The 2008 campaign provided many insights into what it is like to be a female in American presidential politics. Sexism and lookism is alive and well in the USA and what surprised me was the hatred coming from the left.
The media undertook an orchestrated(?), concerted effort to undermine Hillary and get her off the stage because she was ruining their favorite’s chances for a clean sweep. But Hillary persisted. The more they told her to “sit down” and “shut up” the more she stood up, for the people who were working with her and for the American people. The Hillary that I saw in late March through June was a display of personal courage and professionalism I will never forget. She blew the doors open for women everywhere. And soon thereafter, in walked Sarah Palin.
Why did women on the left hate her so much? I am not the one to explain it, then or now. If you see the world through the lense of identity politics, then I guess a popular, attractive, female Republican is a threat.
What I love about super-smart Hillary and beautiful Sarah (if we have to label them) is their persistence in the face of such nasty, public personal criticism. They resist every effort to be defined and limited by how others see them. Even if you dislike one or both, can you fail to respect the strength of their spirits?
One last thing about these ladies–I have never doubted for one second that these two were anything other than patriotic Americans, who would fight for us all to be stronger and for America’s better days to be in our future. They would not have allowed the policies of generational theft the current administration has pursued.
I hope next time we are considering candidates for the Presidency that we look at the whole person. Maybe next time the “cool kid” doesn’t get a free pass. No one else ever has.
