Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway gave an interesting interview this weekend where she objected to criticism of her performance in the White House as “gender-based.” The suggestion that sexism drives her critics has unleashed a new round of criticism that she is “playing the gender card.” I thought it would be an interesting question to debate on the blog.
Conway was speaking to Bob Vander Plaats, president of social conservative group The Family Leader, at a conference in Des Moines, Iowa. She stated “I understand that we’re a nation of charged opinions and partisan rancor, but I do find that most of the vitriol comes from people who don’t know me, and who are very brave on social media.” She insisted that “so much of the criticism of me is so gender-based.” Conway added, while encouraging increased civility in policy debates. She added “I pray for my country and I pray for my critics.”
At the outset, I should note that Conway is a former student of mine at George Washington Law School. However, I have previously objected that conservative women are often excluded from celebration of leading feminists and that feminism is often treated as by definition advancing liberal views. Conway is right that she should be viewed as a feminist and a female leader given her accomplishments, particularly in being the first women to head a Republican Presidential campaign.
However, Conway has been slammed for a variety of reasons from defending Sean Spicer in his use of “alternative facts” to dismissing the importance of presidential tweets (when the same day the White House was calling them “official statements”) to her recent use of word cards that has unleashed memes and ridicule.
What do you think about the charge of sexism from Conway?
There does exist the possibility that Ms. Conway made her statement alleging sexism is constrained within the scope of social media, as she had stated prior to such comments. Maybe it was the case that social media trolling and flames included sexist comments and she was merely stating this fact. If we were talking about the broader spectrum of individuals and their regard of her, perhaps she might suggest that this isn’t as much the case.
‘is there a’ instead of. is here which isn’t correct because the use of a sexist label is not found ‘here’ but up there.
We don’t see men targeted as frequently with the disparagements that Conway receives for her clothing and appearance. There are a few pot shots at the morbidly obese Christie and, at Trump’s ties. But, they don’t seem to provoke the public’s vitriol in the same way.
Biden’s sniffing of the hair of an appointee’s wife, on camera, perhaps warrants a sex parody. But, has Conway done anything (beyond looking similar to Glenn Close) that warrants the sexualized SNL skit parody from Fatal Attraction?
All other disparagements leveled at Conway are rightfully earned.
In my view, excessive use of hydrogen peroxide seeps into the skull and confuses and disrupts the mental processes, resulting in bizarre behavior.
Jay S – ask Hillary, she has been a bottle blonde longer than any one I can think of.
and come to think of it, I wonder how The Donald keeps that amazing orange hue up top.
Jay S – I have been watching the close-ups of Trump and his hair his is a much lighter yellow these days. The tan is gone, too.
Her opponents are the last people to play sexist since they harbor and support the worst victimizers of women yet left unpunished supported by another group of victimizers of women NOW. And then were stupid enough to play the woman card? Just how stupid are these people? It goes beyond belief and beyon their sexist attitude, Is it a gene or DNA Deficiency? They keep bringing up subjects that cost them more votesa nd more support in any number of subjects.
Go ahead. Pick the scab of another one.
N
Both are true. She has been the victim of sexist remarks, just as Obama was a victim of racist remarks. Clinton was also the victim of sexist remarks as well Jill Stein. These types of prejudiced remarks help obfuscate actual criticism of each person and they are simply ethically and intellectually indefensible.
There are real reasons to criticize each person. For example, Obama and Clinton are war criminals. The fact that they have both committed horrific crimes has nothing to do with their race or gender. Unfortunately, facts like these are readily dismissed by their followers who point to each and every justified criticism as the product of racism or sexism.
I really wish people would clean up their acts regarding their own prejudices. Stick to the actions and stop the ignorant hateful remarks based on prejudice. It will do a favor to everyone. Conway’s actions are easy to logically and ethically challenge. Do that.
and if all else fails try a little jealousy. Makes more sense than reminding us of the as yet unpunished Clinton Crime Family.
When KellyAnne was hired the media told us that she would be the voice of reason, the adult in the room. She is no different than Sean Spicer or any of the other Trump apologists. Her gender is irrelevant.
Any examples? Or just personal opinion?
When KellyAnne was hired she was praised by the media as a voice of reason. She, they said, would be the adult in the room. She has not lived up to the hype. She is no different than Sean Spicer or any of the other Trump apologists. Her gender is irrelevant.
Professor, I think you are wrong in your definition of feminism. Feminism is defined as the advocacy of policies that advance the rights of women. Merely being a woman in a position of power or influence does not make her a feminist. In other words, being successful does not make a woman a feminist. You can’t be a feminist if you oppose policies that would advance women’s rights. By your definition any female company executive or politician would be a feminist regardless on her position on women’s issues. That does not make sense to me.
As to her claim of gender based attacks, as others have posted above, that’s nonsense. She gets attacked because she is either lying or making arguments that make no sense, at times to the point of being laughable. When you are a joke, people make fun of you. That’s why SNL is picking on her and Sean Spicer too.
Like a lot of over-media-exposed people on both sides of the aisle, Kellyanne Conway has left a trail of comments that are objectionable and bordering on untruths. You cite several. And she has, in turn, been heavily criticized for doing so. But that is the way the game is played. If you’re style is to obfuscate, to dodge direct answers and to direct most if not all of your commentary to shoring up the 36% base then you have to expect some push back from the remaining 64%. That is not sexism. That is legitimate point-counter point.
