MSNBC's Bernard on Clinton: "She ran as a man"
On the June 9 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, MSNBC political analyst Michelle Bernard said of Sen. Hillary Clinton: "[H]ere's the interesting point. In voting for the Iraq war policy, Mrs. Clinton almost ran -- she ran almost like a Republican, and she really ran like a man. And in the end, it could be said that that's what really did damage to this historic campaign by a woman." Host Chris Matthews asked, "She ran almost like a man?" Bernard replied, "She ran as a man. You would -- most people would expect a male candidate to be the person who was going to vote pro-war -- Iraq war policy and for a female candidate to vote against it. It was absolutely the reverse here, and that's what hurt her in this campaign." Matthews later stated, "I'm not touching this," and asked the San Francisco Chronicle's Phil Bronstein, "[Y]ou want to get in here? He can have a piece of this discussion about what's the appropriate gender role --" Bronstein echoed, "I'm not -- I don't think I'm touching this."
From the June 9 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:
BERNARD: Well, here's what -- here's the interesting point. In voting for the Iraq war policy, Mrs. Clinton almost ran -- she ran almost like a Republican, and she really ran like a man. And in the end, it could be said that that's what really did damage to this historic campaign by a woman.
MATTHEWS: She ran almost like a man?
BERNARD: She ran as a man. You would -- most people would expect a male candidate to be the person who was going to vote pro-war -- Iraq war policy and for a female candidate to vote against it. It was absolutely the reverse here, and that's what hurt her in this campaign.
MARGARET CARLSON (Bloomberg News columnist): And any woman thinks she has to prove that she's as tough as a man --
BERNARD: Yes.
CARLSON: -- and she did that early, and then it turned out to be to her detriment.
MATTHEWS: I'm not touching this. Phil Griffin [sic], you want to get in here? He can have a piece of this discussion about what's the appropriate gender role --
BRONSTEIN: I'm not -- I don't think I'm touching this.
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Why not, Tweety? You trashed Hillary throughout the primaries, right? Why stop now?
Ridiculous. Why should a politician's gender have anything to do with a vote for or against war policy? So, women are soft and squishy and just can't fathom rough and tough issues like war?
Her detriment was that she was not as effective in garnering as much support as her primary opponent, Barack Obama, therefore she lost the primary, fair and square. She has moved on, the party has moved on.
They just love their stereotypes. For once Matthews had the sense to stay out of it.
MATTHEWS: I'm not touching this....
Well why the heck not Chris? Is it because you're burnt out from all your Hillary bashing during the primary season? Or is it that you don't have to continue dumping on her now that she's kaput?
BTW Michele Bernard besides being gorgeous [sorry it's an observation...don't mean to sound sexist or whatever] is a frequent guest & a highly intelligent one. She also seems to have leaned Obama's way most of the time, though I read somewhere she's allegedly a Conservative.
Hillary is tough. But a great many women are & don't need to be compared to men while pointing that out.
I hear ya Bruce. I think I felt compelled to apologize because here I was knocking Matthews for his bashing of Hillary and Matthews is a guy who has often been called out here for mentioning a female is good-looking. I figured someone might get offended by my remark..some get ultra sensitive around here on occasion as we both know....
But you're correct, what the hell am I apologizing for?
Could be my stay here has left me a tad brainwashed? ;-)
Help me Bruce...I need to set things right...I may need a exorcism :-O
Do you hear that?
Listen, hear it?
That is my fricking head banging against the wall!!!
She and Carlson both came down on Clinton constantly no matter what the issue... even if they had to contradict themselves 2 days later.
And lets remember that they actually also bashed her for "running as a woman."
When she spoke at Wellesley and said something about the glass cieling they came down on her for days.
Speaking at a girls college (is it still?) playing the female card, the gender card. aiyeeee.
It never ended.
When she teared up, again, on and on. playing the gender card, the damsel in distress.
When ever Bill (or anyone) defended her it was the same thing.
No matter which way she turned they boxed her in.
And lets not forget that when she was doing an interview a few weeks ago she was asked about gender bias and sexism. She said yes, it was there and the media didn't seem too interested in reporting it which was too bad given some of the vitriolic misogyny that has been ecxpressed.The media reported it as she was blaming sexism in the media for her losing.
huh?
Then they go on and on about why didn't she talk about the historic campaign as a woman, its a little late to be playing the gender card.blahblahblah.
Even Naomi Wolf gets into it and said that yes, there was sexist coverage but clinton shouldn't talk about it.
Be a good little girl Hillary.
Once again my thesis that Hillary cannot win with the punditocracy is proven correct.
Excuse me, going back to bangin my head against the wall.
http://cartoonbox.slate.com/hottopic/?image=364&topicid=131
Behold the uselessness of political punditry. Just words leaking into the air.
I have bony girl arms a la Mr. Burns on the Simpsons.
Of all the preening and self-indulgent pundits and smug talking heads this past season, Margaret Carlson turned out to be in the top rank of mindless and mean Hillary haters. Others pretended to be seriously concerned about all of Senator Clinton's sins; our Maggie approached her character assassinaton duties with an eternal smile of glee at what she was doing.
Bernard, by the way, is indeed a conservative and a very bright one at that. She was a guest so often, though, because she could be counted on to slander Hillary on cue. Now, she will be used a lot because she can fill the "conservative side" and yet be counted on to say nice things about Senator Obama too.
I never understood the venom used against a woman candidate by other women. It wasn't the sexism of Matthews and Olbermann, it was a kind of gender cannibalism that was mostly just really creepy.
CLINTON GOT AMBUSHED BY HER OWN PARTY.IT WAS LIKE CUSTERS LAST STAND . OLD TIME ROYALTY IN THE DEMOCRAT PARTY SETTLING OLD SCORES AND MAKING SURE THEY HAD SOMEONE IN THE WHITEHOUSE THEY COULD CONTROL.COUPLE THAT WITH THE MEDIA ONSLAUGHT AGAINST HER AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO BECAME A FORCE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS AND YOU HAVE THE PERFECT POLITICAL STORM WHICH EVEN THE CLINTONS COULDENT SURVIVE. THAT SAID LOOK AT THE VOTES SHE RECIEVED. I BELIEVE HER TIME IS YET TO COME IF SHE SMOKES THE PEACE PIPE WITH THE PARTY LEADERS. JOE CAPRIO CITYLIFEPRODUCTIONS
I agree with Tommy's earlier post. Why do we have to genderfy votes?
Utterly ridiculous.