Soft Touch

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"For all the crap talk of 'choice feminism' -- whatever the hell that means -- we are never going to feminize the world. Women who want to succeed pretty much have to work as long and as hard as men typically do, and that's that.

"What does Caroline Kennedy know of this hellishness? She hasn't held a paid position since her children were born, nor did she have a proper job even before that.

"Kennedy is entering the political fray under exceptional circumstances: she's a former First Daughter, and her family functions as American royalty. No other women with less-blue blood could even attempt to get away with what she seems to in fact be getting away with. This is not sexism; this is reality." -- author Elizabeth Wurtzel ("Prozac Nation", "Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women", "More, Now, Again") writing in the Daily Beast.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 3, 2009 at 8:28 AM

comment #1

clancy says ...

Just watch. Appointed. Will win in two years. Will be a Senatorial superstar. Kennedy in 2012. She is being as under-considered as Obama was. Laugh now. Acknowledge later.

Posted by clancy at January 3, 2009 9:24 AM

comment #2

George Prager says ...

"My main thought was: What a pain in the ass... I had not the slightest emotional reaction. I thought, this is a really strange art project... It was a most amazing sight in terms of sheer elegance. It fell like water. It just slid, like a turtleneck going over someone's head... It was just beautiful. You can't tell people this. I'm talking to you because you're Canadian... I just felt like everyone was overreacting. People were going on about it. That part really annoyed me... I cried about all the animals left there in the neighborhood... I think I have some kind of emotional block. I think I should join some support group for people who were there... You know what was really funny? After the fact, like, all these different writers were writing these things about what it was like, and nobody bothered to call me."

-- Elizabeth Wurtzel ("Prozac Nation", "Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women", "More, Now, Again") on 9/11

Posted by George Prager at January 3, 2009 10:20 AM

comment #3

Sabina E says ...

Caroline Kennedy is still not as humilating as Sarah Palin was for women.

fuck that noise

Posted by Sabina E at January 3, 2009 11:56 AM

comment #4

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Yeah Wurtzel is a real headcase. Not saying she doesn't make her points here and there, but even when she makes a decent observation her line of reasoning is so skewed and foreign that sometimes I don't even believe she's human.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at January 3, 2009 1:22 PM

comment #5

D.Z. says ...

"Women who want to succeed pretty much have to work as long and as hard as men typically do, and that's that. "

I think they just want to get paid the same as men.

"She hasn't held a paid position since her children were born, nor did she have a proper job even before that. What does Caroline Kennedy know of this hellishness?"

What kind of proper job did Bush hold which wasn't given to him by his father? Didn't Palin just use the same argument against Barry for being a "community organizer"?

"Kennedy is entering the political fray under exceptional circumstances: she's a former First Daughter, and her family functions as American royalty. No other women with less-blue blood could even attempt to get away with what she seems to in fact be getting away with. This is not sexism; this is reality."

It's more like a double-standard, since her last name isn't Clinton, and since she doesn't fit the Man-Eater profile the neo-Feminists think is the only way to succeed in politics, even if it means endorsing a war which destroys the lives and families of their fellow women.

Posted by D.Z. at January 3, 2009 1:47 PM

comment #6

masanf says ...

It's Palin, not Pallin. And I seem to remember the word "humilating" having an extra "I" in there somewhere. Of course I am not really expecting cogent political analysis from someone who can't even spell properly.

"Just watch. Appointed. Will win in two years. Will be a Senatorial superstar. Kennedy in 2012. She is being as under-considered as Obama was. Laugh now. Acknowledge later."

Under-considered? If this is a euphemism for "lack of respect because she has no political experience at all and has never won, or even run for, a political office", you may well be right. At least Barack Obama (and Sarah Palin) had to win elections. This woman evidently just woke up one day and decided she wanted to be a Senator and we are supposed to take that seriously? Exactly what is the difference between what she is doing and me, or any other Jane Schlub, calling up David Paterson and asking to be named Senator? My request would appropriately be met with derision and howling laughter. So should hers.
If I had to bet everything I own, I would wager that everyone on this site thinks Sarah Palin was/is unqualified. Yet I am willing to bet these same people support a woman whose only "qualification" is her last name.

"What kind of proper job did Bush hold which wasn't given to him by his father? Didn't Palin just use the same argument against Barry for being a "community organizer"

I was unaware that the governship of Texas was simply "given" by one's father. I guess that means we can expect George W. Bush to name one of his daughters to the office some time soon. And we can argue about the validity of Sarah Palin's arguments all day, but the simple fact of the matter is that Barack Obama had previous elected experience. Caroline Kennedy has never been elected to anything. She has never even had a regular job, unless one finds it acceptable to put "trust fund baby" on a resume. For christ sake, she hasn't even voted in over a decade. She wasn't born with just a silver spoon in her mouth; she has the whole china hutch in there.

"It's more like a double-standard, since her last name isn't Clinton..."

Yes it is quite a double standard, because I don't remember the naysaying and insults directed at Hillary Clinton when she called the Governor of New York and asked to be appointed Senator. Oh, wait a second, Hillary was elected wasn't she? There is no double standard here. HIllary Clinton had to make her case to the electorate; she obviously succeeded. Caroline Kennedy is asking to be given the job, one for which she has absolutely no qualifications.

But it seems Caroline Kennedy is not completely without qualifications. The fact that a woman (her sex is really irrelevant and frankly is the only reason she is even being considered) as unqualified as her can just wake up one day, call the Governor of New York and asked to be appointed Senator is indicative of an arrogance so breathtaking that perhaps politician is the only job for which she is truly qualified.

Posted by masanf at January 4, 2009 11:49 AM

comment #7

D.Z. says ...

masan: "This woman evidently just woke up one day and decided she wanted to be a Senator and we are supposed to take that seriously?"

It's no less serious than Bush being governor or President.

"If I had to bet everything I own, I would wager that everyone on this site thinks Sarah Palin was/is unqualified. Yet I am willing to bet these same people support a woman whose only "qualification" is her last name."

Well, once again, the same could be said for Hillary.

"I was unaware that the governship of Texas was simply "given" by one's father."

What, you think he would win, without all that Nazi money and without the recognizable last name?

"I guess that means we can expect George W. Bush to name one of his daughters to the office some time soon. "

His father's already decided Jeb is the next President, actually.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090104/ap_on_go_pr_wh/another_president_bush

"Yes it is quite a double standard, because I don't remember the naysaying and insults directed at Hillary Clinton when she called the Governor of New York and asked to be appointed Senator. Oh, wait a second, Hillary was elected wasn't she? There is no double standard here."

And she was elected, because her husband had a high national approval rating, and because he moved in next door.

"HIllary Clinton had to make her case to the electorate; she obviously succeeded."

But would she have succeeded if she divorced her husband after Monica?

"Caroline Kennedy is asking to be given the job, one for which she has absolutely no qualifications."

So lying that you dodged bullets in Bosnia count as qualifications?

"The fact that a woman (her sex is really irrelevant and frankly is the only reason she is even being considered)"

Yes, unlike when McCain picked Palin as V.P., because she really was suited for the job.

"as unqualified as her can just wake up one day, call the Governor of New York and asked to be appointed Senator is indicative of an arrogance so breathtaking"

You're right. She should show more humility like Mike Brown.

Posted by D.Z. at January 4, 2009 10:49 PM

comment #8

janee says ...

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comment #9