Maureen Dowd -- Who Once Termed Hillary Clinton “The Manliest Candidate” -- Claims “Her Campaign Cries Sexism Too Often”

Written by Matt Gertz

Published

Dowd ClintonNew York Times columnist Maureen Dowd claimed that while “sexism does swirl around” Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, her “campaign cries sexism too often.” Dowd has a long history of sexist attacks on Clinton, including writing three weeks ago that the former secretary of state ran “as a man” in 2008 but “is now running as a woman.” 

Dowd wrote in her February 6 column (emphasis added):

Hillary is like a veteran actor who doesn't audition well. Bill could tell her not to shout her way through rallies, that it doesn't convey passion but just seems forced, adding to her authenticity problem. Her allies think mentioning her shouting is sexist, and sexism does swirl around Hillary, but her campaign cries sexism too often. In 2008, Barack Obama used race sparingly.

Clinton faced rampant sexism from the press during her 2008 campaign, a pattern that re-emerged during the first week of February when a series of pundits attacked her “shrieking” tone of voice during a speech.

Dowd herself frequently uses her platform at the Times to levy gender-based attacks on Clinton. In decades of columns dating back to November 1993, she has:

  • Spent much of the 2008 presidential primary campaign characterizing Clinton as excessively masculine; she called Clinton “The Man,” described her political message as “man-tailored with a dash of pink femininity,” and claimed Clinton was “the manliest candidate among the Democrats.”
  • During the 2016 presidential primary campaign switched to attacking Clinton for being excessively feminine, claiming that she was “running as a woman” when she “should have run as a man” like she supposedly did in 2008.
  • Attacked Clinton alternatively for being “Mommie Dearest,” “a manly girl,” the “senator from Stepford,” and a “debate dominatrix.”
  • Compared Clinton to a variety of violent or mentally unstable fictional female characters, including Sybil (a movie character with multiple personality disorder) and the 50 Foot Woman.
  • Written 37 columns accusing Clinton of betraying feminism, including claiming that she “was unmasked as a counterfeit feminist after she let her man step all over her.”