Change The Ratio

I’m reviewing my past predictions and looking at what I wrote for the Daily Beast in Jan 2009. Some of it is pretty good! Including forcing this issue, which remains one of my most proud accomplishments of the 2008 election season - something I was mocked then reviled for early, and proved way right on by the end. In any case - going into an election season, what can we learn from the last one? I’m trying to figure that out now. 

Let’s Talk About Sexism

Don’t kid yourselves: We are so not ready for a female president. By “we” I mean the media, whose stunning mishandling of the gender politics of the 2008 race meant that no one would even admit there might be a sexism problemuntil it was too late for Hillary Clinton — and just in time for Sarah Palin.

Not everyone averted their gaze. A small knot of smart female writers dug in and refused to let it pass, despite being chided for — what’s that word? — hysteria. Defending Clinton against sexism was especially objectionable when seen through the lens of Obama-love, so it was a pretty lonely path until Katie Couric dared speak its name. Thank goodness for people like Rebecca Traister, Dahlia Lithwick, Katha Politt, Emily Bazelon and Amanda Fortini plus bloggers like Shakespeare’s Sister and Echidne, who grappled with the reactions to Clinton’s run, including the marginalization of her older female supporters (angry puma alert!) and parsing her female detractors (we get it, MoDo). When Sarah Palin turned gender politics upside down last summer (Mom! Moosehunter! Maverick!), these same women examined their own reactions honestly, and tried to figure out how feminism had become so damn confusing.

Will this improve in 2009? Based on the way Caroline Kennedy was received, not likely (I’m all for vetting, but let’s just say that complaining about wealth and nepotism hasn’t exactly hurt male politicians. I’m lookin’ at you, Basil Paterson’s son). But here’s the good news: Estro-blogging is taking off! Slate’s XX Factor is being spun off into its own site; blog pioneeress Elizabeth Spiers is launching a new women’s site; WoWoWoW has filled a clear niche; and even MommyBlogging is getting new respect. But in the meantime, Hillary Clinton is Secretary of State, Rachel Maddow is in Converse in Vogue…and Sarah Palin is a calendar. So, we’re not quite there yet.