Instead of blocking UV rays, the UltraViolet women’s advocacy group tries to offer protection from sexism.
The group has recently launched a campaign to alter the upcoming presidential debates, but this time, the complaint has nothing to do with the candidates themselves, but rather with the debate moderators.
Yes, UltraViolet feels that even though long-time anchor and CNN political correspondent Candy Crowley moderated the second debate of the 2012 election season between President Obama and Mitt Romney, we need to change this year’s debate moderators and add more female anchors to the stage.
“The Presidential Debate Commission just announced that men will moderate all three debates between the first female major party candidate and the most sexist candidate in recent history. The one woman included was only trusted to co-host,” the website reads.
The first presidential debate on September 26 will be moderated by NBC’s Lester Holt. CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Martha Raddatz will lead the second debate on October 9. Fox’s Chris Wallace will moderate the third debate on October 19.
“That’s right–in 2016, the commission somehow thinks that a woman cannot moderate a presidential debate on her own,” the UltraViolet campaign said. “But it’s not too late to convince the commission to change course. There are still 20 days before the first debate and plenty of women to choose from to moderate: Gwen Ifill, Rachel Maddow, Christiane Amanpour, Tamron Hall, and more. But only if we create enough pressure on the commission right away.”
It should be noted that the names that UltraViolet has singled out are all from left-leaning, or at least non-conservative, networks. Gwen Ifill (PBS), Rachel Maddow (MSNBC), Christine Amanpour (CNN), and Tamron Hall (NBC). Yes, the phrase “and others” is included, but if this website is so dedicated to equality, why aren’t Megyn Kelly or Laura Ingraham mentioned?
By the way, the whole logic of the campaign is flawed. If “women are as capable as men,” why does it matter who hosts the debates? The correct phrasing in this case would be “women are more capable than men.”
Yes, this is a small fish in a big pond, but the more phony outrage we in conservative media can extinguish, the better we sleep at night.
