The Problem With Hillary Hate
The vitriol Hillary Clinton suffered carries broader ramifications for women in politics.
Republicans want to throw Hillary Clinton in jail or put her in front of a firing squad. Democrats who spoke positively about Clinton were booed during the first night of their convention. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ supporters stomped off the convention floor the second night after Clinton officially became the Democratic candidate and protested outside.
We don’t lack for examples of Hillary-hate. For conservatives, loathing Hillary Clinton has long been a cottage industry. Pundits and journalists alike continually refer to her as corrupt and untrustworthy, even though the things people point to for support either are false or they can’t say why they use those words because, well, it’s just a feeling they have. Even though many fans call her loyal and fearless, the negative too often overshadows the positive.
But why? How did Hillary Clinton — now the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party — become the subject of so much loathing?
Some say it’s a “Hillary thing.” Others contend it’s a “woman thing.” I’ve pondered this question a long time. It turns out that it’s a little bit of both, plus more.
Read the rest of my article at U.S. News & World Report.
Joanne Bamberger is the founder of The Broad Side, a digital magazine of women’s commentary, and the author/editor of the the award-winning bestseller Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox.