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I have always been struck by the peculiarly hostile, aggressive imagery that has been used in the language of the Right - and particularly, members of the Bush Administration, and Republican candidates.Mike Huckabee’s demonstration of his machismo, at the expense of the birds he shot at, on a hunting photo-op - and the journalists he pointed his gun towards - is one case in point. Another is the Republican candidates’ enthusiasm for torture and Guantanamo - and let’s not forget Bush's “Bring ‘em on!” and Cheney's “Go F**k yourself!” (And the famous cod piece that accompanied “Mission Accomplished.”)
Remember when Hillary won New Hampshire, against the expectations of the pollsters? Rachel Maddow, appearing with Chris Matthews on election coverage, pointed to bloggers at Talking Points Memo, attributing the rush to Hillary to Chris himself. Matthews had engaged in a series of dismissive statements regarding Hillary, including the obligatory reference (along with Tucker Carlson) to “castrating female” imagery. (He also dismissed her successful run for Senator as the result of a sympathy vote, for which he later apologized.) This disgusting reference was a good example of what organizational sociologist Rosabeth Moss Kanter called boundary heightening. Kanter explained what happens when women start to invade what is previously considered male territory. She noticed that, in the presence of token women, male executives would engage in more “off-color” humor, or tales of sports or sexual exploits, than when in the presence of men only. Thus, the first serious female candidate for the presidency, had to endure this below-the-belt attack. Lately, however, it seems as if Hillary is turning the tables on the likes of Matthews and Carlson. In the last two days, Hillary Clinton received two endorsements, by men who made sexual references in their endorsement statements. The Democratic Governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley, said she made Rocky Balboa “look like a pansy,” a thinly veiled anti-gay slur. The next day:“a local labor leader introducing Clinton pushed the envelope further, saying the nation needed a leader ‘that has testicular fortitude.’”
If Hillary objected to these characterizations, she certainly didn’t show it. Given that, what does this say about the latest Clinton subliminal message? That she’s the “real man” in the race? Is this because Barack Obama doesn’t choose to hit us over the head with his maleness?
This is yet another example of Hillary using Right Wing tactics. With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans?
