Hillary Clinton has a long history of using gender politics for political gain, always aided by Clinton chief strategist Mark J. Penn .
Sen. Clinton resorted to gender politics occasionally in 2007 during her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. But until the first week of January 2008, the gender card yielded no traction for the Clintons.
But all that changed with the New Hampshire primary. As the London Times observes on January 10, 2008:
"... there is little doubt that she has used her gender to counter Mr Obama’s message of change... "
Hillary to Katie Couric: Obama and Edwards in "Buddy system"
In an interview on January 9, 2008 with Katie Couric of CBS News, Sen. Hillary Clinton, smoothly recounting her much-televised teary moment on a New Hampshire campaign stop, invoked the girl-as-victim gender card:
"Well, you know, one of my young friends said well, that was like Hillary unplugged... This is the toughest job in the world. I was laughing because you know in that debate, obviously Sen. Edwards and Sen. Obama were kind of in the buddy system on the stage."
Never mind that her slick political soulmate, husband Bill Clinton, engaged in all flavors of public name-calling, whining, sneering and bullying in New Hampshire to denigrate his wife's opponents.
Of course, this isn't the first time during the presidential campaign that Sen. Clinton complained about the boys ganging up on her.
Several days after her disastrous debate on October 30, 2007, Sen. Clinton orated to students at her women-only alma mater, Wellesley College:
"In so many ways, this all-women's college prepared me to compete in the all-boys club of presidential politics."(For more details, see Obama vs. Clinton: Badly Playing the Gender Victimhood Card.)
Girlie Treatment, Gender Victimhood in Debates
And don't forget the Clinton-friendly CNN debate on November 15, 2007 which ended with the cute girlie "diamond or pearls" question posed only to Hillary Clinton. The world later learned that the question had been pre-planned and planted. (See Obama vs. Clinton: Clinton Stumbles Due to Failings, Press Pummeling.)
And then there was Hillary's coy confession during the New Hampshire debate on January 5, 2008 that she get "her feelings hurt" during the debate, followed by suitably downcast eyes and "... but I'll get over it."
Chelsea Clinton openly giggled from the audience at her mother's campy confession, as did I... honestly thinking it was a clumsy try at a corny joke.
Gender Victimhood in Clinton's 2000 Senate Race
We've seen this before in Hillary Clinton campaigns.
Explained the New York Times on November 12, 2000 in It Took a Woman; How Gender Helped Elect Hillary Clinton during her first run for the Senate in 2000:
"Mrs. Clinton benefited most famously during the first of three debates when Mr. Lazio strode over to her side of the stage, waved a paper in her face and demanded she sign it to disavow the use of soft money in her campaign."
Mr. Lazio's actions were later pronounced to be ... "almost like a physical assault. It's a huge turnoff to women." BINGO. The gender victimhood card.
In 2000, both Clinton chief strategist Mark Penn and feminist Gloria Steinem defended Mrs. Clinton's use of gender-based campaign tactics... as they both did again this past week, eight years later.
As New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote two months ago in The Gift of Gall:
"If the gender game worked when Rick Lazio muscled into her space, why shouldn’t it work when Obama and Edwards muster some mettle? If she could become a senator by playing the victim after Monica, surely she can become president by playing the victim now."
Tears in New Hampshire
Then came the infamous tears while cameras were whirring on January 7, 2008, one day before the New Hampshire primary. And finally... FINALLY... the gender card got traction in the 2008 race for the White House.
And sympathetic New Hampshire women over 40 years old defied the pundits, and rushed to the polls in untold droves to vote for their trampled, tired sister.
Were the tears real? Was the moment spontaneous and genuine? Or was it just one more slick Clintonian gender-card trick?
Here's what we know for fact about Hillary Clinton's teary moment, dubbed by the New York Times as the Show of Emotion Heard 'Round the Presidential Campaign World:
- It occurred at the end of a couple tough days and after a rough loss in Iowa, when she was understandably tired.
- It occurred early enough to catch the last daily news cycle before the election.
- It occurred merely two days after she garnered much media praise for her vulnerable "I got my feelings hurt" debate comment.
- It occurred when she looked absolutely great... fresh, together, smart, pretty.
- It occurred when news cameras were rolling.
- It occurred at the most politically expedient moment possible for the Clintons.
- It occurred despite her lifelong reticence to public displays of her private emotions.
Truthfully, I don't know. Only the Clintons and their advisors know for certain. Reports the London Times on January 10 2008:
"Mrs Clinton played down claims that her tearful appearance in a Portsmouth coffee shop on Monday had been the catalyst for the turnaround in a contest that Mr Obama had expected to win easily..."But there is little doubt that she has used her gender to counter Mr Obama’s message of change... "
And Washington Post pundit Robert Novak commented:
"... only the naive can believe Clinton was not artfully playing for sympathy from her sisters. It worked."
Americans on Hillary's Teary Moment in New Hampshire
One thing I do know: Hillary Clinton's well-timed, and well-deserved tears have inspired thousands upon thousands of varying opinions among Americans that run the gamut.
