One for the women: It ain’t that bleak

“Misogyny and hate.”

That’s what one of my Leftist Facebook friends commented, after Sen. Elizabeth Warren ended her presidential campaign yesterday and I posted this: “AP reports Elizabeth Warren has taken my advice and quit the race.” 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren waves goodbye. (Photo: N.Y. Post)

I replied that he used “misogyny’ because he couldn’t use “racism,” his usual default to explain the evils of the world.

I used a “feeling silly” emoji to indicate AP did not use those exact words, but in an evaluation of Super Tuesday, I did say Warren should quit the race — “if you can’t win your home, go home” — and also said Mike Bloomberg “is a data guy and the data is telling him he can’t win.”

In other words, follow the lead of Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg and clear out when it is clear you can’t win.

When Warren later declined to throw her support to either of the remaining candidates, I accused her of choking.

I got some reasonable pushback on that, but I stand by it. Her neutrality hurts Bernie Sanders because Joe Biden now has what they are calling Joementum.

I have not announced who I am for, but I have announced who I am against: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, but I still want Bernie to have a clean shot. Warren had one, and remember for a while she was in the lead, according to polls.

Other Leftists were calling me — and America — misogynist because Warren failed to get to the top of the mountain. At the risk of mansplaining, I will deal with what two women said.

First, Warren said that little girls would have to wait four more years to feel validated by a “woman in the White House.” Buttigieg didn’t say that about young gays, Bloomie didn’t say that about young Jews, and Julian Castro didn’t say that about young Hispanics.

Tribal America likes to see our “own” succeed, and there’s nothing wrong with that. African-Americans were ecstatic — and surprised — when Barack Obama won. 

What Warren said sounded self-absorbed, more so than the “cracks in the ceiling” that candidate Hillary Clinton mentioned.

Last night on MSNBC, New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay said that Warren was the most qualified and experienced person  in the race (more so than Senator and Vice President Biden?), and her reporting led her to conclude too many Americans would not vote for a woman.

This is odd, given that women are a majority of Americans, and a majority of enrolled Democrats. Clearly, Warren couldn’t get enough women to vote for her.

Let’s correct the collective amnesia that grips the bellyachers.

Just four years ago, 3 million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than for Donald Trump — 65,815,543 versus 62,984,828. So how sexist are we? 

She won the popular vote, but too many of her votes were in the wrong place. Even her supporters admit she was a mediocre candidate and she took some blue states for granted.

Since America already has given its majority to a woman candidate, there is no reason to believe it would not do so again, given the right candidate.

That it did not happen this time is less due to sexism than to a candidate who did not perform as well as she needed and expected to perform.

On Super Tuesday, she finished third in her home state. How do you chalk that up to misogyny? Massachusetts voters twice elected her to the U.S. Senate — over male candidates. 

This is the logical place to end, but I have to add something: I cannot deny there is some sexism in our electorate, just as there is racism and anti-Semitism and homophobia and even anti-Mormon sentiment, pollsters found when Mitt Romney ran. 

If you, as a “minority” candidate, allow yourself to be defined like that, defined by others, you put on iron shoes at the beginning of the race. Winners don’t whine and whiners don’t win.

28 thoughts on “One for the women: It ain’t that bleak”

  1. HAPPY FRIDAY !!!
    Pallie,
    We already agreed that Ms Warren was the wrong candidate to carry the torch. We also think that Ms Gabbard would do well in a cabinet position, while being groomed for the presidency.
    At this time, I don’t see any real rising (female) star that could make a run for the office in 2024.
    I still wouldn’t count America’s mother-in-law or what ever her title is, out of the white house.
    Tony

  2. Well written and well explained, Stu. The Mess Media (yes, purposely misspelled), when their defined favorites don’t make the cut, always chalk it up (these days) to the “M” and “R” words. They can NEVER accept the fact, nor publish the fact, that their favored candidate lost because nobody (or almost nobody, electorally speaking) liked them – for whatever number of reasons.

    You called it straight, pal!

