Comments on: Post picks up “weak Kilgore” meme. http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:04:20 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Waldo Jaquith http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-134 Waldo Jaquith Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:56:37 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-134 <i>How is equating femininity with weakness and passivity not totally offensive?</i> Femininity is the trait of behaving in ways consistent with the common concept of how a female behaves. Whether or not you and I like it, the common concept of how a female behaves is both weak, and passive. My fiancee, who has her degree in Women's Studies from UVa, agrees with this entirely. That impression is one of the more weighty matters addressed by the great names in feminism. First-wave feminists had no problem with that public impression. Second-wave feminists rejected it altogether. Third-wave feminists rejected the prior rejection, saying that it was OK for them to be weak and passive if they wanted to be. If you find that equation "totally offensive," then you'd likely qualify as a second-wave feminists, along the lines of Gloria Steinem. How is equating femininity with weakness and passivity not totally offensive?

Femininity is the trait of behaving in ways consistent with the common concept of how a female behaves. Whether or not you and I like it, the common concept of how a female behaves is both weak, and passive. My fiancee, who has her degree in Women’s Studies from UVa, agrees with this entirely. That impression is one of the more weighty matters addressed by the great names in feminism. First-wave feminists had no problem with that public impression. Second-wave feminists rejected it altogether. Third-wave feminists rejected the prior rejection, saying that it was OK for them to be weak and passive if they wanted to be.

If you find that equation “totally offensive,” then you’d likely qualify as a second-wave feminists, along the lines of Gloria Steinem.

]]> By: KW http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-133 KW Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:41:36 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-133 Am I missing something? How is equating femininity with weakness and passivity not totally offensive? Am I missing something? How is equating femininity with weakness and passivity not totally offensive?

]]> By: Newsreader http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-65 Newsreader Mon, 03 Jan 2005 16:59:20 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-65 I think the track record of Wadhams and Howell speaks for itself. The combination of the South Dakota Politics web initiative and the Cleland affair should leave no one on the left with any illusions about their strategies and tactics. It also seems clear that more and more offense in campaigns these days is being played by people who are more loosely related to the campaigns, sometimes only by their sympathies and interests. Your role here is not without precedent, and certainly isn't the subject of any substantive complaint from the right. I think the track record of Wadhams and Howell speaks for itself. The combination of the South Dakota Politics web initiative and the Cleland affair should leave no one on the left with any illusions about their strategies and tactics. It also seems clear that more and more offense in campaigns these days is being played by people who are more loosely related to the campaigns, sometimes only by their sympathies and interests. Your role here is not without precedent, and certainly isn’t the subject of any substantive complaint from the right.

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-63 Waldo Jaquith Sun, 02 Jan 2005 23:29:21 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-63 Hence the Howell/Wadhams team, who are going to savage Kaine relentlessly, trying to put him on the defensive and take the attention off Kilgore. Still, I think that Kaine’s team should be able to maintain the upper hand on toughness, given that Kaine can spend the entire campaign daring Kilgore to debate him. It’s obvious that Kilgore will try to avoid that, and that will keep the onus on him.

I wrote on your blog, but think it’s worth repeating here, that it is this presumed offensive that makes me want to stay on the offensive against Kilgore. These guys just came in, and they haven’t had time to go on the offensive yet, but they’re going to. I’m not about to sit around and wait for the opponents to fire the first shot before we begin the battle. They’ve got way more firepower than, at least, I do, so I’m not about to give them the advantage.

Thanks for your comments. They’re astute, insightful, and interesting.

]]> By: Newsreader http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-62 Newsreader Sun, 02 Jan 2005 22:02:02 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/01/kilgore-weak/#comment-62 So far, Kilgore appears to be trying to make Kaine look weak by showing him to be afraid to execute criminals. The problem is that Kaine can just flip this to talk about how he has the courage of his convictions, etc. I think that the 2004 cycle showed that many voters have respect for people who disagree with them, but aren't afraid to stick to their guns. Kilgore's main problem is going to be that Kaine's team is going to press him on the "weakness" issue until the day of the election, and Kilgore is going to have to defend himself through surrogates and in paid TV advertising. Because of how he presents, he can't just look into the camera and demostrate the requisite testosterone to satisfy anyone of his alpha male-ness. Hence the Howell/Wadhams team, who are going to savage Kaine relentlessly, trying to put him on the defensive and take the attention off Kilgore. Still, I think that Kaine's team should be able to maintain the upper hand on toughness, given that Kaine can spend the entire campaign daring Kilgore to debate him. It's obvious that Kilgore will try to avoid that, and that will keep the onus on him. So far, Kilgore appears to be trying to make Kaine look weak by showing him to be afraid to execute criminals. The problem is that Kaine can just flip this to talk about how he has the courage of his convictions, etc. I think that the 2004 cycle showed that many voters have respect for people who disagree with them, but aren’t afraid to stick to their guns.

Kilgore’s main problem is going to be that Kaine’s team is going to press him on the “weakness” issue until the day of the election, and Kilgore is going to have to defend himself through surrogates and in paid TV advertising. Because of how he presents, he can’t just look into the camera and demostrate the requisite testosterone to satisfy anyone of his alpha male-ness.

Hence the Howell/Wadhams team, who are going to savage Kaine relentlessly, trying to put him on the defensive and take the attention off Kilgore. Still, I think that Kaine’s team should be able to maintain the upper hand on toughness, given that Kaine can spend the entire campaign daring Kilgore to debate him. It’s obvious that Kilgore will try to avoid that, and that will keep the onus on him.

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