I am a feminist. I have mixed feelings about the Al Franken. But here’s my take away for today.
In 2016, DNC and liberal media rode the ‘pussy grabber’ train over the cliff. The assumption was that even conservative women would flip with ‘outrage’. You know, the decorum thing. It didn’t work.
Right wing/evangelical women did not flee the Big Orange Oaf. They weren’t all that outraged. I doubt the pee tape would have worked either — but I’d love to watch it. Red States preach the loudest but order the most porn. They know their tribe (white, religious, NRA loving, immigrant hating and racist) and stand with it. (Doug Jones is not of the tribe; he betrayed the tribe when he brought the KKK to justice).
Left/liberal women long since tired of patriarchal crap, are not shocked by pussy matters and crude jokes not tied to power relations. Women of Color and immigrants had bigger fish to fry. Here in Progressive California, we wanted economic and racial justice. That theme was best carried in 2016 by Bernie Sanders, whose base was seen by the DNC as a invading species to be neutralized. Jill Stein drew others since Hillary was, you know, so neo-liberal.
Corporate Dems (Pelosi-Schumer-Perez) still think they can re-brand with zero-tolerance on harassment. How convenient. They will continue recruit self-funding candidates, keep old leaders in control, stage purer-than-thou displays but never take on the entrenched economic interests that really call the shots.
Sad times.