Hillary Clinton Mocked and Disrespected

Last week the media was making much ado about former President Bill Clinton defending his wife on the campaign trail. You must have noticed, it was all over every news channel for at least two days. He stated that he has never seen as much disrespect for a Presidential candidate as he has seen for his wife Hillary. He was right of course, but the underlying message I heard from the newscasters was, "Oh come on Bill, get real, she's fair game." Is she, or is it that the world is finally seeing exactly how misogynistic Americans can be? Is it that as a nation we are simply more tolerant of messages of hate when they are directed at a woman than let's say if they were directed at a Black man?

I think that criticism is fair as long as it is truthful and even if it's exaggerated, to a point. What isn't fair is how unbalanced and out of proportion it has gotten this campaign season. Mr. Clinton is correct when he says his wife isn't treated with the respect the others are treated with. She hasn't been since the day Obama won in Iowa. It's a tragedy that in the United States biais against women has reached such a magnitude that a female Presidential Candidate can be mocked from the pulpit of lord knows how many churches. We know of at least one church where twice to our knowledge Hillary Clinton has been hung out to dry by the preacher. It just so happens to be the church candidate Barack Obama has belonged to for twenty years, so those incidents made the news. Once the culprit was Obama's long-time preacher and mentor Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and last Sunday a visiting Catholic priest, Chicago activist Reverend Michael Pfleger, joined the frey. Barack says he is "deeply disappointed." One wonders.

I wondered and thought alot about this as I walked through the airport in Washington, D.C. yesterday. The souvernier shops there are laden with Presidential campaign novelties. T-shirts, bumper stickers, lapel pins are all on display for both political parties. You can get a bumper sticker for John Edwards or Mitt Romney at half price since as is noted on the sign, they are no longer in the running. Out front in a large display at all the shops are the t-shirts for the candidates still in the race, McCain, Obama, and if you look around to the other side you'll find Clinton. Seriously, if you didn't walk around you wouldn't notice her t-shirts, even though half of the people who have voted in the Democratic Primary have voted for her. You will also see McCain and Obama coffee mugs, but none of those for Clinton.

Instead of a coffee mug the Clinton featured novelty is a nutcracker. It's called, The Hillary Nutcracker, and it costs $25. At first glance it appears to be an action figure, like the ones they have in stores featuring superheros. On closer look, it's nothing short of deplorable and out and out disrespectful. But I'm a woman who supports Hillary Clinton so perhaps I am coming from a biaised point of view. Therefore, I invite you to take a look on the official Hillary Nutcracker website (www.hillarynutcracker.com) and judge for yourself. If you can't be bothered, let me walk you through it.

Please make note that in order to enter the site for information one must click the computer mouse between Senator Clintons thighs. The packaging asks the question, "Is America ready for this nutcracker?" It points out that this nutcracker has "stainless steel thighs!" and "cracks toughest nuts!" "The Hillary Nutcracker what did you expect a Teddy Bear?" On the website among other supposed to be humorous quotes from famous politicians is one from Arnold Swartzenegger, "I like a woman with a firm grip." There is a Top Ten Reasons to own a Hillary Nutcracker list. Among the reasons listed: Number 6, Kinda romantic when moonlight glistens off stainless steel thighs; Number 5, Sexy way to exercise wrist; Number 3, gives insight as to Bill's position in a Hillary administration, Number 1, it is Hillaryous.

My sense of humor is intact and some would say even doing quite well, but I fail to see the humor in the nutcracker except at a very base and disrespectful level. Where is the Obama doll with a click between the legs and he lands a punch? Where is the McCain action figure of a similar raucous and demeaning nature? Far as I know, the Clintons haven't complained about the nutcracker, showing once again that they can take a punch perhaps better than most. After all, they have more than enough experience with punches being directed at them. Obama can whine and tell the media to "lay off" about criticism of his wife's stump speech remarks, McCain can lose his temper at a rally goer who criticizes his stance on the issues, but if Bill Clinton says quite matter of factly that his wife the candidate is treated disrespectfully, he is painted by the media and others to be a sore loser. One wonders.

I wondered when I was in the airport if I was being too sensitive about the nutcracker. Perhaps I am too fervent an admirer of Hillary Clinton to be objective. But as I was walking away from the huge display of nutcrackers a man in his late twenties or early thirties said to himself, "This is just horrible." I noticed he had a nutcracker in his hand. "Yes it is," I said to him, stopping in my tracks. "I'm not even a supporter of hers," he answered, picking up a McCain mug. "I hope by the time my daughters are grown, things change in this country."