Dean Suggests Media's Sexism Hurt Clinton

On Friday we mentioned a pair of op-eds, including one from former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, suggesting that sexism has been directed towards Hillary Clinton during her presidential run.

Now Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean has taken up the argument, twice this weekend alleging sexism in coverage of the New York senator. Here's Dean – never, it's worth pointing out, much of a fan of the fourth estate – at Saturday's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting:

Over the course of the primary there have been some tough disagreements and some ugly moments in this campaign. On the blogosphere, and the airwaves. Emotions have run high and heated discussions have led at times to blatantly racist comments and, blatantly sexist comments particularly by some members of the media. We know that those comments have no place in our society and certainly no place in our party.

And Dean on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, after being asked about Ferraro's op-ed:

There has been an enormous amount of sexism in this campaign on the part of the media, including the mainstream media...there have been major networks that have featured numerous outrageous comments that if the words were reversed and they were about race, the people would have been fired....What you don't get over is deep wounds that have been inflicted on somebody because they happen to be a woman running for president of the United States.

[missglo]

I suggest that it was her Husband and the lies, that hurt Hillary.

[rowdywicca]

Awwwwwww, bless his pinko commie mafia heart! This just make my heart so warm and fuzzy benevolent that if Obama is on the DNC''s ticket...then the RNC will look more like democracy than this bunch of capo mafioso krap!

[gaypastor]

YES! Finally a leader in the DNC is able to admit that sexism has hurt the campaign of the first woman running for President. I''m sorry the obvious oppression took so long for SOMEONE to recognize but Bravo! for Dean for having the courage to speak the truth!

[lycope]

Perhaps if Clinton ran as an American candidate who just happened to be a woman things would be different.But she initially ran as the womens candidate.
The modern Women''s Movement is rarely linked to the movements of others facing deep social scars and prejudices- Afro-Americans, Native Americans, Latinos ..nor those with disabilities.
The women''s movement has chosen not to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these other groups for the rights freedoms honor of all Americans- but has linked it''s star to a small vocal minority.
I write this as a 93-year-old woman -who has spend much of her life in a man''s world-chemistry,physics,medicine and who founded an a activist womens advocacy group in the 1930s..stock trader and corporate leader in later life.
If women want to advance on an even playing field they will have to HELP build that playing field-not build it alone.That HELP is an earned right..
Act as an individual who is,and is proud of being a woman---not because she is a woman .. BUT because she just happens to be one

[zavatchen]

I am concerned that many women (who made up over 60% of the primary voters) will not be voting for O''''Baman by either voting for another candidate, writing in Senator Clinton''''s name, or not showing up.

The Democratic leadership, by being silent at the ''''sexism'''' in this race, has condoned the hate speech toward all women and turned it''''s back on it''''s core constituency ''''women''''.