woman supported the war. She supported NAFTA. She has engaged in union busting. She remained silent when her supporters used vile, racist tactics against Sen. Obama. She, herself, engaged in race baiting.

    NAFTA and bombing women and girls and their families in Iraq clearly must not be feminist issues and are clearly not seen as misogynist by Clinton’s supporters. Oh wait, given that she tried to claim that she criticized the war before Obama did a while back, maybe that’s not the case. And she’s rewriting the NAFTA thing too.

    Her entire campaign is based on the premise that most White Americans especially White women (which are a huge part of her base) are too racist to vote for a Black male candidate. It sounds like on some fronts, she’s right. I’m fairly sure she is right about that, which if she believes she as a White woman would win more votes than a Black man, essentially she’s saying without saying what’s the bigger roadblock in this country.

    But Clinton and her supporters had presented herself as someone who would see something like that because of what they say is her civil rights background and protest against it, not use it.

    The sexism and misogyny by the media involving her has been terrible. But her supporters decry that and demand that everyone else does to the point that it’s a litmus test for feminism yet dismiss racism as something they’ll address when it happens. I spent three hours in meetings talking with women about it happening now.

    And there is so quiet about racism and misogyny faced by Michelle Obama. So much for sisterhood.

    But I’m not a voting Democrat and I’m voting for a woman just not that woman.

  26. classy? I didn’t see that at all. Hillary’s speech was almost exactly the one she gave at the last primary win except instead pf “I will not quit” it was “I will not make a decision tonight” and “Obama is a great friend”.

    She gives a speech that invites more of her base (that nurse who works three jobs, that 11-yr old kid) to give more money to her campaign, and gallingly invites people to comment on “what she she should do”. Keeping the fires alive. i went to the website, and it offers No Option for “support Obama, give up campaigning”. You have to “support Hillary”. What nonsense. So now she can tally that up, and say, “oh yeah, 3 million people clicked here.”

    Did anyone listen to Mccain’s speech? Is there any doubt from listening to him that the democratic party (via Hillary) has given Mccain more ammunition against Obama? I am talking about when Mccain said, “pundits and party elders” decided Obama was the nominee. It’s disgraceful.

  27. I am completely bummed over last night because it is another case that women have more to prove in order to get ahead. Obama is damn right that competing against the Clintons made him a better candidate. I am holding my breath for the right wing, Rove-esque attack machine. And if he wins against the republican attack machine he will be better on international diplomacy. The media and his camp better cease with their pleas to treat him with kid gloves because the rest of the world is fed up with America’s arrogance. They are not going to be nice during diplomacy meetings just because he says he is open to talks.

  28. Both Obama and McCain disgust me.

    Yeah, Obama’s going to do so well in November. Sigh, it’s too bad.

    I’m still trying to understand sentiments like these… why would it be so terrible if Obama became president? What has Obama done, or what policies does he support that could possibly set back women? How would his presidency be such a terrible thing for feminists and progressives in general?
    Yes, I get it, you think Hillary was the better choice, and yes I understand you’re incredibly pissed she lost. But I think both candidates are forward-thinking progressives, either of which would have brought our country forward from its backslide from the past 8 years. I think it was quite obvious early on during the Texas debate between the two how similar they are in terms of policy and ideology.
    I understand if you’re disappointed that the candidate you supported didn’t win when you feel she should have… but this is not like Al Gore in 2000… our country will not suffer at the hands of the Republicans and conservatives when he lost (unless you make it so!) Obama may not have been your first choice, but he certainly is not a bad one! Do you really feel that voting against him or not voting at all will really help your cause, your country? It’s your prerogative to vote however you want, but a vote against Obama wouldn’t be in your best interest (that’s a bit presumptuous of me, but I’ll say it anyway).
    Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

  29. J, the male pundits have been gunning for Obama all along. Had Hillary won, the tears in their eyes would have been tears of frustration. Obama’s nomination is historic and wonderful and inspiring (and it IS), but Hillary’s just a bitch in a pantsuit who doesn’t know her place.

  30. I’d like to know when anyone has pleaded for Obama to be treated with kid gloves? I see alot of projection from Hillary’s side here. We’re supposed to wait until hell freezes over for her to concede because she can’t do it with dignity otherwise. Bull. Wasn’t it her and Bill who said if you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen? It’s time for her to use some of that testicular fortitude from her three cojones and man-up and do the right thing for the party instead of being all about the Clintons for once in her life. By the way, I noticed that her feminist supporters didn’t seem to mind that bit of sexism from her surrogates like Carville and that union guy. It’s just fine for them to talk about “pansies” as long as it’s Clinton’s people doing it. It’s fine for Clinton to disdainfully mention SAN FRANCISCO every time she talks about the bitter comment too. Just what do you lesbian feminist supporters think she was dog whistling there for those “hardworking white” Archie Bunkers and Geraldine Ferraros? I guess you liked the Clinton’s support of DOMA and DADT too.

    No one asked that Obama be treated with kid gloves. But we did want her to stop running as a Republican. Stop with the southern strategy, the racism, the homophobia, the sexism when it suited her. Kid gloves is when you say that her supporters need time to mourn and accept her loss, when she lost months ago. Kid gloves is when the precious snowflake needs to send her voters to her website to tell her what to do, and only give them one option, to kiss her ass. She can’t make a simple and straightforward decision about that and yet we were supposed to trust her with a 3am crisis call?

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