For Conway to rely on social media vitriol as the basis for this sexism claim is specious. Social media has unleashed some of the strangest, most vile creatures from both the left and right. Conway has a talent for giving her extreme vile Twitter critics a voice by retweeting their venom and then making a larger case against the left with that as evidence. Many on the left do the same thing in making sweeping judgements about those on the right. All should stop giving voice to these vile people. Practice this; if a tree falls in the twitter forest and no one replies does it make a noise?
By the way, Rachel Maddow was very gracious in congratulating Conway on her show shortly after Conway was named the campaign chief.
I didn’t now mad cow kniew the meaning of the word. But I wish her well. The more she is on the air the more votes drift to the moderate center or the Republicans. Talk about your sleeper agent are we sure Maddow is not an employee of the GOP?
I didn’t know mad cow knew. Isn’t she just an out of work actress reading a script?
Good grief. Trump won in large part due to the left’s relentless group identity politics. Must we replace it with a relentless group identity politics of the right? I often see women and ethnics minorities who stray from the progressive handbook of allowable opinion treated harshly. But really, politics is a tough game, so please toughen up Ms Conway.
You can buy your own copy or copies of that handbook in it’s pendng third edition at Amazon under the title of “Don’t See The Elephant.” Make Lykoff a little richer and you efforts more identifiable.
The problem isn’t that she’s a woman. The problem is that she is a person who lies all the time.
I wonder if she could define illusion and delusion without googling them. Most people don’t know the difference.
Since it ‘she lies all the time you should be able to come up with …..100 examples… for this last week so have at it.Better yet 100 for each month. I believe your second sentence is a far more accurate example of that condition followed closely by what must be a mirror image word picture… of yourself. Radical Reason ing 101 championed by James Carville and George Lykoff. Look in the mirror, describe what you see. Change the name.
And really? Does it matter? Your sides delegates opted out of doing their job.They are cast in the mode of Obama for sure. He never worked a day in his life either. None that could be identified.
You could start with the Russian collusion stories. Follow it up with all the things she said about Trump when she worked for Cruz, and then flipped on those observations.
And I do know the definition of those two words without googling and have for years.
That’s not enoough to fill 30 secdnds much less ‘all the time.’ Whose the liar now?
Asked and answered, but facts do not matter to RWNJ.
I frankly do not think Ms. Conway earns the title of feminist but she is clearly a female leader. Her whining, like everything that comes out of her mouth, is only distractive discourse. She plays to the lowest common denominator every time she gets a platform. Her audience is the population who suffer from what Mark Lilla describes as ‘shipwrecked’, reactionary political thinking. This is a malady fed by the medium of the internet, twitter, Facebook, and now anyone can be a part of it if they subscribe, follow, ‘like’. Ms. Conway is the plucky female in the right place, right time.
That might be true she got your attention and the description fits. So? Other than these half gassed tweets do you have anything to contribute? No? Goodbye.
test
Still inane, keep moving.
Ynot – I cannot believe you responded to that “test”. I do that when I have made a comment but have forgotten to check the little box. Sending “test” allows me to check the box so I can respond to you, like now. There is always a method to my madness.
If Hillary can throw the gender card out there, there is no reason Conway can’t. Liberals hate it when you use their tactics against them. 🙂
Nice pivot. You’d happily go full snowflake on Hillary for doing so. Too much consistency.
True enough Paul, but dim or rim, it’s still playing the gender card.
Difficult to assess, she has said many undisciplined things.
She’s tied with Jim Inhofe for idiot of the year. Not too long ago women weren’t allowed to enter these competitions. You go girl.
The official programmer of the left has spoken. Through his favorite RoboClone.
“What do you think about the charge of sexism from Conway?”
I think that any criticism should be countered with factual analyses of the issues. Appealing to anything else does not resolve conflict.
It isn’t “gender based”. It’s ignoramus based.
Conway is a disgrace to feminism.
Louise Hudson – It’s this type of jealous, catty and completely ignoramus-based comment that’s a disgrace to females everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if your idea of feminism is the same as Ashley Judd, Madonna, Whoopi, Kathy Griffin and all those other loonie-tunes who opt to top their dummkopfs with those ridiculous, genitalia-styled caps while out protesting their outrage du-jour!
It’s spelled F-E-M-I-N-A-Z-I.
They are incapable of succeeding on merit without affirmative action
so they dictate their success.
Just the fact you brought it up makes you sexist. Cure thyself.
Something tells me you are not a feminist.
She’s an idiot and that’s why Trump has her there. As long as Trump surrounds himself with idiots like Conway, he comes off looking better, not good but less a fool. Imagine the contrast if Trump surrounded himself with intelligent people. First of all they wouldn’t work for him but if they did, he would appear even more the imbecile, if that’s possible.
More bigoted b/c she is a Republican woman holding a highly influential position in the White House.
Is that what she is? I thought she was a propaganda factory like all spokespersons.
A spoke is part of a wheel and person’s is a sexist PC no no. Shame shame shamey . PerSON is here a perdaughter?
Propaganda factories are sexless. Spokespeople then.