Nancy Pelosi agrees that sexism hindered Hillary Clinton

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco never officially chose sides in the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. But most of those reading tea leaves assumed her heart was with the eventual winner.

A clear sign to many came when her longtime friend and ally, Rep. George Miller of the Bay Area, endorsed Obama in early January -- a time when the race was still completely up for grabs. Then, as Obama was winning contest after contest in February, Pelosi began stressing that the party's superdelegates would be ill-advised to overturn the will of primary and caucus voters -- comments widely interpreted as a nod toward the senator from Illinois.

Regardless, Pelosi today gave a nod to the senator from New York, agreeing with the widespread perception among many Clinton supporters that her White House bid was hindered by pervasive sexism.

"Yes, there was sexism," Pelosi said at a Washington breakfast with reporters. But, the Baltimore Sun's Paul West reports, the speaker stopped short of singling out such bias as the main reason for Clinton's candidacy falling by the wayside.

West's full report on Pelosi's comments on this and other political matters can be read here on the Chicago Tribune's Swamp blog.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Gromit]

For the bajillionth time: What examples OF sexism can she cite?

I'm NOT saying there wasn't any. I'm open-minded. But over and over and over, I keep hearing O THE SEXISM, without any concrete examples.

(Hint: Two assclowns with an IRON MY SHIRT sign at rallies do not count as "pervasive sexism.")

[jay]

Sexism is partially the cause. But Hillary being female gave her more votes as well. There have been many surveys showing the new face of racism unknown by the population until now. Manly because we haven't had such a historical election such as this. Many are voting for Obama not based on political agenda but by the color of his skin.

If it were true that the votes were based on his political agenda then he would be getting over his head by now. He running on the old election style of promising everybody everything. We have seen that this doesn't work especially when it comes done to haveing to make a decision. We all can promise and promise and promise but we can't promise everything. Which is the focus of Obama's platform. And, we have already seen some of Obama's true colors come out recently with his campaign monies. This all reminds me of high school voting for student body president. "I promise longer lunchs, less homework,....." but when it comes down to it just doesnt mean a thing.

And I would vote for Obama over Hillary.

[Marks]

This too simple for Clinton to claim sexism or others to agree with that idea. Sexism exists but its not worse than racism.

How about more people didn't want Bill back in the White House. No Clinton dynasty. It hasn't gone well with Bush Father and son.

Sexism claim leads to those contrived ideals that Hillary was entitled. She had to win the nomination but lost. Obama came out of nowhere and she had that lifetime of experience.

Something was lost in translation to voters, but the fact remained. Bill would return in some capacity back to the White House and her last name is Clinton, not Rodham.

Bill's odd actions and statements during the campaign reaffirmed the idea, he shouldn't get anywhere near the White House again.

[N.E. BodybutHillary]

The lies and deceit from the Clinton campaign far overshadowed any perceived sexism. Tp paraphrase Bill Clinton," They played the gender card!"

[anonymous]

Marks:

Bullseye! Clinton is the part we detest, not the Hillary. She did, by the way, support his lying, cheating and stealing. Remember when she had to apologize for her "stand by your man" comment? She should have taken that one to heart.

[Mitchell Aboulafia]

I know that for the sake of the future, that is, making sure McCain does not win, we shouldn’t be overly critical of Hillary at this point. But while any sexism that she might have faced is clearly unacceptable,let’s not forget that she was prepared to divide feminists. She presented herself as the embodiment of feminism, so much so that those who did not support her were seen as somehow undermining the cause.

“Hillary is NOW Damaging Feminism”
http://msa4.wordpress.com/page/3/

[Lynn Saunders]

Playing the "gender card" is as old, tired & worn out as playing the "race card".
Senator Clinton, you looked great on camera, you spoke well, delivered your speeches passionately, but for some reason there are more screwballs in the woods who want Obama as a candidate. Go figure. You haven't figured it out that Bill is your biggest liability...America has had enough of his car salesman personality - no offense to car-salesmen-but the Clinton pact is broken - through - done.. The HILLARY part would have been OK for some; but the CLINTON part was more than one could take!
The worst part is to think that Obama would make it to be our president! Considering the vast population; is he the best we can do? With all of the negatives that we've observed about he AND his vicious wife (who we aren't voting for anyway) Obama is still given a free ride on the networks. He is -IMHO-the most dangerous man in the USA.
.

