If you're a feminist, should you vote for Clinton just because she's a woman?
~E~
If you're black, should you vote for Obama because he's black? If you're a black woman, you must be really confused because who do you vote for THEN - the woman, or the African American?
I see these questions debated all over the intertubes and it drives me flipping nuts. We've been so socialized into these categories that we're missing the biggest category of all. White men.
I don't see anyone asking them if they must vote for Edwards or Kucinich because they are white men. It never even occurs to anyone to ask, if 'anyone' means any mainstream source of media. Here's an anecdote I read in some blog comments, with the caveat that one anecdote does not equal data; a high school regularly held elections for student body government positions, with both boys and girls running for office. Invariably, boys were elected to almost all positions consistently for years. The school administration was concerned, and spoke to the students about it. It turns out the girls were voting for the person they regarded as the best candidate. The boys' responses were along the lines of "we boys vote for the boys and the girls vote for the girls, right? So we don't see why it doesn't even out.'
I suspect I'm correct in my belief that men will often choose the candidate just like them to vote for. This election cycle is proving me right, as far as I'm concerned. All the white guy pundits on all the white guy national news channels and all the white guy columnists in all the newspapers are trying to figure out who women and black people will vote for based on gender and race, without thinking twice about WHY they assume that women would vote for women and blacks would vote for blacks. I know. It's because the white guy pundits, and the male half of the population tend to vote for people just like them and it's so normal that no one even sees it. Like how we don't notice air, and how fish don't notice water.
I must also comment on the incredible sexism and Hillary-hatred that I see everywhere. It's disgusting and it goes to show that we have a long way to go in fighting for women's rights and equality. If you don't like Clinton based on her policies, say so. Don't make up stories about how she sobbed her eyes out and that makes her weak, or she sobbed her eyes out and it was fake so she could gain some sympathy votes. Don't talk about how a woman could never be president because women's voices are so shrill that no one would be able to understand what they are saying.
Here's a website with the worst offender.
If you're black, should you vote for Obama because he's black? If you're a black woman, you must be really confused because who do you vote for THEN - the woman, or the African American?
I see these questions debated all over the intertubes and it drives me flipping nuts. We've been so socialized into these categories that we're missing the biggest category of all. White men.
I don't see anyone asking them if they must vote for Edwards or Kucinich because they are white men. It never even occurs to anyone to ask, if 'anyone' means any mainstream source of media. Here's an anecdote I read in some blog comments, with the caveat that one anecdote does not equal data; a high school regularly held elections for student body government positions, with both boys and girls running for office. Invariably, boys were elected to almost all positions consistently for years. The school administration was concerned, and spoke to the students about it. It turns out the girls were voting for the person they regarded as the best candidate. The boys' responses were along the lines of "we boys vote for the boys and the girls vote for the girls, right? So we don't see why it doesn't even out.'
I suspect I'm correct in my belief that men will often choose the candidate just like them to vote for. This election cycle is proving me right, as far as I'm concerned. All the white guy pundits on all the white guy national news channels and all the white guy columnists in all the newspapers are trying to figure out who women and black people will vote for based on gender and race, without thinking twice about WHY they assume that women would vote for women and blacks would vote for blacks. I know. It's because the white guy pundits, and the male half of the population tend to vote for people just like them and it's so normal that no one even sees it. Like how we don't notice air, and how fish don't notice water.
I must also comment on the incredible sexism and Hillary-hatred that I see everywhere. It's disgusting and it goes to show that we have a long way to go in fighting for women's rights and equality. If you don't like Clinton based on her policies, say so. Don't make up stories about how she sobbed her eyes out and that makes her weak, or she sobbed her eyes out and it was fake so she could gain some sympathy votes. Don't talk about how a woman could never be president because women's voices are so shrill that no one would be able to understand what they are saying.
Here's a website with the worst offender.
Comments