From Slate: Feminism Means Never Having To Say You're Toast

Via Andrew, this is from Dahlia Lithwick:

Emily asked a good question yesterday about the proper feminist reading of Hillary Clinton’s weird new Bartleby phase—wherein she is all but mathematically eliminated; superdelegates are running screaming for the exits; the office furniture is being carted out onto the moving vans; and yet still she soldiers on, undaunted, because real women “don’t give up in difficult situations.”

I suppose you can call all this “feminism.” But, as my husband pointed out this morning, if the inability to concede error or defeat—even in light of irrefutable, empirical evidence and in the face of spiraling support and tanking morale—is feminism, George Bush must be the feminist icon of the ages.   

It's been interesting watching the end of the Clinton campaign, because I feel like a certain amount of it hearkens back back to an era of black politics--namely the Sharpe James/Marion Barry era. I wrote a piece some time ago noting the resemblance between Marion Barry and Bill Clinton, but I never considered the bleed effect to Hillary. The way Hillary and her allies make her a stand-in for the entire feminist cause or the entire white working cause, has an eerie resonance with how Barry and James etc. would make themselves the personification of black oppression.

The complicating factor of course is that there there are sexists, there are racists, there are elites who've exploited working whites. Of course the demagogue often conflates the sexist/racist/elitist with anyone who dares criticize that person. Still, expecting a rational response from the victims of irrational bias is probably asking too much. I take great pleasure in the fact that the very racism that Obama has had to deal with in this campaign has forced him to be a better candidate. No black person--and I'd argue no white woman--can win the White House crying "Poor Me." I'd like to tell you that the era of identity politics in the black community is over. But of course, I can't.

Comments

[dnA]

The way Hillary and her allies make her a stand-in for the entire feminist cause or the entire white working cause, has an eerie resonance with how Barry and James etc. would make themselves the personification of black oppression.

You mean the way the entire GOP has made itself the symbol of anti-white oppression?

[ChristianPinko]

Shouldn't that be, "Never Having to Say You're Toast"?

Socialist grammar check is your friend.

[Ta-Nehisi Coates]

Indeed it is. Thanks for the catch.

[Breukelyne]

You said it. As a feminist, I find myself scratching my head over the development of Hillary Clinton: Feminist Icon. Surreal, I think. Sure, she's been a strong supporter of reproductive rights and she's one of the few Alpha Female politicians out there, but she voted for the Iraq War and chose to smear the women her husband had affairs with in order to save his political career. There's no feminist values in waging war (or rather, throwing away your principles for the sake of your own political career) and demonizing women who engage in the same sexual behaviors that men do.

And I am more than a little pissed off that the crappy, misguided behavior of Clinton and some of her more vocal supporters (I'm looking at you, Steinem and Ferraro) is now going to stand in as some sign of the state of the women's movement/feminism today in the eyes of all Americans.

I fear that this will undercut support for women's organizations in general. I myself have lost respect for NOW, Emily's LIst, and Women's Voices Women's Vote because of either their sleazy tactics or simply not showing good leadership this election cycle. And I'm as raging feminist as they come. I think a lot of other feminists who've been paying attention feel the same way.

[Eat My Shorts]

anyone who takes feminists seriously isnt all there. thats real. Hillary is just a hard as nails survivor and talented politician. i admire her in a way.