Last night, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton met for their first presidential debate. The big story was that Trump repeatedly interrupted and talked over Clinton.
It is sad commentary on the entire debate if the candidates interrupting one another is the “big story”.Feminists immediately seized the opportunity to decry Trump as sexist and his behavior as misogynist:
To the men amazed Clinton hasn’t snapped: Every woman you know has learned to do this. This is our life in this society. #debatenight
— E. Van Every (@E_VanEvery) September 27, 2016
How many women can relate to being interrupted & talked over right now?#PresidentialDebate
— Coya Hope (@coyahope) September 27, 2016
So many women watching are cringing, thinking back to the times men have interrupted, screamed over, & belittled them. #debatenight
— Shelby Knox (@ShelbyKnox) September 27, 2016
Through interruptions, lies, and dog-whistle sexism (“temperament,” really?) – she laid out a clear vision for the future. #debatenight
— Cecile Richards (@CecileRichards) September 27, 2016
Debating while female. #ImWithHer #DebateNight #Debates2016 pic.twitter.com/T0CamWjNed
— NARAL (@NARAL) September 27, 2016
The first debate featured an unprepared man repeatedly shouting over a highly prepared woman: https://t.co/p6tkZ7pA7q
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) September 27, 2016
There’s no doubting Trump has said sexist and misogynist things. But is the action of talking over people in and of itself sexist?
Absolutely not. This is not behavior that Trump only exhibited when debating a woman. This is just who Trump is, to both men and women.An argument could credibly be made for other sexist behavior from Trump, but interrupting people is not that.
For example, check out this video of one of the GOP debates, where Trump repeatedly interrupts and talks over everyone present – even the moderator, Wolf Blitzer.
It’s OK in this case, though, because these were men. Men can take bluster and rudeness; women, evidently, can’t.
Today’s feminists have completely abandoned the idea of strong women, and instead, embrace the outdated notion of women as fragile flowers who need defending from big scary men.Hillary Clinton wants to be the President of the United States, the most powerful person in the world, and she will have to square off with rude people who will talk over her occasionally.
Is her cadre of social justice warriors going to come shrieking to her defense every time someone doesn’t give her special treatment because she’s a lady?
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