Sarah Palin, Newsweek, and Sexism

Very interesting thread happening over at Eugene Cho’s blog about the controversial Newsweek cover featuring Sarah Palin. I even shared my two cents over there. I’m not a huge Palin fan, but I do question Newsweek’s judgment in using that image. Would love to hear what you think.

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Does the Sexism Card Trump the Race Card?

I don’t want to get too partisan here, but most of you have probably figured out I lean toward Obama in the current presidential race. I realize that many will immediately think I support him because he’s black, and there might be some deep psychosocial truth to that. But, honestly, my main interest in him has more to do with the spirit of racial and cultural reconciliation that I detect in his message and manner—this was also a chief reason why I voted for George W. Bush in 2000. Nevertheless, I really don’t want to promote one candidate over another on this blog. When I talk about Obama here, it’s usually because of the social and religious questions that his candidacy highlights and stirs up.

We touched on this latest question in an earlier post, and I had no intention of pursuing it any further, but it’s been on my mind a lot the past couple days. So, here it is: In American politics and society, is it more acceptable to play the gender card (especially when the alleged victim of the sexism is white) than the race card? I ask this question sincerely and without guile. I really would like to know.

I could ramble on at length about how one side seems to be able to get away with crying “sexism” and “you’re playing the race card” whenever they want, while the other side seems scared to death to even mention the word race (even in the wake of cynical comments about “community organizers” and “uppity” behavior), but I’ll save that for later. However, I will excerpt from a reader comment on TheRoot.com that made me wonder about this question. The comment was in response to an article that contends Obama is playing too nice and needs to start getting as mean as his opponent. The reader cautioned against this, saying:

A snide remark from a Black mouth is not digested the same as a snide remark from a White mouth. Obama is not stupid. He is a Black man in America who understands how the game is played. And if he starts meeting barb for barb, we will all surely lose, hands-down! I have been tempted to question his tactics as well…it’s hard, but in the end, it will be worth it. Meanwhile, I’m praying.

What do you think? Is Obama constrained by his race—and perhaps, now, by his gender—from getting too down and dirty in this presidential contest?

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GOP Leader: Beware the ‘Bubba Vote’

So sorry that I’m still stuck on the issue of politics; we do talk about other stuff here. But, hey, it’s an election year, right?

This week, questions of sexism and gender roles have come to the forefront with the nomination of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as the GOP vice presidential candidate. But this USA Today interview with former Republican lawmaker Dick Armey about how Barack Obama’s chances of being elected president are most threatened by “the Bubba vote” (i.e., white working-class voters often from rural areas) got me to thinking about the racial dynamic again. Here’s a quote from Armey:

“The Bubba vote is there, and it’s very real, and it is everywhere. There’s an awful lot of people in America, bless their heart, who simply are not emotionally prepared to vote for a black man.” 

Later Armey suggests that there probably will not be an equivalent sexist backlash against a female candidate on the GOP ticket. From the article:

On the other hand, Armey said, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s name on the GOP ticket should not produce much of an anti-woman vote. “We’re very far down that path,” he said. “We’re not as far down the racial equality path.”

Armey seemed to be doing an incisive social commentary, as well as proudly proclaiming why his party would triumph this November. What do you think of his statements?

Related Article: This is an interesting Washington Post piece on a similar topic, and perhaps one of the reasons I feel so depressed and alienated as I watch the RNC on television.

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