Hillary Supporter: Certain Words Are Used as Code for Sexist Attacks on Hillary

Hillary Supporter Says Certain Words Are Used as Codewords for Sexist Attacks on Hillary (Mediaite)

Last week reporters received warnings from a group of Hillary Clinton supporters called HRC Super Volunteers about “coded sexism” that they’d better avoid when Clinton runs for president. Offending words include “polarizing,” “calculating,” “insincere,” “inevitable,” “secretive,” and “out of touch.”

MSNBC’s Ed Schultz expressed some skepticism today about warning the media like that, and spoke on his show today to Kim Frederick about why her group is taking that angle.

Frederick pointed to some examples of coded sexism, like a New York Times cartoon making Clinton out to be a Wicked Witch of the West-type figure, and MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell talking about Clinton reaching out to her husband for advice.

Schultz stood up for his colleague and asked, “How is that coded? Because she might do that.” He said plenty of presidents use advisers, and Bill Clinton would certainly be someone good for any Democratic president to ask for advice.

Frederick argued that no one would say the same about a man, and that the underlying message is that Clinton wouldn’t be “qualified… to handle it herself.”