Electability

Matt Stoller of Open Left, echoing Paul Krugman's blog piece, tells us to (seriously!) stop with the electability arguments:

We have no idea who is more likely to beat John McCain, and it shouldn't be a factor in a voter's decision-making....[J]udge the candidates on things that are concrete, not ephemeral, like polls six months out from the election that are going to change significantly.

Thank you for your concern, Matt, but I think you're wrong. Electability (or, as I prefer to call it, unelectability) is a real issue in this election.

Stoller continues:

... There is incredibly nasty stuff out there on the wingnut internets about Obama and Clinton, stuff worse than Rezko, and it's going to substantially alter the contours of the race after the primary.

Indeed, it will get nasty. But the time to be concerned is now, before the primary.

Fact is, we're already seeing it.

MSNBC -- the network that brought you Chris "Mr. Misogyny" Matthews -- has had to suspend one of its political reporters for accusing the Clinton campaign of "pimping out" Chelsea Clinton.

When it is so easy for network reporters let fly with this stuff, you have to think about this: What will happen when the sexism is part of a deliberate and calculated strategy to play the gender card -- as it will be, when the Republican campaign gets rolling?

I believe that it is much harder to get a woman elected president today than a person of color, all else being equal. As widespread as racism is, sexism runs even deeper and affects a larger proportion of the electorate.

Compounding the problem: We are much more attuned to racism, and quicker to call it out, than we are to even blatant sexism.

I'd like to see a woman as president as much as anybody would. In any other circumstances, I'd say let's go for it. But Hillary isn't just any woman, she's a Clinton. In many circles, she could not be more hated if she were Satan. (In fact, some people think she really is.) Rush Limbaugh is only half kidding when he says he'll raise money for her campaign because she'd inspire Republicans to fight hard.

So that's two strikes against her. But that isn't all: For eight years we have collectively been a under the spell of an alpha male cult. The spell may be starting to wear off, but I think it's too early to say that we are ready to elect Hillary Clinton over John McCain, the archetype of alpha males.

I could be wrong and Hillary gets elected. I certainly hope I'm wrong if she's the nominee. But I don't think we can afford taking the risk, even if the Democrats posit starting with a 20 point advantage.

Those polls just confirm what I already know in my heart. 2008 is not the time, nor is Hillary Clinton the candidate, to make the presidential election a feminist cause.

Update: Restated and clarified here.