Daily Iowan

Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Opinions

In a November 2006 issue of The Nation, Katha Pollitt somewhat sarcastically attacked Rodham Clinton's opponent in the New York senate race, John Spencer, for his sexist and just-plain-juvenile remarks on Hillary's appearance. Spencer wondered aloud to a reporter why Bill had married her when she was so ugly. Pollitt, frustrated at this latest symptom of a larger social issue, proclaimed, "I've had it with the endless monitoring of women's beauty, age, weight and hotness. You've just given me another reason to vote for her. President Hillary! The anti-Paris Hilton." Yes, that's good. Attack stupidity with stupidity.

Much as I'd love to vote for a candidate should he or she run as the anti-Hilton (mouth-breathing numbskulls aren't my forte), I have a little more common sense than that, just as I have enough common sense to not vote for Barack Obama simply because he's black or for Mitt Romney simply because he's Mormon. Intelligent voters choose candidates based on the issues, not on the shape and design of their sexual organs or whether they sit when they pee. The feminist movement, the women's "force," isn't necessarily stronger in this one because she's actually a woman. Hate Hillary, love Hillary; I don't care - but don't do so because her name isn't Hal, Cliff, or Chuck.

DI columnist and editorial writer Nate Whitney encourages you to get out and vote, but for the right reasons. E-mail him at mighty.is.the.pen@gmail.com.

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