Republicans play sexism card over 'L' word

Palin's popularity poses dilemma for the Democrats: how to attack her credentials without appearing to attack her womanhood.

Supporters cheer as John McCain and Sarah Palin take the stage at a campaign event in Virginia.

WASHINGTON // There is a new "L word" in American politics and it is not "liberal". It is "lipstick". Lipstick once was just a beauty product, but now the word's mere utterance on the US presidential campaign trail has given political ammunition to Republicans seemingly bent on invoking the very thing Hillary Clinton and her surrogates did after she lost in the primaries: the sexism card.

In a stump speech last week in Lebanon, Virginia, Barack Obama used a colloquial expression in which he ridiculed John McCain's policies as prettied-up versions of George W Bush's: "You can put lipstick on a pig," the Democrat said to mixed laughter and applause. "It's still a pig." Republicans took offence to the phrase - or feigned offence to it - and quickly followed with an attack ad claiming the pig in lipstick was a misogynistic reference to Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor who is the vice presidential candidate on the Republican ticket.

The accusations go beyond make-up. On Friday, Mr McCain sounded the alarm bells of sexism again, this time with a new ad called "Disrespectful", claiming that Mr Obama and Joe Biden, his running mate, have "lashed out" at Mrs Palin, "dismissed her as good-looking", and said she does only "what she is told". Mrs Palin, the young, energetic, socially conservative "hockey mom", has proved remarkably popular on the campaign trail, particularly among women and independents, catching Democrats off guard. But with her candidacy comes something her opponents are now scrambling to figure out: how to mount an assault on her credentials without appearing to attack her womanhood.

"I think they were unprepared for this candidate, and now they have to develop a strategy on how to challenge her without appearing to be sexist," said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "It is tricky because if they come back at her in a too strong and aggressive way, it could be seen as attacking her as a woman." The sexism card has played well in some past elections. Just ask Rick Lazio, the former congressman who ran against Mrs Clinton in 2000 for a New York Senate seat, and who sealed his own defeat with what many saw as a sexist gaffe.

During a debate, Mr Lazio approached Mrs Clinton's lectern and demanded she sign a paper pledge to denounce unregulated campaign contributions. Women's rights advocates railed against Mr Lazio for displaying his physical prowess and "invading" Mrs Clinton's personal space. Her campaign seized on the moment, too, in stump speeches and campaign ads. Mrs Clinton, to some the very embodiment of feminism, also played the sexism card in her primary battle against Mr Obama, especially towards its end when her defeat seemed imminent. Many felt she was justified.

Chris Mathews, a popular political pundit, said Mrs Clinton's political career was only made possible because her husband "messed around". Her hairstyles, her laugh and her clothes were given an abnormal amount of media attention. And among the political paraphernalia available online was "The Hillary Nutcracker". Mrs Clinton told The Washington Post in May that her treatment by analysts and critics was "deeply offensive to millions of women". She also said there was more sexism than racism in the historic election, and referred to the "incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments by people who are nothing but misogynists".

But in Mr McCain's case, some said the campaign may be going too far. According to FactCheck.org, a non-partisan group, all of the quotations used in Mr McCain's "disrespectful" ad were taken out of context. "In this case they strained the facts, and they distorted quotes," said Brooks Jackson, the accuracy watchdog's director. As for the pig and lipstick ad, FactCheck.org called it "bunk". "They have got to be careful. After too many times it won't carry any weight," said Ms Walsh of Rutgers. She worries Republicans could overshadow real examples of discrimination, of which there are many, by invoking fake ones. Ms Walsh cited repeated questions from the media about whether Mrs Palin has time both to govern and to be a mother to her five children as examples of serious gender bias.

"These are not questions that are asked of men," she said. Republicans might also beware of seeming to pick and choose when it is appropriate to invoke Mrs Palin's gender. Rank and file supporters at the Republican National Convention, for example, were seen sporting campaign buttons that read: "Alaska: Coldest State, Hottest Governor." But with everyone ready to put the sexist label on Mr Obama - including such new online groups as "Palin Sexism Watch" - the candidate is clearly navigating through treacherous territory. In fact, some strategists said Mr Obama is left with only one option: "He just has to stay away from Sarah Palin," said Kimberly Adams, a political consultant in Pennsylvania who works with women and supports Mr Obama. "No matter what he continues to do, it will be perceived as sexist."

But staying away from Mrs Palin is not an option for Mr Biden, who will have to share the stage with her at a vice presidential debate on Oct 2 in St Louis. Many have suggested that Mr Biden will need to soften his tone in those debates. But Tanya Acker, a political analyst from Los Angeles who supports Mr Obama, said any leniency would ultimately do more harm to women's rights than good. "The notion that we have to treat someone who is running for the vice presidency with kid gloves is downright offensive," she said. "If [Mrs Palin] can't stare down Joe Biden, then she certainly can't stare down Vladimir Putin."