Is this sexism?

Over at Ari Herzog's blog, he has posted about sexism, and I've commented - but I thought I'd jump into the fray with a post of my own. A lot of people seem to have a lot to say about this.


Sexism, like racism, is an extreme word.


Was it 'sexist' for Katie Couric to ask Hillary Clinton about male classmates in high school calling Clinton "Miss Frigidaire?" I thought maybe it more cast aspersions on Clinton's sexuality, another issue hinted at by some in the media - so maybe it was more homophobic than sexist? Or both?


I don't know, for sure ... it's just as likely it was to hold the viewers' attention.


(By the way, Laura Bush only had one pregnancy - and nobody questions her sexuality. But she's sweet and demure, like a woman should be, right?)


What about the so-called "vagina vote?" People who used that term implied that women were only behind Clinton because of a shared anatomical feature. Does that include transsexuals, I wonder?


Would you vote for someone based on such loose criteria? People do.


I still think George Bush was elected (or not) the first time, not based on much other than the "good ole boy" image he projected to middle America. It was a brilliant marketing strategy. What kind of "-ism" was that?


Nothing wrong with that, except that the rest of us were stuck with Bush.


If Joe Lieberman had been in the race, it would have been the ... what? The "yarmulke vote?"


If Rudy Giuliani had stayed in and won the Republican nomination, what would that have been? The "Soprano vote?"


Mitt Romney, even though I didn't care for him as our (sometime) governor, probably could not have won because he's a Mormon.


Which brings me around to religion. I got into a debate a while back with someone who was contending that women are 'lesser' (as in, only good for making babies and raising the kids) because it says so in the Bible.


What do you call that? Before organized religion, most cultures were egalitarian. Well, except for the throwing virginal girls into the volcano bit ... but do we absolutely know that to be true?


There are a lot of prejudices out there. My sense is, Clinton did not make it because a lot of people do not care for her personality and some of that is because she is a 'strong' woman. Some of it is because of the Clinton political machine, which obviously tries to mow everything in its path down.


I think it's too easy to say she didn't get the nomination because of sexism, although I do believe that was probably part of it.

Reminds me of that Prince song, "Controversy."

"Am I black or white
Am I straight, or gay?
Controversy."


I don't have any answers; I'm just throwing this out into the local Blogosphere!