No "White Bitch Month"

Maureen Dowd looks at the role of gender in the Democrat presidential primary race.

She writes:

It’s not yet clear which prejudice will infect the presidential contest more — misogyny or racism.

Many women I talk to, even those who aren’t particularly fond of Hillary, feel empathy for her, knowing that any woman in a world dominated by men has to walk a tightrope between femininity and masculinity, strength and vulnerability.

They see double standards they hate — when male reporters described Hillary’s laugh as “a cackle” or her voice as “grating,” when Rush Limbaugh goes off on her wrinkles or when male pundits seem gleeful to write her political obituary. Several women I know, who argue with their husbands about Hillary, refer with a shudder to the “Kill the Witch” syndrome.

In a webcast, prestidigitator Penn Jillette talks about a joke he has begun telling in his show. He thinks the thunderous reaction it gets from audiences shows that Hillary no longer has a shot.

The joke goes: “Obama is just creaming Hillary. You know, all these primaries, you know. And Hillary says it’s not fair, because they’re being held in February, and February is Black History Month. And unfortunately for Hillary, there’s no White Bitch Month.”

Yeah, that hurts.

Those strong negatives really haunt Hillary.

Of course, jokes like that — even Jillette admits it’s offensive — are exactly what may give Hillary a shot. When the usually invulnerable Hillary seems vulnerable, many women, even ones who don’t want her to win, cringe at the idea of seeing her publicly humiliated — again.

And since women — and some men — tend to be more protective when she is down, it is impossible to rule out a rally, especially if voters start to see Obama, after his eight-contest rout, as that maddening archetypal figure: the glib golden boy who slides through on charm and a smile.

It's interesting that Dowd would mention the "glib golden boy" thing.

Watching Obama deliver his speech in Madison, he projected almost an arrogance that was somewhat off-putting.

I guess when 17,000 people wait for hours to hear you speak for less than 30 minutes you can get a little full of yourself. Trouncing Hillary in the day's primaries may have played a factor in his demeanor as well. It's always nice to show just a bit of humility.

In Obama's defense, it's a difficult line to negotiate. He should come off as confident and commanding, as presidential; but that can come off as cocky and smug.

I would suspect that most of the faithful at the rally were simply overwhelmed by being in Obama's presence. His committed followers won't turn on him, but independents and those less spellbound might.

Those close to Hillary say she’s feeling blue. It’s an unbearable twist of fate to spend all those years in the shadow of one Secretariat, only to have another gallop past while you’re plodding toward the finish line.

I believe that Hillary feels blue. I can see it.

This must be a shock for her to be in such a tight race and in danger of losing when for so long she was so far out in front.

Dowd's uncharacteristic sympathy for Hillary is quickly followed up with a list of Hillary's flaws.

Dowd concludes, "If Hillary fails, it will be her failure, not ours."

In other words, Hillary's possible failure wouldn't be because Americans rejected a woman in the role of the Democrat nominee for president. It would be because Americans rejected Hillary.

I don't know that Dowd can back up that claim.

If Obama fails, will it be his fault, not ours?

When one frames the contest in terms of race and gender, I don't see how one can back away from the impact of race and gender in the event of failure.