President Barack Obama predicted that Hillary Clinton’s detractors will use sexist tropes to try to undermine her legitimacy if she wins the election.
“If and when Hillary is president, what do you think will be the female equivalent of ‘you weren’t born in this country?'” Samantha Bee, host of TBS’ “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” asked Obama.
“That’s an interesting question,” Obama mused, adding, “I think the equivalent will be, ‘She’s tired, she’s moody, she’s being emotional.'”
“There’s just something about her?” Bee asked.
“There’s something about her,” Obama echoed. “When men are ambitious, it’s just taken for granted. Well of course they should be ambitious. When women are ambitious, why? That theme, I think, will continue throughout her presidency and it’s contributed to this notion that somehow, she is hiding something.”
“What a nasty woman,” Bee replied, nodding at Donald Trump’s dismissive aside about Clinton during the final presidential debate.
Some of the issues Obama invoked have already cropped up on the campaign trail. Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump, and former New York City Rudy Giuliani spent much of the late summer questioning whether Clinton was suffering from a mysterious illness, and Trump routinely attacks the former secretary of state’s stamina.
Watch the full clip of Obama’s Halloween-themed appearance below:
He’s right (as usual). Particularly regarding the ambiitious part. It’s almost like a lot of people think it’s wrong for a woman to push to be successful. Which goes back to sexism.
I also think the Repubs will continue to hammer the email issue, say she’s not trustworthy amd use that as another means to undermine her presidency.
My hope is that Democrats are not caught flatfooted like they were with Obama. I remember many laughed off the claims of the birtherism, seeming to believe no truly thinking person would take it seriously. Oh boy, was that wrong.
We are in for a bumpy ride if Hillary wins the presidency. I really do hope we are prepared for the constant BS
@trumpdog “I really do hope we are prepared for the constant BS.”
Well, HRC certainly is. She’s been dealing with it for twenty-five years, and then some. I’m thinking (hoping/praying) that she’s going to be much more direct in her rebuffing that crap than Obama was. No more…um…Ms. Nicegal.
Nonsense! Clinton being president will end sexism the same way Obama being president ended racism!
/s
Samantha Bee has been so good this election. Her segment on how Catholic hospitals which are buying up other hospitals refuse to prescribe birthcontrol or permit health-mandated abortions was scary. Hearing a Catholic bishop state that the mother’s life is not more important than the fetus’s, that sometimes both must die even when the abortion would save the mother was chilling.
temperament is just one argument that detractors hold against women. some birthers have even gone as far to argue that women aren’t even constitutionally qualified to hold office. see: epperly v obama (2012):
birthers aren’t going anywhere yet …