Gloria Steinem on Sarah Palin

In the Los Angeles Times, feminist icon Gloria Steinmen writes:

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

Oh yeah.

The Wife Issue: Hillary Clinton & the elephant in the room

By Diane Silver

Gloria Steinem had a terrific op-ed in the New York Times this morning. Steinem argued that Hillary Clinton is struggling because women still face a glass ceiling, particularly in seeking the presidency. As I have many times in the past, I agreed wholeheartedly with Steinem's ideas. And yet, I still find myself leaning farther and farther away from supporting Hillary.

It's not, as Steinem implied, because I'm too young to understand sexism. I'm 55 and well aware of the obstacles we face for no other reason than the fact that we're female. As Steinem noted, women tend to get more radical as they get older. I've certainly seen myself do that. And to be clear: My anti-Hillary lean is not born of an unconscious feeling that a woman can't be a good president.

No, what's bothered me from the beginning of Hillary's campaign is actually a very feminist idea. It's what feels like an elephant -- a non-Republican elephant -- in the room that all of us feminists are too frightened to name.

The core problem for me is not that Hillary is running as a woman, but that she's running as a wife.

Is Hillary's campaign nothing more than a return to the past where a woman couldn't achieve on her own? In those bad old days, in fact, one of the only ways a female could get elected was to take over for a dead husband when he died in office.

While Bill is still very much alive and kicking, no one can deny that Hillary won her name recognition and launched her own political career by being First Lady. One of her main campaign themes is her experience. As part of that experience, she points to her eight years as somebody's wife.

As a feminist, I'm frankly insulted by the idea that Hillary is a viable candidate for president simply because she was the right man's wife. I am even more angered by the fact that at one time her marital status seemed to put her at the front of the pack.

I know that Hillary has achieved much on her own. I honor her for that. But I don't see it as a feminist breakthrough for Hillary to win, and I'm tired of people telling me that it is.