[Portia Elizabeth]

My mistake. I thought this was where we comment on Nancy Pelosi. Why are the Clintons still vilified? Isn't it enough that she was forced to withdraw from the primaries? Are you so afraid of her that you must continue to try to beat her down? If you want examples of the rampant sexism, go to YouTube and look up a little snip called "Mad as Hell" by Shut the Freud Up. It's only a few minutes of what's been out there all this primary season. If you watch it, you'll understand why so many are so mad and are NOT just going to "get over it". Nancy Pelosi's botox has gone to her brain. She should be given no credibility. Unless, of course, you want a good joke.

[Portia Elizabeth]

My mistake. I thought this was where we comment on Nancy Pelosi. Why are the Clintons still vilified? Isn't it enough that she was forced to withdraw from the primaries? Are you so afraid of her that you must continue to try to beat her down? If you want examples of the rampant sexism, go to YouTube and look up a little snip called "Mad as Hell" by Shut the Freud Up. It's only a few minutes of what's been out there all this primary season. If you watch it, you'll understand why so many are so mad and are NOT just going to "get over it". Nancy Pelosi's botox has gone to her brain. She should be given no credibility. Unless, of course, you want a good joke.

[Democrats 08]

Oh shut up Nancy, you've done nothing for America and the Democrats don't need your stupid opinions. Fire Nancy, give Hillary VP and impeach Bush.

[bryan@soapblox.com]

Nancy coming out now and saying this is useless to the Democratic cause. What a terrible move for a party leader to do. Maybe it's time we replace Pelosi with a more effective leader.

Sure there was sexism in the campaign, just as there was rampant racism, often perpetrated by Hillary's own camp (remember the picture of Obama dressed in Kenyan Muslim garb taken from a diplomatic ceremony). I felt the racism was far stronger than any sexism that might have gone on. In fact as Hillary won many of the white male voters, it's fair to say that it didn't really hinder her at all. The race was divided more along racial, age and geographic lines, all of which Hillary exploited.

Hillary was beaten fair and square, even though she did NOT fight fair. It's time to move on and put this behind us. The really enemy is John McCain and the Republican goon squad, who seek to overturn a woman's right to choose, pack the courts with conservative corporatist shills and hand out tax-cuts to the same rich elite in the good 'ol boys club, who are really the last bastion of sexism in the first place.

[Girl with the bushy armpits]

Who cares what Pelosi thinks or garbles out? She is a
poor misguided leftist rabble-rouser set on homosexual
marriage and the ACLU agenda. How natural for her to
have favoured the friend of the Rezko,Ayers,Wright and
that poor excuse for a governor Judas Richardson . How
many Hanoi Janes do we need ?

[BJ]

Pelosi finally admits there was sexism? When charges were levelled during the primary, she kept denying it.

Too little too late Ms. Pelosi... we already told you, you would not be getting our support when you come up for re-election.

[BuddhistObamafan]

OH PLEASE!

Hillary lost to a BLACK MAN, and she thinks she was discriminated against!? LOL!!!!

[Bob S]

Queen Bee Nancy Pelosi had a problem with Hillary from the start. If Hillary became president, she would be the most powerful woman politician, clearly taking away Pelosi's claim to fame. No one who perceives herself as being the Queen Bee willingly gives up her thrown.

[bruce becker]

40% of the population admits that they are both sexist and racist.

58% of those who support McCain say that sometimes they are racist in their attitudes.

Just get online for 10 minutes and you can smell the stench of bigotry and bias.

[bruce becker]

Feminists made Clinton's run possible, as far as it went.
You could see it in the last weeks of the online bloggers as they went hysterical.

More interesting to me, were the women who had become 'fans' of the First Lady and whose love affair with the First Lady had nothing to do with comprehension of the issues nor HRC's positions on issues.

The First Lady's run was not based on a strong foundation.
Her main premise was to take the center and she avoided standing up for the Constitution, like it was the plague.
If she had spoken up for habeas corpus, she would be the nominee, right now.
But she didnt. We were spared an empty vessel, filled only with ambition and no courage, truly.

[Lynn]

Pelosi was part of the problem and still is. Hillary shouldn't have to pander to those like Pelosi. Pelosi is gross and wanted her own status as a female kept high. I hope the Clintons can shake off this debt and get back to living their lives soon. I'm not sure they are going survive campaigning for Barack Obama anyway. Words with choke in my mouth if I had to and he definitely won't get any of my money for his campaign. He can live off of Ethanol if he wants to.

