Hey President-elect Obama: Could you do just one thing, one thing, to show that you understand misogyny?

Although it is offensive, go see this.  Now imagine if anybody high ranking on a prominent politician's staff, took a similar cardboard cut-out of President-Elect Obama and posed that cut-out doing a line of coke, while being depicted as the puppet of his white staff members.  That would be outrageous, racist, and vile. President-elect Obama, known for his cool calm, would himself probably rise above, just as Senator Clinton herself is rising above John Favreau's asinine behavior. When one is the object of evil bigotry, one cannot come to one's own defense. No, your allies or those who object to evil bigotry even if they are not your allies must come to your defense.

Jon Favreau is Senator Obama's chief speechwriter. What words can we expect him to write about women after he not only engages in the sort of boorish, stupid, misogynistic conduct the photo reprinted by the Washington Post depicts? And what can we expect of a President-elect who accepts wordsmithing from somebody who puts a picture of himself engaged in this behavior on his Facebook page?

President-elect Obama: I urge you to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for blatant misogyny. Make it clear that you are severing all ties with Mr. Favreau.

That would be a step toward taking a leaf from Governor Paterson, who has just refused to accept a proposed list of replacements for a vacancy on New York's highest court because the list did not contain a single woman. Good for Governor Paterson.

Comments

[DYB]

I fully expect Jack Cafferty and Campbell Brown to come to women's defense on this! And I expect Keith Olbermann to call Jon Favreau (no relation to the actor/writer/director, I'm sure) "The Worst Person In The World."

[Emma]

Obama will never do anything about this. I'd bet the house on it. He's benefitted far too much from the misogyny leveled at Clinton to stop now. I'm so glad I didn't vote for him.

[CJT]

They're already trying to write this off to the poor judgment of youth. They will do anything to avoid talking about misogyny. Anything.

I am so glad I didn't vote for him. And I took SO MUCH abuse from my fellow Democrats for it--you have no idea (well, maybe you do if you're reading this). Will he be fired? I doubt it. Funny, yesterday I finally got around to framing the cover of Time magazine with Hillary on the cover (The Fighter, from last March) and put it up in my study over my desk. And today I see this. My stomach turned over.

I cannot imagine how he could have the nerve to "reach out" to Clinton, the little pri*k.

[quixote]

Heidi, I love your blog. It's like water in what's become an ocean of kool-aid, and I know that part of that is maintaining a polite and honorable tone.

But, honestly, Obama should stand against misogyny? *Obama*?? Bwaha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

[Kendall Johnson]

Bravo Heidi! The response from Clinton's people was clever, but misses the point. Clinton's brushing it off is being spun to say that she now doesn't care about sexism. I gotta say, her camps response is hard to swallow!

[DYB]

Well, Campbell Brown did have something to say about it. But she had nothing to say to Favreau or Obama. Instead she's bashing Hillary! Brilliant!

Clinton is in a position of having to confront her boss in public. This is really not an issue she can be addressing without seeming defensive because she is the victim here. She'll be accused of "whining." This is something that her surrogates have to take on.

In my view this photograph shows a rape fantasy, pure and simple. One frat boy is holding a woman's head back and shoves beer down her throat. While another frat boy sexually assaults the woman. That's what this photo is and that's how it needs to be treated.

The story is slowly making its way around: CNN just posted it on their home page, separate from Brown's banalities. Fox has talked about it. I want to see some notable politicians come out and speak out against this photo and Favreau, and demand that Favreau be fired. Tick tack tick tack tick tack.

Incidentally, not to condemn an entire school for the actions of few, but this Jon Favreau is the graduate of the same university as Clarence Thomas and Chris Matthews.

[Emma]

The comment about reviewing his application to State was a reminder that Hillary has the power in that situation. He's a little sh_. She's the Secretary of State.

I agree that Hillary can't take the sexism on directly b/c it will be spun as whining. We need to make this and the feminist response to it go viral.

[ainnj]

Posted by: DYB | December 06, 2008 at 11:05 AM

"Clinton is in a position of having to confront her boss in public. This is really not an issue she can be addressing without seeming defensive because she is the victim here. She'll be accused of "whining." This is something that her surrogates have to take on."

Are you kidding me??? If Hillary Clinton cannot take on her "boss" about blatant violent sexism by a "coworker" then how the HELL do you think any other woman in this country can do it? I am ashamed of Hillary Clinton for NOT taking this on and having her spokesperson respond like it's all one big stupid joke. This is appalling behaviour by that nit wit frat boy speechwriter but of course he will be lionized by the rest of the boyz, and by Clinton and her spokespeople. Women cannot allow themselves to be victimized, not for money, not for power and not for fame. She is one of the most powerful women in this country and if she is too afraid to speak up for herself how the hell do we tell our daughers to do speak up? Nope, she is a coward and not a role model.

[fsteele]

I think the Hillary camp's response was perfect. Light, funny -- with truth underneath. He has damaged his career, he lacks judgement for ... any top job.

I wonder if this was from a standard State Department form letter.