NOW to Media: Stop Reducing Women Candidates to Sex Objects

Sexist, misogynist attacks against women have no place in the electoral process, regardless of a particular candidate's political ideology.

Today the tabloid website Gawker published an anonymous piece titled "I Had A One-Night Stand With Christine O'Donnell" that takes the routine sexual degradation of women candidates to a disgusting new low. NOW repudiates Gawker's decision to run this piece. It operates as public sexual harassment. And like all sexual harassment, it targets not only O'Donnell, but all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere.

NOW/PAC has proudly endorsed women's rights champion Chris Coons, O'Donnell's opponent in the Delaware Senate race, and finds O'Donnell's political positions dangerous for women. That does not mean it's acceptable to use slut-shaming against her, or any woman.

Source
Gawker Article

I have to hand it to NOW. They disagree with her political ideology, but come to her defense when it comes to this attack. It does raise a question for me. It there a double standard when it comes to male/female candidates. I've seen many a male sex life used for attacks. How is this different?

Just to note, I think everyone's sex life should be keep out of politics. I don't care who sleeps with who, as long as there is no crime involved.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e7943a00704d.jpg[/atsimg]

Do I really need to comment on the above picture?

A CIGAR in the OVAL office, with an INTERN half his age!?

After that, what more can be said about candidates and their sex lives?

This isn't a "Woman's issue."

This kind of thing has been used against male candidates forever, but I guess it's only "sexual harrasment" when it's done to a Woman.

reply to post by JonInMichigan


I knew Clinton would be brought into this conversation.

I think that one is a little different. First, he wasn't a candidate at the time, he was the sitting president. With that comes certain responsibilities. His actions were wrong because of the place & time.

If he had just been a candidate, it shouldn't have been an issue.

reply to post by OneisOne


As long as these politicians do the right thing in office, they can have daily bisexual bondage orgies for all I care! (As long as they give me an invite!)

You are right though, when Clinton was in office was a different story... I just wanted to be the first one to bring it up! In his case, it was a national security risk and a not so hot woman. No one complained about Maryland Monroe!

reply to post by SevenBeans


That's my whole point.

Women have fought for equal rights, yet we hold the privacy of their sex lives to a different standard.

reply to post by JonInMichigan


No one in there right mind could complain about Marilyn Monroe.

I can remember my mom being upset about the Clinton scandal. She kept saying over and over again, no one cares who he slept with, just let him do his dang job.

I have been stumped by this phenomenon since the first time the claws were out for Palin. They also sink the same claws into Bachmann. Sadly, they have hit a new low with O'Donnell.

Must be an innate fear of powerful intelligent conservative women.