“I‘m a victim of sexism myself all the time; I think it goes with the territory.”
So said Rep. Nancy Pelosi this morning in Washington, D.C. at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast for reporters. Her comments were in response to a question posed by USA Today’s Susan Page on whether sexism played a role in Sen. Hillary Clinton‘s unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination.
Recommended Stories
“My impression is that, yes, there was sexism” in the reaction to Clinton’s campaign “and my knowledge is that, yes, there is sexism because there has been.”
Still, Pelosi said that she finds “a tremendous upside to being a woman.”
“I think Sen. Clinton got the benefit of being a woman because women were wildly enthusiastic to back her candidacy,” said Pelosi, adding that women voters admired Clinton’s “talent, this intellect, commitment, stamina.”
“Is there sexism? Probably so,” said Pelosi. “Is it responsible for the defeat? I really wouldn’t have all of the information to know that. But I do think that being a woman has a positive upside in the campaign that’s probably offset by most sexism. … Of course there is sexism. … It’s a given.”
“On the positive side, Sen. Clinton has advanced the cause of women in government and her candidacy has been a very positive time for the country and has had a very wholesome effect on the political process. … Her candidacy is just a bright moment for us.”
