Matt Damon and Sarah Palin

I've written on sexism and politics with regard to Hilary Clinton. Now, I'm addressing the subject as it relates to Sarah Palin. I find this article rather disturbing:

Matt Damon: Sarah Palin Presidency Would Be Like a 'Really Bad Disney Movie'
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Actor Matt Damon said a Sarah Palin presidency would be like "a really bad
Disney movie.""I think there's a really good chance Sarah Palin could become
president, and I think that's a really scary thing," he told the Associated
Press, referring to the Republican vice presidential nominee.

Click here to see the Damon video

Damon suggested the odds are John McCain won't survive his first term."It's
like a really bad Disney movie," he said. "The hockey mom, you know, 'Oh, I'm
just a hockey mom'... and she's facing down [Russian] President Putin... It's
totally absurd... It's a really terrifying possibility."

Damon also said he believes she was chosen for "political purposes."

Last month, the actor told Conde Nast Traveler he fears putting his foot in
his mouth.

"For a lot of actors, our biggest fear is that we're going to start talking
about things we don't fully understand and sound like idiots," he said. "In the
long run, I'll do much more good if, when I open my mouth, I have something
worth saying."

Talk about putting his foot in his mouth! His statement implies that he thinks that because she's a "hockey mom," she can't handle herself in international politics. It's a sexist statement, but it probably reflects the thoughts of many regarding women in prominent positions. In my practice, I've been suprised at how often I encounter clients who think that a male attorney will be able to negotiate better with a tough defense attorney. These generalizations are incredibly sexist and flat out wrong. A hockey mom can be a strong person capable of handling herself in an international arena. If you decide to vote against her because you disagree with her politics, that's fine. However, if you decide to vote against her because you think that a "hockey mom" generally is not capable of handling herself in the office of President or Vice-President, then that is just sad. A hockey mom can be a strong and intelligent person who happens also to be a wife and a mother. Being a wife and a mother of kids who play sports should not disqualify a person from holding public office. The ability of a person should perform a job should depend on her strengths, training, experience, and personality and not on her sex. I once thought that we were past this issue, but my experience has taught me otherwise. GRRR!

Sexism and Politics

I read an article today that really made me think.

Is There Really a Bias Against Women in Politics?
Are women really discriminated against in politics? Sen. Hillary Clinton surely thinks so. But history suggests otherwise.

Indeed, she believes this year's presidential campaign has shown that sexism limits women's influence in politics. She claimed last week that "every poll I've seen shows more people would be reluctant to vote for a woman [than] to vote for an African American."

It's possible that Democrats are particularly sexist, but with women making up the majority of voters, one would think that politicians were ignoring women at their own peril.

In 2004, women made up 54 percent of voters. At least through early February of this year, women made up a much greater share of Democrat primary voters — accounting for between 57 and 61 percent of the vote in primaries and caucuses.
But whatever difficulties Clinton might be having, it seems that the policies adopted are much more important than who puts them into action, and the evidence indicates that women have long gotten their way. . . .

Read more here.

While the article had some incredibly compelling points regarding women's suffrage and political leanings, I don't think it really addressed whether there's really a bias against women in politics. While he addressed a number of issues, his argument boiled down to the fact that over 50% of voters in the U.S. are female, so there's no discrimination against women in politics. The author, a man, failed to appreciate, however, that many women are also sexist.

Until recently, I've never experienced career-related adversity because of my sex. The fact that I was female didn't matter in my education. I didn't feel that my sex mattered in my short stint in the corporate world. In my current job, nevertheless, my sex has really mattered, not to my employer or supervisors, but to my clients. As a plaintiff's attorney, I represent individuals, and a surprising number of individuals are sexist. I never dreamed that I'd actually have a client refuse to permit me or another female attorney defend him during a deposition. He would only permit the male attorney (who has half as much experience as the other female attorney I work with) defend him because he didn't think that a woman could do as good of a job. I've encountered a client who was unhappy with her offer from the insurance company and wanted her case transferred to a man because she thought a man could get her a better offer. That's just the tip of the iceberg. These people, both men and women, for some reason think that a man will better represent them in their lawsuits. These people are also voters. I imagine that if they don't want a female attorney, they won't vote for a female politician.

In my limited experience as an attorney, I've learned that sexism is alive and well. Further, it is not just men who are sexist, women do not trust their own sex to represent their interests well. For some reason, these women think that a man can do a better job in the legal, political, and business world than a woman can. Perhaps we all are a little sexist. How many of us think that a man can run a household or clean as well as a woman can? What sexist tendencies do we all harbor without even realizing it?