OPINION:
The mainstream media is sexist in its coverage of the candidates on both sides of the aisle.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton exaggerated a little about her trip to Bosnia as dangerous and how she had to duck fire - and the media crucified her. Yet Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. has exaggerated about being fired upon in Iraq and about his helicopter being forced down in Afghanistan, and all of that is ignored. Why not the same treatment? Is that because he is a man?
Also, the Obama campaign chose Mr. Biden for vice president over Mrs. Clinton, and I did not see any media questions regarding the sexism of this choice. Even Mr. Biden agreed that Mrs. Clinton was more qualified.
Sen. Barack Obama made a mistake during a television interview by accidentally calling himself a Muslim instead of a Christian, and George Stephanopoulos corrected him; it was considered an innocent slur of speech by the media. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was grilled by Katie Couric to get her stumped, and Mrs. Palin was considered ignorant.
The Obama campaign handlers have “dumbed down” Michelle Obama - who is a successful businesswoman and mother - by doing a makeover of her wardrobe to flowery, homemaker-type dresses. Recent articles in The Washington Post trashed Mrs. Palin’s wardrobe and then had an article about how well-dressed Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden are. Apparently, the guys even have better fashion sense than the women.
Mrs. Palin, who is a governor, also said that she is more qualified than Mr. Obama - who was a community organizer - and she was attacked by the media. Again, one can only conclude that these remarks are sexist. After all, Bill Clinton was a relatively unknown governor of Arkansas, and he went on to become a popular president.
The mainstream media is telling average women that they do not think that any woman is ready to be elected president or vice president. As a woman, I am angry.
Women need to wake up and start supporting all women - both Democrats and Republicans. That is what feminism is about: equality.
We need to support women of all beliefs because the media is against us all.
LINDA STEINER
Oak Hill, Va.
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