For your perusal and consideration, the following is a mere sampling:
From the Chicago Tribune blog post, Did Clinton's Emotional Show Help or Hurt in NH?:
- " I actually felt some sympathy for her. Unfortunately, the past 15 years of creating the necessary political facade that she has crafted means that even when you are genuine, you run the risk of being accused of staging genuine moments.
"I feel badly that both Sen. Clinton, the rest of the politcians, the public and the media have brought us to this." --- Bill S.
- "Hillary is a faker. Anyone who has a brain knows that her 'crying' scene was completely fabricated.
" All the media could talk about was how Hillary needed to provoke emotion and connect with voters like Obama does and so she did it. America (especially women) was just dumb enough to fall for it." --- Jessica
- "She didn't cry publicly when her husband cheated on her. Hasn't cried publicly out of regret that her Iraq war votes have aided in the unecessary killing of thousands of American soldiers and the mortgaging of this country's future.
"And now she cries because things aren't going her way in an election? And this somehow HELPS her? Man... some people are dumb. " --- crafty b.
- "Somehow women arent supposed to show emotion when they are in power. Then when they don't they are considered cold. I give that woman credit.
"She's fighting a battle that none of us here are smart enough to do. She gets my vote and it has nothing to do with her showing emotion. I hate to see how you all act when a love one or family member gets emotional." --- Marc
- "I think it’s a sad day when a person can and will cry to gain votes. There is no crying in politics!
"And what does that say about Hillary when she has a meet with presidents, high-ranking officials and diplomats that do not agree with her. Is she going to cry! I lost a lot of respect for her!" --- Rick
- "Maybe HRC is on to something - she can turn the presidential campaign into a year-long chick flick." --- KXB
- "Honestly, Hillary is damned if she acts like a man, with stiff upper lip and damned if she displays some feminine emotion. Give the woman a break. If you want to judge her, push aside your prejudices and judge her objectively." --- the truth
And the final word goes to Marko:
"Why didn't she cry for fallen soldiers in Iraq, the homeless, or Katrina victims? It's always about her."
For more comments, I suggest the 1,100+ comments, both pro and con, at this DailyKos blog post, and this supportive post, How Hillary Beat the System at top liberal community blog, MyDD.
(Photo credits: #1 - David Lieneman/Getty Images; #2 - Joe Raedle/Getty Images; #3 - Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
Related Reading
What's Next after Seniors, Older White Women Lift Clinton to N.H. Victory?
New York Times, Nov 12, 2000: The Election: It Took a Woman; How Gender Helped Elect Hillary Clinton
New York Times Op-Ed by Gail Collins, Jan 10, 2008: Hillary’s Free Pass
New York Times Op-Ed by Maureen Dowd, Jan 9, 2007: Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House?
Comments
i don’t get what about the buddy system inherently implies “boys club.” they were clearly buddying up, and knowing the candidates, i doubt it had anything to do with her being a woman. and i seriously doubt hillary thinks it has anything to do with that. is it the word buddy? does that mean that i need to stop referring to female friends as my buddies?
hillary’s not an actress. reference that awful video spoof of the sopranos. she’s a terrible actor. that unscripted moment was genuine, as are all her unscripted moments. it’s one of the things that makes hillary such an exceptional candidate–that she is so effective even when she has no script.
maybe i’m missing something, but i’ve never heard her pull the gender card. she’s a woman, the first capable one running for an office that’s historically dominated by men. american politics is historically dominated by men. not acknowledging that, not acknowledging that she’s on the threshhold of breaking “the ultimate glass ceiling” would be absurd.
now, bill clinton’s sloppy phrasing is another issue. he’s not always so stellar unscripted.
In your article, you keep quoting the London Times as if they have the crystal ball into Hillary Clinton’s mind.
Do you honestly believe that “that emotional moment” when Hillary Clinton was asked a question by a woman (who didn’t vote for her by the way at the end of the day) was the major determinant in her winning New Hampshire??
Some people may not like the Clintons for reasons best known to them,but let’s please be honest with ourselves and stop making fickle excuses and accept the fact that Hillary Clinton won fair and square through resolute grit and determination.
What else can Hillary do, run on her sh!tty record of war wongering and blaming. The reason she and Bill can spout of so many pop psycholgy cliches is they’ve obviously looked for self-help. It hasn’t worked. They are still the loathsome, pathological creatures they’ve always been.
I think the “emotional moment” has been way overblown. Regardless of whether the candidate had tears in her eyes, the media jumps on it like she broke down and sobbed. Really, has everyone reviewed this footage? I’m very willing to bet that this was an empathetic ploy. I’m also ready to accuse the media in return of casting the gender-victim card over Hillary, regardless of her intentions. Should a male candidate slow down and speak empathetically, personally, would we consider it such a gendered action?
You know, if you are going to use quotes from the the flighty, green-eyed, ridicutous Maureen Dowd I don’t know if your column is worth my time. How do you or anyone else know that Hillary didn’t cry over Bill infidelities and Iraq. Besides, she did not cry a single tear in NH, so why are you buying this sexist line from the male dominated press. I expected better from you.
Another thing, your glowing praise of Obama’s Iowa speech does not mention that he read it from a teleprompter, ala George Bush. Are they really his words or were they written for him? He is the only candidate that Blitzer of CNN says he has ever seen use a teleprompter at the speech on the evening of a primary.