The Hillary Spillover Effect in the Workplace
Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran a provocative article about how Senator Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House has unleashed a surge of animosity towards high powered women in America, which may be reverberating throughout the workplace.
The article, “At the Barricades in the Gender Wars,” by Jonathan Kaufman and Carol Hymowitz, revealed some interesting parallels between women’s advancement in politics and their struggle for representation in the boardroom.
The article noted that, “at the nation’s largest 500 companies, women account for 50% of managers, but hold just 15.4% of senior executive jobs, down from 16.4% in 2005,” according to a Catalyst survey. Another study noted that women accounted for only 17.9% of partners in 2006, despite the fact that women were awarded 48% of the law degrees conferred in 2006.
Though it has long been inappropriate for men to refer to their female bosses with the gender-specific “b-word,” behind their backs or in front of their female co-workers, an informal survey reveals that these same mild mannered professional gentlemen seem to have no qualms about using the word to describe Senator Clinton in morning conversation around the coffee machine.
They seem to think that, because she is running for president, “all bets are off,” when it comes to civility or professional conduct on their parts, and they feel free to let the vitriol fly. As a woman in the workplace, this can be disconcerting, whether you support Senator Clinton or not.
Says one female investment banker, who preferred to not to be identified for this story, “I actually support Obama, but all of the men in my office spend so much time ganging up on Hillary, that I feel I have to defend her as a woman.” This banker goes on to explain, “When the criticize her, they don’t so much argue with her policy decisions, especially if they are Democrats themselves. Instead, they attack her personally, by making comments diminishing her experience as first lady, calling into question her sincerity when she expresses emotion, or just resorting to old fashioned sexist jokes.”
Another young female professional, a Hillary supporter, says that she tried to keep her political leanings under wraps at her testosterone-fueled workplace, but once it came out, she became the butt of many jokes that she felt were sexist. For example, when a co-worker wanted to imply that she had exaggerated about a point in a presentation, he rolled his eyes and said, “Whatever you say, Hillary.”
Sounds like these men are perfect candidates to join the “Hillary, Make me a Sandwich” page on Facebook. As a young professional woman, I find it empowering to see a female candidate running for the highest office in the land, and holding her own against two experienced and well qualified male senators. However, it’s discouraging to see the level of animosity addressed towards Hillary, not just as a political candidate, but as a woman.
While everyone I know would shun a person who made hate-filled racist remarks about Senator Obama, it seems that similarly sexist remarks about Hillary are still meant to be shrugged off with a smile and a knowing chuckle. This places women in the workplace in a quandary, as it sets up a dangerous precedent. What about the rest of us?
Oh puhleeze. Mrs. Clinton is a formidable candidate with an excellent pedigree. She has, however, sought to be the candidate of “experience” which experience, apart from her years in the Senate, seems comprised largely of having been First Lady of Arkansas and then the United States. She is as guilty as any politician of wanting to have her cake and eat it, yet any criticism of her personal attributes (and yes, her personality is at issue, just as are those of Senators McCain and Obama) is treated as anti-feminist. When Bill Clinton was accused of being a womanizer, was that sexist? When he was accused of being a liar, was that sexist? When John McCain is referred to as old and grumpy is that ageist, or sexist or both? When people claim that Obama is inexperienced, are they alleging he’s just too young, or that because of his deep roots in the African-American community he doesn’t know “the right kind of people” to run the country, thereby being both ageist and racist? I don’t think so.
The fact is the estimable Mrs. Clinton seems prepared to say anything to win. As of this writing, she has declared that life may begin at conception, that she supports gun owners and is a devout Christian. That is, to put it mildly, a big difference from where she used to be. In other words, she is not credible. The repeated assertions of being under fire when instead on a peace mission do not exactly compel a contrary finding. Mind you, I believe she is hardly unique among politicians for these characteristics, but nor do I think she is being unfairly tagged for them. Accordingly, statements questioning her sincerity and her experience are absolutely fair game. Purely sexist comments of course are inappropriate, but you haven’t quoted any here and more troubling, you’ve lumped them in with the fair points. Maybe that should be as troubling to us as anything.
Politics- its a funny game. you gotta get elected to change the world so who cares if she says she is a pro-life gun owner, we all know thats just to appease certain people until she gets in.
Its not how you play the game its whether you win or lose.
who care if Obama is black but worry as he is in fact green – seriously Hillary and McCain are closer than you think. she is just less senile and may live long enough to do a full term. republicans be happy, democrats wise up – hillary is the best option and who cares that she hasnt got a p***s.
check out this article in New York magazine this week on exactly this topic — Hillary’s run and its implications on fourth wave feminism — a very interesting read. But The Glass Hammer brought it to you first. https://nymag.com/news/features/46011/
Here’s the problem, rundeep. When the fact that Hillary Clinton is a candidate of questionable experience and integrity starts to spill over into office politics, we have serious trouble in the workplace. When male executives start to brush off female colleagues with “Whatever you say, Hlllary,” you have a hostile work environment. You’re signaling that sexism is OK. You’re telling that female colleague that she too is full of Hillary Clinton’s faults. You also create a more primitive culture in which people of both genders vote for, or hire, or form committees with, people who are “like them” as opposed to people who are actually best for the elected office/senior manager position/committee role.
It may be too late in this campaign for us to get to debating serious points, such as admitting that 14 years of union-busting corporate law and the six years of ceremonial First Lady role after the end of the co-presidency probably should not count toward Hillary Clinton’s “35 years of experience” in public service. But please, please, please do not go anywhere near distilling it to derogatory sexist epithets or guilt-by-association. It’s poisonous.
DBX, you have a great point. The “Whatever you say Hillary” comment is poisonous and unforgiveable and I should have noted that in my comment.
It is interesting that we seem, after all this time, to still have difficulty communicating on these issues. Legitimate criticism of a woman candidate can sound to some ears like misogyny, while there are those people who like to mask misogyny as legitimate criticism. I concede that both exist. Regrettably.
Rundeep, why do you refer to Senator Clinton as Mrs. Clinton, but you don’t refer to either Senators Obama or McCain as Mr.Obama or McCain? Has she not earned the same title?
Oh don’t be so defensive, Juj. Of course she’s earned it. It’s a comment on a blog post and not checked for every single nuance. Next time, I’ll blue book.
Full disclosure: I admit I still really don’t like her. That didn’t used to be the case. But the more strident her defenders become, the less I like her. The more I’m criticized as being a traitor to my gender for not liking her, the more strident I become. Perhaps such is the nature of political discourse.
*big sigh* I am a recovering attorney and spent over a decade in the corporate world. I’ve seen young women, with freshly minted degrees, misreading the sexism above them and mishandling their opportunities with stunning ignorance. Even the smart ones. I’ve seen too many rushing to become Mrs Someone Else with nary a thought to the notion they might keep their own name.
Conversely, I’ve seen so many men and women who steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the huge sexist elephant in the room. I’ve read both the Glass Hammer and the NY Mag articles and comments.
I wanted to share this clip as a little encouragement.
If the link doesn’t work try this.
It’s Kerry Washington reading Sojourner Truth and it’s beautiful and sadly relevant.
-Jacqueline