How (if at all) is Sexism playing into the US Presidential Election?

[Quintessence]

Please note - this topic is in the Feminists ONLY section. Non-feminists are not allowed to comment in this area, and I would encourage you to create a topic if your own in a general discussion/debate area if you would like!

It seems to be about due for us to have a topic in here about sex and gender issues with respect to the current Presidential race in the United States. We do, after all, have a woman running for that office for the first time in this country - in of itself something to smile at as a sign of accomplishments (and perhaps frown a bit in that it took this darned long for it to happen). This is a space for you all to offer thoughts, comments, and reflections. We can drift around from topic to topic, as things play out in the scene.

I'll give us a place to start with this article posted over at BBC news entitled "Presidential debate 2016: Four ways gender played a role." The one I personally noticed the most was the bit at the end of the debate about "stamina." It was just so ridiculous, and I think Clinton handled it brilliantly:

"As soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a trade deal and a cease fire or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina."
(from the above linked article)​

What are some other things you've noticed in this election cycle related to feminist issues?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

What are some other things you've noticed in this election cycle related to feminist issues?

Trump is a misogynist scumbag.

 

[Iti oj]

Welll hillary is called ****, ***** and a dog. Let alone what trump says about woman.

 

[crossfire]

I think this campaign ad highlights the issue:

 

[Iti oj]

More also considering the suprem court nominations and things like reproductive rights

 

[Riders]

Trump and his porno queens and beauty queens hes probably planning on building an empire with nothing but all porno queens living there.

That's all he thinks about and then he tears down the rest of us ,hes a pig oink oink oink .........

 

[crossfire]

The latest tape of Trump bragging about groping women even has some of the GOP denouncing him.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

To me, it's quite obvious that a lot of the hatred towards Hillary is rooted in sexism, just as much of the hatred towards Obama is rooted in racism. A powerful woman, especially one who is intelligent and powerful in her own right, is deeply terrifying to a lot of males. It's quite obvious:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/10/fear-of-a-female-president/497564/
http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/02/05/a-comprehensive-guide-to-sexist-attacks-on-hill/199700

So what do they do? The scared (mostly white) males nominated a candidate that speaks to their fears and insecurities, a mouthpiece through which they vent their misogyny. Even the ones who don't necessarily like Trump all that much still choose him over Clinton for unspoken and irrational reasons. Even fellow Democrats seem to have this strange dislike of her (progressives and leftists, especially men, don't have a perfect track record when it comes to having and accepting women in power, either) When you look at it objectively, she's easily the most qualified person in US history to be president. She's basically done everything in the political world except be president (yet), including having many achievements outside of politics! She's not perfect (who is?), but most of the negativity about her is blown out of proportion or outright lies. The hatred towards her is inexplicable without recognizing the gender issue at play here.

 

[Skwim]

Trump's disdain toward Hillary sits in the same cesspool as his objectification of women. He sees women as no more than objects to slake his lust, and if they don't measure up he has no use for him. And I think what really irritates Trump is that he's up against a women he can't stand because she's 68 years-old and, in his mind, not close to being a 10, and she's a woman who knows a hell of a lot more about governing the country than he does, AND that at the moment he's likely to lose to a woman, IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE WORLD. His sexism is misogynistic and translates into a contempt that's only mitigated by those who sexually service him, or could potentially do so.

If one questions this contempt simply consider his remark to Howard Stern about Ivanka Trump, his daughter, wherein he told Stern that it's okay to call her a "piece of a**"*


*source


.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Were does one even begin?

 

[Parchment]

To me, it's quite obvious that a lot of the hatred towards Hillary is rooted in sexism, just as much of the hatred towards Obama is rooted in racism. A powerful woman, especially one who is intelligent and powerful in her own right, is deeply terrifying to a lot of males. It's quite obvious:

I'd say considering your other posts it's quite obvious that you will find sexism and racism in most anything and at times find myself wondering if you are actually serious. I've talked to quite a few people and the fact that Hillary is a female and Trump is a male never seemed to be a consideration, quite honestly I don't think most people care who or what is the president as long as they can run the country. If I lived in France Marine Le Pen would definitely get my vote in the 2017 elections.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I'd say considering your other posts it's quite obvious that you will find sexism and racism in most anything and at times find myself wondering if you are actually serious.

That's nice. Your opinion doesn't matter much to me, though. This is the Feminist Only section, by the way.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

It's a little off topic, but assuming Hillary gets in I hope she does a great job. That really helps in solidifying the progress of having a female leader.

It's why I was so disappointed in Julia Gillard here. First female leader, first openly atheist leader, and she completely underachieved imho.

Just gives the bigots something to try and justify their bigotry with and make the second persons journey a little harder.

Sorry, @Quintessence, I realise thats a bit OT.

 

[Aštra’el]

I feel it is rather pitiful that the first woman president is most likely going to be Hillary Clinton. I do not perceive this to be victory for the United States of America, and hardly a victory for women.

Trump would be no more a victory for this country, as he is no more fit to lead this country than she is. I would make it known however that do feel his comments have been completely blown out of proportion. The expression "you gotta grab a woman by her p***y" is the same as "you gotta grab a man by his balls". It means that instead of being a coward, you gotta stand up, show some audacity and confront the opposite sex about something.

You can't be afraid to grab America by the balls, or the p***y, and just tell it how it is.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I feel it is rather pitiful that the first woman president is most likely going to be Hillary Clinton. I do not perceive this to be victory for the United States of America, and hardly a victory for women.

Trump would be no more a victory for this country, as he is no more fit to lead this country than she is. I would make it known however that do feel his comments have been completely blown out of proportion. The expression "you gotta grab a woman by her p***y" is the same as "you gotta grab a man by his balls". It's means that instead of being a coward, you gotta stand up, show some audacity and confront the opposite sex about something.

You can't be afraid to grab America by the balls, or the p***y, and just tell it how it is.

There is a way to confront the opposite sex, and isn't by grabbing them by the balls or *****.

 

[Aštra’el]

There is a way to confront the opposite sex, and isn't by grabbing them by the balls or *****.

There are many effective ways to confront the opposite sex and sometimes, especially when dealing with someone of a stubborn and arrogant disposition, you gotta (metaphorically) grab them by the balls or the p***y to advance your agenda, be it about business or pleasure or something else.

Obviously, audacity and tenacity are not in some peoples' Nature. Some people instead tend to be more timorous and apprehensive when dealing with the opposite sex.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

There are many effective ways to confront the opposite sex and sometimes, especially when dealing with someone of a stubborn and arrogant disposition

I find arrogant people just aren't worth my time, not unless I absolutely must. And "grabbing them" just seems to nice. Not my style.

 

[meghanwaterlillies]

I don't think trump should judge women to show that he is competent for presidency if that's it, he's incompetent. And it goes back that he doesn't want to be president.
Meaning it's likely to be Hillary now because he has got more to talk about then putting it on a side of judging women.

 

[meghanwaterlillies]

If that's not the full story then show it.

 

[meghanwaterlillies]

Oh right he did;
Donald Trump Claims U.S. Is Being Attacked by 'Bad Hombres' in Debate.