Clinton Die-Hard Slams McCain’s Sexism
Lanny Davis, die-hard confidante of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former White House counsel, current Fox News contributor and G.O.P favorite — one of few Democrats appointed by President George W. Bush — slammed Sen. John McCain in unusually strong terms today.
Writing for FoxNews.com, Davis joined the chorus of critics who have assailed the Arizona senator’s VP pick as a cynical, sexist ploy that raises serious questions about McCain’s judgment. The argument may carry extra weight from Davis, however, because of his solid standing among Republicans and past praise for McCain. The “patronizing” pick was just too much for Davis, even from his G.O.P. friend:
“„Do women care less than men about issues? John McCain (and Sarah Palin) seems to think “Yes.” But the answer, or course, is “No.” Yet there seemed to be that assumption — in my view, if so, patronizing and politically wrong — underlying at least part of Sen. McCain’s judgment.
Davis, who was heralded by some Clintonites for his unyielding support for Hillary Clinton for president, and then for VP, also says the pick’s attempt to woo Clinton backers is dead on arrival:
“„It appears Sen. McCain hopes that the governor’s gender will help his appeal to disenchanted female Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters — and Gov. Palin explicitly was aiming to do so when she appealed to the “18 million cracks in the glass ceiling” represented by Sen. Clinton’s total vote in the primaries. However, while some Hillary supporters may still not have completely gotten over their disappointment at her loss to Sen. Barack Obama, or his failure to make her his VP choice, is it likely they will be attracted to vote for a McCain-Palin ticket because Gov. Palin is a woman — even after they learn that the governor who, if elected, will be by constitutional definition one heartbeat away from the presidency, and who opposes the right of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy under all circumstances, even if caused by rape or incest, in the earliest stages of pregnancy? I don’t think so.
The nation’s eyes turn to Palin tonight. But it doesn’t really matter what she says, ultimately, if people accept the idea that her very selection reflects the kind of bad judgment and political pandering that they would never want in a president.
