LANGUAGE WATCH….Yesterday a regular reader emailed me about that famous quote from a McCain advisor calling Sarah Palin a “diva”:
It’s sad how the Republicans struggle with sexism and it shows (brutally) in the slamming she is starting to take. Sadly, though, if the internal warfare goes unchecked, Palin will be a stereotype — the single-mindedly, narcissistic, aggressive woman who is striving for self-aggrandizement at all costs, who lacks any intellectual depth and is ultimately shallow — a true Diva. And while part of me would be very happy if Palin’s capitol exposure is forever limited to tours, another part of me sees the risks of more roadblocks for women.
I’ve been watching the growing grumblings and have been wondering how long it would be before we saw the reference to Diva, a great put-down of powerful women. Why can’t she just be another self-interested but charismatic politician who is woefully out of her element and not appropriate for this position. And leave it at that. No, I bet you’ll see more sexist-based disparagement from the right before this is done.
As a father of two strong-willed girls, the whole spectacle is frustrating.
Today, Mike Allen reports the latest:
In convo with Playbook, a top McCain adviser one-ups the priceless “diva” description, calling her “a whack job.”
“Whack job” isn’t sexist, is it? How about that instead?
