Gloria Steinem
Not a good role model for politics OR style.
Gloria Steinem is no role model of mine. In fact, I'll say something outrageous: I think women would be better off if she had pursued a career as a Playboy bunny rather than a political activist. Although I do think Hillary Clinton's candidacy is an admirable achievement, I think that women would be, quite frankly, stupid to support her simply because she is a woman. Especially since Gloria Steinem supports her.
While stumping for Hillary this weekend, Ms. Steinem said some horribly un-American things about war hero John McCain--and it seems most bloggers agree with me (although, uber-feminist blogs like Feministing have yet to comment). The New York Observer reports:
From the stage, the 73-year-old seemed to denigrate the importance of John McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam...
And she claimed that if Clinton's experience as first lady were taken seriously in relation to her White House bid, people might "finally admit that, say, being a secretary is the best way to learn your boss's job and take it over."...
"Suppose John McCain had been Joan McCain and Joan McCain had got captured, shot down and been a POW for eight years. [The media would ask], 'What did you do wrong to get captured? What terrible things did you do while you were there as a captive for eight years?'" Steinem said, to laughter from the audience.
McCain was, in fact, a prisoner of war for around five and a half years, during which time he was tortured repeatedly. Referring to his time in captivity, Steinem said with bewilderment, "I mean, hello? This is supposed to be a qualification to be president? I don't think so."
Disgusting. But IF Steinem is correct, then all Hillary can offer us is the distinction of being the first female president. Steinem may think Hillary's lack of military experience is a good thing, but bloggers don't.
At Hot Air, Allahpundit asks, "Question: What's more impressive, bearing up under routine bastinadoing by the North Vietnamese for five years -- or being Bill Clinton's secretary?" (Don't forget, "secretary" is Steinem's word.) Ed Morrissey adds to the post: "What did Hillary Clinton do to show her prowess at military leadership? She called General David Petraeus a liar to his face when he reported the improvements in Iraq."
Jules Crittenden says Steinem's politics are irrelevant: "Women have achieved something close to equality...They've led nations from Britain to Israel to Pakistan and India. There are even women trained to kill, wearing jump suits and saluting. Because the world still respects military experience, and women are seeking it."
But Don Surber reminds us that this isn't much of a hit to McCain: "Mac's a big boy. He beat the Viet Cong. He beat cancer. By comparison, Steinem is a flea."
Hillary's spokesman later apologized and said, "Senator Clinton has repeatedly praised Senator McCain's courage and service to our country. These comments certainly do not represent her thinking in any way." Obviously not, since the WSJ Washington Wire reported that Clinton said at the rally, "We need a president who can come in on day one and take care of some of that damage [from the Bush administration]...We're going to have to clean house, and women are pretty good at that." For some reason, I don't think Ms. Steinem would like that un-feminist comment.
