Race or Sex: Which is the winning card?

Posted by Keanan in US Election 2008.

We are no longer growing closer and closer to the 2008 Presidential Election by the month, week, day; we are growing closer by the hour, minute, second. It’s less than a week away now, and still we are debating and arguing over points that seem less than important to the whole picture.

So what, you ask, will make or break this election for either party? What could and probably will sway this election more than any other factor? No, it’s not that McCain will suddenly come out as a Muslim, or that Obama will admit that he’s actually a socialist - either way those two are arranged, they’re both false…

In these final days, what is coming subtly to the forefront is the attention to racism and sexism. Both parties have the advantage, or disadvantage, here… it’s more than obvious that the Republican ticket has been playing the sexism card since the beginning - even since their plan to only allow a few interviews with high-profile media personnel backfired. And we all know that Barack Obama is a tad less than 100% Anglo-Saxon.

Why is it okay for the Republican party to play the sexism card, accusing the other side of being sexist any time they try to attack Sarah Palin, yet every single speech she gave in these last few days seems to be negative (and mostly false, but that’s another story) towards the other side? It seems her false interpretation of Obama’s tax plans or economic ideas are perfectly fine to publicly announce, yet should the Democrats call her out on an idea, they are accused of sexism.  And let’s not forget the fact that the Republicans have called votes against their ticket sexism…

Interesting. After years of mocking the Democratic party, women’s rights groups, and especially men fighting for women’s rights, it seems the Republican party has discovered feminism.¹ Somehow, any words against or questioning Palin’s knowledge and experience are now sexist issues. I’m sorry, but the last time I checked, I was most concerned about a presidential or vice presidential candidate’s views, knowledge, and experience - not his or her number of X chromosomes.

And I’m pretty sure that sexism is about reducing a woman to her body, her motherhood, her beauty, or her … you get the picture - things that make her inferior simply because she’s a woman. I’m sorry, but the last time I checked, questioning a political candidate’s experience, knowledge, and readiness has something to do with their political campaign. If someone comes up short on the latter, she shouldn’t be allowed to claim she’s being attacked because of the former.  They really aren’t related.

I don’t care who you are, Republican or Democratic, male or female, black or white - no one can deny the fact that a limited understanding and knowledge of international and national affairs, economics, taxes, and healthcare systems cannot be called sexism.

Recently, a plan to assassinate Obama and 88 black individuals was foiled by the ATF.² Really? That cannot be directly related to his views on economics, foreign policy, or alternative energies…it seems to include other individuals. And then there’s the fact that it comes from a skinhead group… And the fact that he’s black… No, this must be related to his tax cut plan.

The NAACP yesterday announced a lawsuit towards the Virginia government with regard to voting booth numbers. They are concerned that, with the large numbers of recently registered voters (mostly black) there will not be enough time nor voting machines for all residents of Virginia to cast their votes come next Tuesday. Let’s see how long it takes for the Republicans to call this “playing the race card.” Even FOXNews picked this up: Click here to read their report.

Additionally, McCain’s repeated television ads attempting to call out Obama’s experience, especially of community organizer, are clearly racist. Palin even said, “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities.”³

So which is it. Which will prove itself as the greatest campaign-ruining fact - race, or sex?  Sexism seems to get the most attention, the most scolding and yet this breed of political sexism has its own double standards.

Palin herself scoffed at Hillary Clinton’s campaign, when it tried to use the sexism card.⁴ Again, I say interesting. She tried to call sexism on Obama, for using the same phrase (lipstick, pitbulls, pigs…) I’m sure we’ll all remember for years to come that her running mate used similar wording less than a year ago.⁵ I’m sorry, but that’s not sexism. (But maybe making rape victims pay for their own rape kits is?⁶)

No, I’m sorry. This attempt to bring sexism into the ticket is nothing more than a typical card played by the Republican party. Remember, these are the people who brought you “compassionate conservatism,” “time horizons,” “No Child Left Behind” and yes, even, “Pro-Life.”

But what about the fact that Reuter’s runs sexist pictures of Palin? For some reason I have trouble believing this one. Sure, you can try and play it out as you like, but should a picture like that be run of Joe Biden, I’m sure we wouldn’t notice. I saw the picture when it came out; as a photographer I thought it was great framing, actually reveled in the thought of a good shot. I thought it captured the essence of the woman candidate, with people looking up to her - not sexist perverts in Pennsylvania looking up her skirt.

Another picture problem arose when Newsweek’s cover printed what the Republicans called an unflattering picture of Palin. Excuse me, what?

The Republican Party immediately jumped on the issue, claiming that Newsweek was trying to hinder her campaign. Republicans even called the picture a “slap in the face” to Palin. “Why? Because it’s unretouched. It highlights every imperfection that every human being has. We’re talking unwanted facial hair, pores, wrinkles.”⁷

Palin is even having trouble within her own party. As they try to play down the $150,000 spent on her wardrobe, Palin keeps it alive. Within her own party she’s referenced as a “diva.”⁸ It seems Palin sees herself as the next leader of the Republican Party. She’s trying to save her own political career and not that of her partner and party. How dare her. Or wait, sorry, that’s probably sexist.⁹ They’re also calling her a wackjob-is that sexist too?

It doesn’t matter which party will play their cards the best. Clearly, the United States and its people have set the standards for what we view as racist and sexist. So has the Republican Party. Sadly, it seems the country may not be able to move on past all of these issues by November 4. The Republicans are trying to change definitions, and I commend you, Democratic Party, for not playing their game. With a week to go, I hope you keep it up. Don’t let them bask in their double standards; if you aren’t playing cards, neither should they.

1 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122058255216602625.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
2 http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/elections/national/ATF_Says_it_Has_Disrupted_Skinhead_Plot_to_Assassinate_Obama.html
3 http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/4/02739/39108/335/585475
4 http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13129.html
5 http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/215162.php
6 http://www.feministing.com/archives/010930.html
7 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/3171956/Sarah-Palin-Newsweek-criticised-for-unflattering-cover.html
8 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/10/27/ST2008102702695.html
9 http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/27/palin.tension/index.html

US Election 2008 |