Race Doesn’t Trump Gender But Self-Righteousness Trumps Reason

by Latoya Peterson

I am not a Hillary Clinton supporter.

I support Barack Obama for many reasons.

I do not think Hillary Clinton is the anti-Christ, but I do not believe that she would be as good of a president as Barack Obama. My reasons for this are policy, international response, and how the campaigns were run.

It does not have anything to do with Hillary Clinton’s gender.

However, I am noticing a very troubling trend emerging – that Hillary Clinton’s supporters are not making a strong enough case for her to be President. If I go on a pro-Clinton blog, half of their posts are bashing Obama. Now, I am not saying that Obama devotees are any different. Like I said, there are a lot of folks that got pruned from my blogroll since they seem dedicated to defending sexist or racist statements in the name of a fucking presidential campaign.

The campaigns are important.

But we survived eight years of Bush. Clearly, we’re gonna be alright.

Clinton is subject to attacks based in her gender. This is an indisputable fact.

Obama is subject to attacks based on his race. This is an indisputable fact.

Both things are pervasive, yes.

So if things are so pervasive, it shouldn’t be hard to come up with some examples now should it?

I do not support Hillary Clinton.

When the election started, I was fine with either candidate. At this point in the race, if Hillary gets the nod, I am going to seriously research if it is better to throw support behind a third party candidate or start a write in campaign.

But even still, I was able to find FIVE examples MINIUM OF EFFORT.

Roll tape:

Cara from the Curvature mentioned Obama’s sexism before with a link. So I went back to her blog.

She points to Obama participating in a SNL sketch that is construed as sexist. While he does not participate directly in Hillary-bashing, he is still a part of the sketch. She is luke warm on this one.

Also via Cara:

The Politico – Obama asks why Hillary, the front runner, wants to play the victim?

Feministe – Dog Whistles

The second option is the one that Barack Obama went with when he said the following while campaigning in Wisconsin:

This is, I understand Senator Clinton periodically when she is feeling down launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal.

And that’s exactly what’s happened — all over the place, when anyone has objected to this statement as a sexist dogwhistle, they’ve been accused of overreacting. Of trivializing *real* sexism. Of seeing things that aren’t really there. Of stretching. Of ignoring context. Of simply being in the tank for Clinton (pay no attention to that double standard behind the curtain! The fact that some of the most vehement denials of sexism are coming from Obama supporters is mere coincidence!).

In other words, of being the exact same sort of overemotional and inconsequential person that Obama’s dogwhistle made Clinton out to be. Of being someone whose opinions and perceptions don’t matter, because everyone knows how women are.

And here’s what I remember:

*”The claws come out” comment mentioned at a speech or a rally.

*Obama staffer calls Hillary a monster.

Five examples and I DON’T LIKE HILLARY THE CANDIDATE. And you’re seriously telling me that no one can find concrete examples and string them together in a way that makes sense? Seriously? If I was Hillary Clinton, I would be fucking embarrassed. You support me but can only attack the other candidate? And you can’t provide examples when someone was being sexist toward Hillary?

Contrast this with the Clinton Attacks Obama wiki:

Guide

The Incident Tracker Page

Resources

Guide

The Incidents

#1 Barack Obama May Have Been a Drug Dealer!
#2 Actually, LBJ Did it
#3 I can’t make her… black?
#4 Imaginary Hip Black Friend
#5 Mandela
#6 Shuck and Jive
#7 BET Founder Bob Johnson Attacks
#8 Three Volunteers Resign for Spreading MADRASSA EMAIL
#9 Bob Kerrey and his Dog Whistle
#10 Beautiful Symbol
#11 Fairy Tale & Kid
#12 False Hopes
#13 Bill Clinton’s Charlie Rose Interview
#14 I just don’t want to see us fall backwards
#15 Andrew Young Says Bill is every bit as black as Obama
#16 Clinton Team Quietly Raise Obama’s Cocaine Use
#17 Geraldine Ferraro Blames Obama for Race Talk
#18 Charlie Rangel Blames Obama for Race Talk
#19 Rangel: Obama put drug use in book to sell books
#20 The Spadework Comment on The Today Show
#21 The “Spadework” Comment in JULY 2007
#21 Playing on the Obama-will-be-assassinated fears
#22 Hillary Shufflin’ about Bob Johnson
#23- Black and Brown Instigation
#24- Lawd, the Black Man will DOOM..DOOM the entire ticket
#25-State Senator Robert Ford on Obama’s Iowa Victory
#26- Obama’s got 99 Problems
#27- Vetting Obama
#28 Earl Ofari Hutchinson Says Obama Should Apologize To Hillary
#29 Attempted Disenfranchisement of Nevada Caucus-Goers
#30 Obama Unwilling to take a stand on choice
#31 I’m in an interracial relationship
#32- Bill Clinton says people in South Carolina will vote for Obama only because he’s black
#33- “Obama is a Good House Negro.”
#34- Bill Clinton: Hillary-McCain would be “most civilized” election in American History
#35 Bill Clinton: S.C.? No problem, Obama = Jesse Jackson
#36 Bill Clinton: “Not one single solitary citizen has asked me about this”
#37 Star Jones Says That Bill Clinton Is Just Defending His Woman
#38 Obama echoes “message of blunt racial division”
#39 “Hate Springs Eternal” — and it’s Obama’s supporters’ fault
#40 -Clinton Camp Spreads ‘ Obama has a CULT’ Memo
#41 – Obama is BLACK and White folk won’t vote for him
#42 – Barack Obama and his Magic Technicolor Dream-Wand
#43- Obama is a Scary Muslim Once Again
#44 – Obama is Jesse Jackson Once Again
#45-Geraldine Ferraro: Obama is LUCKY to be Black
#46-Bill Clinton: what happened in SC is a “myth and a mugging”
#47 ‘Not that I know of’!

Forty-fucking-seven. I don’t agree with everything that’s on J & J’s list. But they HAVE ONE! And I don’t agree with the interpretation of all five examples listed for Hillary. But those can be argued.

Whether or not you agree with the assessments, a case can be made. Jack and Jill has a table to discuss the incident, provide evidence, provide context, and discuss counterarguments.

And you can’t do that?

It is not enough to say “oh, it happens daily.”

It is not enough to say “It’s everywhere.”

If it is as you say, provide some facts!

If I were to talk about how Asian Americans are targeted in America, and I just say “it happens daily,” who the fuck is going to take me seriously? No one. Now, if I point them to this blog, or Jenn’s blog, or Angry Asian’s Man’s blog and they can see these conversations, and see the problems with the model minority myth, and see the instances of delivery men being killed on the job and kids being beaten up on school buses after having anti-asian slurs hurled at them, then I have a case.

It is not “perpetuating” anything to ask for some clearly stated facts or examples.

It’s what you do if you are a supporter.

I support Barack Obama and I can point to (1) his policy, (2) racist attacks in the media and from Clinton surrogates, and (3) the way he manages his campaign as reasons why I support him. I’m a supporter. I’ve done my research. This is not difficult for me.

Can you truly call yourself a supporter if you can’t represent for your candidate?

ETA: That’s what I get for typing while pissed. Fixed the title, some links. I also want to mention that there are HRC supporters who make their case well, like Zuzu from Feministe. She’s not perfect, but she makes a good case. Same deal with lowercase tasha here in our comments. And, on a related topic, if certain HRC supporters are angry about sexism aimed toward Hillary, where’s their impassioned defense of Michelle?

(Photo credit: The Washington Post site.)