I need to say some things about Joe Biden, and hopefully can do so in such a way as not to create too much pie. But I have seen more than one article on Daily Kos this week encouraging Joe Biden’s candidacy, in which opposition to him was mischaracterized as trivial and labeled “purity”. Well, if you wrote one of those, you just pissed off a bunch of feminists.
Let’s review the record:
1) Joe Biden treated Anita Hill abysmally, which allowed Clarence Thomas, noted “conservative” misogynist, to be confirmed to the Supreme Court. Vox: The Joe Biden and Anita Hill Controversy, Explained. He weakly apologized to Hill now that he is running for president and she did not accept his apology, although she has said that she will vote for him if he is the nominee, since he is better than *rump. I think we all recognize that.
2) Joe invades women’s personal space and is too handsy. Elle: Joe Biden: How to Deal With a Handsy, Older Man. He apologized:
Social norms are changing. I understand that, and I’ve heard what these women are saying. Politics to me has always been about making connections, but I will be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future. That’s my responsibility and I will meet it.
But then he unapologized (emphasis mine):
"I’m sorry I didn’t understand more," he reportedly said. "I’m not sorry for any of my intentions. I’m not sorry for anything I have ever done. I’ve never been disrespectful, intentionally, to a man or a woman."
Then he turned around and joked about it:
(Lonnie is the middle-aged white man who introduced Biden at this event.)
These do not appear to be the words and actions of a man who has really listened and who sincerely intends to change his ways.
3) Biden is not a reliable ally in the fight to get rid of the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of government money for abortions with very limited exceptions. Planned Parenthood: The Hyde Amendment. That means that many poor women do not get abortions, or do without other basic needs to pay for them. There are some private donations to cover the cost, but they are not enough to meet the need. Until now, Joe Biden was okay with that. Now he supposedly understands why we need to strike down the Hyde Amendment. But will he really push for it? He has flip-flopped more than once (the first 2 minutes of this video are on topic):
If he gets into office, will he flip flop again? I think there is good reason to be concerned.
“I do not view abortion as a choice and a right,” the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said in a videotaped interview with Texas Monthly. “I think it’s always a tragedy. I think it should be rare and safe,” he added. “I think we should be focusing on how to limit the number of abortions.”
https://www.theguardian.com/...
purity politics?
Now, I suppose the argument depends upon your definition of “purity politics”. To me, it means expecting our candidates to have ZERO flaws. We don’t expect that. Everyone is flawed. And the longer you have been in politics, the more your flaws will be exposed. This is not so much about the past. If you have serious flaws and they become an issue, you need to make repairs, such as sincere apology and demonstrating that you have “evolved”. But Joe Biden’s flaws, most importantly, are still not repaired. In particular, we are concerned how he will act as president, and in a time of the rollback of abortion rights we need a leader who is a strong advocate for women’s rights. All women’s rights, including the rights of poor women. We also are tired of looking like fools, and we don’t need a leader who might act inappropriately around women and world leaders.
Joe Biden has not conducted himself in such a way that women are ready to move on. He needs to demonstrate that he will do better. Are you an ally of women and/or Joe Biden? Then do NOT trivialize his flaws! You will not win further female support for Biden that way.
This is a bit of parody on a similar subject:
IN OTHER NEWS:
sexual assault:
Roman Polanski's lawyer: Oscar Academy expulsion of director a 'total sham'
Attorney outraged by new statement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defending as ‘fair and reasonable’ its process to expel the director in 2018 https://www.theguardian.com/…
Cuba Gooding Jr charged with forcible touching after incident in New York:
NYPD charges actor following allegations that he groped a woman at a Manhattan nightclub on Sunday https://www.theguardian.com/…
The Ejaculation Loophole: When is sexual assault “not” sexual assault? (trigger warning, the story is tough to read) www.buzzfeednews.com/…
harassment:
At the NIH: "Nearly one in five employees of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) who responded to a recent survey say they experienced gender harassment while at work during the previous 12 months, according to an interim report the biomedical agency has just posted online. A large number also reported being targets of unwelcome sexual attention. The survey, which elicited responses from about 16,000 NIH employees, was conducted between January and March."
https://www.sciencemag.org/…
And Racism: Further evidence that sexism and racism are often linked, www.seattletimes.com/…
abortion:
“All-Male City Council In Texas Town Votes To Ban Abortions”: https://www.huffpost.com/…
The DC Circuit Court reverses abortion ban, arguing against Brett Kavanaugh and the DOJ, slate.com/…
caution:
Beware the fertility app that wants to share your data with anti-abortion campaigners
Most of us happily upload the most personal information on to the apps we use everyday. But do we really want to share our data with organisations funded by anti-abortion campaigners?https://www.theguardian.com/…
era:
One state could be the final signatory and make history: Who will it be?
uncategorizable:
The trouble with "woke" ads - they're just another cliche - https://www.theguardian.com/…
Get ready to vote: Women especially may have trouble with proper ID, given frequent name changes with marriage: www.dailykos.com/… (diary by OB)
good news:
First woman made general in command of an infantry division.
https://taskandpurpose.com/…
Will Oxford elect its first woman as poetry chair? This is a history of women who have been candidates in past elections.
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/…
"The head of the National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday that he would no longer appear on all-male panels at public scientific meetings, saying the effort to include women and other underrepresented people “must begin at the top.”
In a statement released by the NIH, the nation’s premier biomedical institution, Director Francis S. Collins said “it is time to end the tradition in science of all-male speaking panels, sometimes wryly referred to as ‘manels.’ ” He added that if “attention to inclusiveness is not evident in the agenda, I will decline to take part,” and challenged other scientific leaders to do the same."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Book recommendation: Sounds like an expanded version of OB's WOW2!
History vs. Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don't Want You to Know https://www.amazon.com/…
do YOu know these women?
Who is this on the Moldovan stamp? Find out at OB’s WOW2 part 1, www.dailykos.com/…
Who is this singer? Find out at OB’s WOW2 part 2, www.dailykos.com/…
Please note that these diaries are not longer than usual, but DK5 was messing with OB today so she had to split the diary in two!
This series is a group effort! Many thanks this week to Tara (the Antisocial Social Worker), ramara, Angmar, officebss (AKA OB), Besame, and SandraLLAP!
This is an openish thread. Please feel free to comment on these or other women’s issues below!
Your humble diarist is NR, so please give your Comments +1!