Christine O'Donnell thrust into pit of identity politics: We're crying sexism where it doesn't exist

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/09/22/2010-09-22_christine_odonnell_thrust_into_pit_of_identity_politics_were_crying_sexism_where.html

O'Donnell thrust into pit of identity politics: We're crying sexism where it doesn't exist

SE Cupp

Back in 2008, when Sarah Palin first exploded onto the national stage, I wrote a column in this space answering allegations that she was just a cheap attempt by the GOP at winning women over. To do this, I asked that readers pretend her name were not Sarah, but Sam.

It was an exercise in reversing the identity politics that many of her detractors were using to dismiss her as incompetent. She was, to me, a wholly acceptable and, in fact, laudable vice presidential pick - but not because she was a woman. Of course, if her name were Sam, the idea of a popular governor, former city councilman and mayor running for higher office wouldn't be much of a scandal. For me, her anatomy had nothing to do with her successes; however, for her critics, it had everything to do with her perceived failures.

Now another woman has been thrust into the fiery pit of crass identity politics, and Christine O'Donnell, the Republican nominee for senator from Delaware, is being slammed from all sides for her record, her values and her questionable electability.

But something else is happening - or isn't happening. Perhaps, post-Palin, conservatives are hypersensitive to the kind of rank sexism that she endured and continues to endure, but we're now crying sexism where it simply doesn't exist.

Leading up to her surprising primary win against Rep. Mike Castle, nervous GOPers and decidedly honest analysts - Karl Rove, even - questioned whether or not she had the stuff to go all the way. And as crude as that may sound, an ability to go all the way is important when you're picking candidates. An ability to go all the way is kind of all that matters.

Otherwise, elections are merely theater - self-indulgent passion plays staged every now and then to showcase principled stands and symbolic gestures. See Ralph Nader, Ron Paul and Al Sharpton. Symbolism is what the arts are for. Elections, on the other hand, have pragmatic and meaningful consequences. And O'Donnell's critics know this.

They know, for example, that if her name were Christopher instead of Christine, allegations of campaign fraud, theft of services at a nonprofit and lying about her education would make her a very problematic candidate, even if all proven untrue in the end.

When Rove said that "This is not a race we're going to win," he was being nothing but honest and pragmatic. But for some of O'Donnell's fans, like radio host Jeri Thompson - who bashed the "political elites" for questioning O'Donnell when they "stood by their men" - such criticisms amount to sexism. The New Agenda's Anna Belle Pfau seems to like O'Donnell primarily because "Delaware has never elected a female senator," and suggests she is "being targeted because of her gender."

No, she's being "targeted" because she has a cargo hull full of baggage that includes a lack of political experience and a questionable relationship with the truth. It's the kind of baggage that conservatives used against Barack Obama - Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, etc. - when he first catapulted onto the national stage.

Moreover, it's the kind of baggage that conservatives have used against other conservative candidates in the past few years, questioning at varying times the electability of, among others, Rand Paul, J.D. Hayworth - and even Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee.

Maybe  O'Donnell will get elected. Beating Castle was no small feat, after all. But conservatives who throw the "sexism" charge around to scare off scrutiny are doing considerable damage to the cause. And by cause I don't mean women's rights, I mean political self-interest. It's not in our best interest to act like liberals, who use racism and virtually every other "ism" to ward off opposition and silence debate.

And when genuine sexism occurs, it is self-evident, and thus requires no real effort to illuminate. The sexist attacks on  Palin - a despicable Newsweek cover of the governor in running shorts, the comedian Sandra Bernhard warning that Palin would be gang-raped, Gloria Steinem saying she's the "wrong woman" for the job - were genuine and disturbing, and revealed the hypocrisy of the far-left feminists who find themselves increasingly irrelevant.

O'Donnell is running for office. And good for her. But criticism and skepticism come with the territory, and ducking out of interviews with Fox News or any other major news outlet looks weak and, frankly, guilty. Someone should tell her that if she can't stand the heat, she'd better get out of the kitchen.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/09/22/2010-09-22_christine_odonnell_thrust_into_pit_of_identity_politics_were_crying_sexism_where.html?page=1#ixzz12pEWlZcX


Thom
http://thomwade.wordpress.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/Thomwade
http://www.in-one-ear.com
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"I have seen the future brother: It is murder."~Leonard Cohen

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