[Monique from NC]

Duh? Nancy - too little too late. I have retreated from the whole mess since the nomination was decided by the DNC. My rose colored glasses have been taken off.

[gaypastor]

Way too late....and way too little Pelosi. And you call yourself an American Woman who represents us!? And for those of you who STILL don't think there was really sexism surrounding Hillary's campaign...stop and look at the facts....the INCREDIBLY long list of facts. Visit www.womenamericans.com/sexismhillary.htm

[Mel]

Didn't Pelosi weigh in on calling for Hillary to give up her campaign? I know Maureen Dowd did back in April. Who the hell is she to start spouting sexism when they didn't even support "their own" candidate (not that I subscribe to identify politics).

Pelosi is the epitome of shameless opportunism and being a victim. It's a real shame she's in the power position she is, one of ineffectual accomplishment.

[tlsmith1963]

Sexism didn't determine my decision not to support Hillary. I am also female. I just didn't like the way she ran her campaign. It was too much like a GWB campaign. When she sneered at the Obama supporters' desire for change, it really turned me off. So no sexism here.

[soupyet]

Mitchell Aboulafia: It is really funny when a man named Mitchell wants to tell us who is damaging feminism. Sweetie, for your information, the woman named Pelosi that back stabbed the most qualified candidate, a woman, in favor of another much less qualified and most will say completely unqualified man, Obama................is the woman that is doing damage to femisim....her name is PELOSI. Get a grip.

McCAIN 2008 and HILLARY 2012

[Kimberly Forbes]

Is it just me or is anyone else upset about the cries of sexism?! I used to be a Hillary supporter. Now, of course, I am supporting Obama. I have been watching these elections very closely for a long time. I am truly disappointed in Hillary Clinton who now appears to be playing the victim and implying that she was hindered by sexism.

I am a divorced mother of four sons. I've been divorced and working as a single mom for over 17 years. I have struggled always, but also always believed I could do whatever I set my mind to. I've raised four sons who've grown into fine men and they truly respect women and women's rights because of my example and beliefs.

What I am confused about is how can Hillary boast the "18 million" cracks in the ceiling, boast about all the millions of people who voted for her without acknowledging that being a woman was a part of that success? Not only a part of it, but a good, influential part of it. In order to take pride in her accomplishment she has to acknowledge that many of her supporters supported her precisely because she is a woman! Being a woman was an asset in so many ways... !! How can she take credit for the accomplishment and then cry sexism! She got where she did through hard work and also because she is a woman, not inspite of being a woman. I am very upset with all the traction that the sexism charge is getting and upset with the women who are perpetuating it. I am not the only one who sees this as twisted. Now, we hear that President Clinton is "miffed"?!! Stating that he felt Obama ran an anti-Clinton campaign?! Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the Clinton campaign also at some point run an anti-Obama campaign?!! I had one Hillary supporter say to me yesterday, "How can we make them stop? This is so embarrassing!" I think the most dramatic statement that I've heard from many women Clinton supporters is that her cries of sexism are setting us back many, many years.

Barack Obama won this primary because he ran a better campaign - not because he is a man and she is a woman. He has had much higher obstacles to overcome than she did. I just wish she would really be a shining example for women and say, "He won and he deserved to win." It's time to stop focusing on her failed campaign and let the light shine fully on the historical place that we are sharing NOW as a country. The process worked exactly the way it was supposed to - fairly and according to party rules. She succeeded in a big way and should be proud - proud completely and fully without adding the... BUT BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN.... That takes away from what she has accomplished and leaves us all with a very different taste in our mouths.

I hope this sentiment gets up the ranks to Hillary. I know she has always cared about what her supporters have to say - I hope she will take this with the respect that it is offered and consider the things that she can say to bring her success into the best possible context for history. She will go down in the history books I have no doubt - does she really want the tag line to be that she went down crying foul? I'd much rather she be standing tall telling the young women in our country that it's great to be a woman - no ifs, ands, or BUTS about it.

PS. I am also upset that she keeps saying she won the popular vote, when we all know Michigan doesn't count (or so she said....)

If the situation were reversed - what would she be saying I wonder....

[soupyet]

Women are their own worst enemy. They fail to realize that if they are going to back stab the woman they are clearly jealous of then they themselves are set back too, or at least their daughters are. Ladies we need to wake up. Nancy Pelosi hurt equal rights for women during this campaign. VOTE OUT PELOSI.