Hillary as standard-bearer for women fighting uphill against Obama

Amanda Fortini has an excellent article on Clinton and her role in leading a feminist resurgence in this month’s New Yorker.

First, Fortini does an excellent job of detailing how much sexism is still tolerated.

Take the “Iron my shirts” crack shouted at Clinton on the campaign trail. Fortini notes that USA Today talked about the “seemingly sexist” nature of the incident. If something similar of a racial nature had happened at an Obama rally, would it have been called “seemingly racist”? I doubt it.

And, speaking of that, we haven’t had any such incident at an Obama rally. Nobody has said “Fetch me some watermelon” at an Obama rally.

Whether racism or sexism is more pervasive, sexism is clearly still more publicly pervasive.

Later, Fortini wonders aloud whether or not Clinton should give a “gender address” similar to Obama’s “race address.”

Fortini notes that’s not Clinton’s style and it would probably backfire anyway.

I’ll add that it’s probably way too late, anyway. First, from a narrowly political view, it would have looked copycat following too closely on Obama’s. She needed to do it before that. Second, attitudes have hardened enough it just wouldn’t be that effective.

Finally, beyond the hollow victory of Clinton revitalizing feminism, you have the irony and more of her appearing to have gotten where she is on the coattails of her husband. Second, she is polarizing, and not just because she’s a woman, or because she’s Bill Clinton’s wife.

That said, it’s a double dose of hypocrisy in all the conservative attacks on her when no Republican woman has ever made a bid for the presidency.