Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Marianne Williamson draws overflow crowd ... Ashland drinking water supplies free of lead contamination ... AMS students to volunteer at food bank ... Marianne Williamson draws overflow crowd ... Ashland drinking water supplies free of lead contamination ... AMS students to volunteer at food bank ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: The post-feminist presidency Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Gloria Steinem, the august founder of Ms. magazine and international feminist icon, famously said that "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle". That quote has long been held as a cornerstone of the feminist ethos; that a woman really doesn't need a man at all. This past week, Steinem was in the news, this time for her tone-deaf trivializing of young women who support Sen. Bernie Sanders for the presidency instead of Hillary Clinton. Essentially, Steinem said that the only reason younger women were turning out in droves for Sanders is because they are looking for boys, and "the boys are with Bernie." She later apologized, but the damage had already been done. Young people across America understood that the 81-year old Steinem, a longtime champion for women of her generation, now represents an ideology that has aged itself out of relevance. The irony is palpable; one of the founding figures of American feminism, who has provided continuity for emerging feminists since the days of of Betty Friedan, has inadvertently sounded the thunderclap that precedes the lightning of the first post-feminist presidency. Secretary Clinton's timing couldn't be worse. It's a big moment in American politics. Bernie Sanders is dominating the millennial vote, and will continue to do so. Young people love him, not because he is a man, but because he is an authentic candidate. Within the cultural context of contemporary American youth, gender is not a defining attribute. Young people have long ago begun operating on the assumption of personhood, and any gender ascription is seen as the choice of the individual. Regardless of what sort of body a person happens to be born into, the youth of today understand that they have the right to say who and what they are — as a simple function of being alive, and unconstrained by gender imperatives. However, if younger American voters are forced by Clinton to look at her campaign through the lens of traditional gender, then the more caring, authentic, empathetic and nurturing candidate — the more "female" candidate — is Bernie Sanders. Clinton, by comparison, is the power hungry, solitary, tough-talking, hard punching, "male" candidate. For Clinton to wheel out her old, old, old friends — people who stare pinch-faced into the television cameras and scold young women, promising them a "special place in hell" if they don't support the campaign (to quote Madeleine Albright, yet another ancient establishment figure being paraded before the cameras in what Clinton seems to think is a politically shrewd maneuver) is to remind most of the youth vote of their disapproving parents. Tonally, it's the same thing as Mom and Dad not understanding why their college graduate can't just "get a job already." For the first time since entering politics some 40 years ago, the Clinton political dynasty is out of step with the prevailing winds. Witness former president Bill Clinton, at a rally last week, accusing Sanders supporters of being "sexist" and "profane." Considering Mr. Clinton's particular Achilles Heel, it was bizarre that this was the attack that he elected to launch. Needless to say, he didn't gain much traction, and Hillary got thumped in New Hampshire. Young people will vote for Bernie as the first "female" president in the same way that Bill Clinton was voted in as the first "black" president, and for similar reasons — both men received the honor as a result of their brilliant capacity for empathizing with the oppressed. Hillary, on the other hand, is starting to look more and more like the George H.W. Bush of the Democratic primaries. She keeps checking her watch, but can't seem to remember that this is 2016. She's out of touch, and if she's not careful, she's going to be left flapping in the breeze. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Tidings columnist and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501