    BTW, as I mentioned a couple of days ago, just before The Big “E” dropped out. I said that she would hang in there as long as possible just to annoy. It’s her modus operandi. And by “suspending” her operations rather than outright quitting, she is poised to do just that. Mark my words.

  3. I want to be sure I am self-flagellating properly: To the weeping and whining masses whose candidates tanked, I did not like Buttegieg because I do not like homosexuals; I did not like Elizabeth Warren because I do not like women (although I’ve been married to one for almost 54 years); I did not like Michael Bloomberg because I am anti-Semitic; and I don’t like Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden because I am an ageist (despite the fact I am older than either).

    Remember: If one votes for a woman simply because she is a woman, that is as sexist as NOT voting for a woman simply because…etc.

    1. Vinnie,
      At your age, you can be any thing that you want to be . except young.
      Tony
      P.S.
      HAPPY FRIDAY !!!

  4. Stu,
    Your acceptance of sexism in the dem electorate, besides the other familiar ‘isms’ we consistently hear about, is spot on. Yet, it seems we conservatives are the ones continuously labled as such. That includes you. But Republicans (conservatives) didn’t vote for Liz. Not possible! Maybe some of the dem electorate are ageist, also.
    Which comes back to how the hell did Biden get here!

    1. Vince
      You were way ahead of me with that ageist thing. And sounds like a few years! Don’t believe Tony. He’s jealous!

      1. Tom,
        not at all jealous . I just hope that all of you live a long and healthy life, and get ’em for every dime that you can. Especially you Tom. With everything that you’ve been through. I only went to S/E Asia. I figure that every year after the age of 18 is a gift. I’m still here. Don’t know how.
        Tony
        and a HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU AS WELL !!!

        1. Just kiddin’ Tony.

          I wrote this a few years back ’cause it’s what I like doing. Hope you don’t mind Stu.

          GRUDGES, REGRETS & THE GRAVE

          Some say we’re given only what we can handle. Whether that’s true, I don’t know. What I do know is:

          Life’s Had Enough Challenges That I’m Living To Escape.
          These Shoulders Hold No Grudges, My Back Can’t Bear Dead Weight.
          I’ve Forgiven All Who Hurt Me Silently In Prayer,
          And Pray They’ve Done Likewise And Settled Their Affairs.

          Now I’ve also heard it said that one has few or no regrets. I find that hard to believe, so:

          If I Could Do My Life Over I’d Make Sure My Slate Stayed Clean. I’d Let God Be My Spokesman, Guaranteeing Me.

          Tom

        2. As the Amish famously say, “We get too soon old and too late smart.”

  5. Nancy Pelosi says there’s an “element of misogyny” that undermines women like Elizabeth Warren in their bid for the White House. A truckload of mendacity more accurately describes Sen. Warren’s ethos.

    1. David – I’m a retired professional, and I still had to look up the word “mendacity.” They didn’t teach us that one in the Phila & Camden school systems somehow. LoL Nonetheless, now having been re-enlightened with that word, I can say only one thing about it: “How can you tell when a politician is lying?” You already know the answer!

    2. My column allowed for a bit of sexism, but not enough to matter much. That was proven by Hillary’s 65 million votes to Trump’s 63M. We would have had a woman president had HRC campaigned differently.

  6. FYI, From Judicial Watch, wjust in, at least to me: Court orders Hillary Clinton, Cheryl Mills, and others for Deposition on Emails and Benghazi Attack Documents!

    We’ll see??

    1. HAPPY SATURDAY !!!
      Tom,
      The take-a-way from this and all subpoenas to follow will be that no one is above the law. In all probability, those that are deposed will suddenly have amnesia and/or take the 5th. Then, the next round of books will come out.
      Had we a 4th estate reporting on the Washington merry-go-round, this would be the end of those testifying.
      Tony
      P.S.
      When I write in my sarcastic vain, ask Mr Benedict to translate. A lot of people have trouble following my scattered thoughts

      1. As my English cousin might say, “Both points well taken, mate!”
        Let’s go Flyers!!
        Tom

  7. “A man who is not a liberal at sixteen has no heart.
    A man who is not a conservative at sixty has no head.” — Benjamin Disraeli

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