The Blogger's Intent
But Bernie O'Hare, the blogger behind the site where Kieklak posted his comments was incensed. He wrote:What I detest most is the hypocricy [sic] of phonies like Kieklak and his ilk. They spout pious platitudes about "equality" and "equal opportunity" and "protecting a woman’s right to choose." But when you strip away the veneer, you still see sexists, racists and bigots.In an interview with The Morning Call, O'Hare explained that because Kieklak's comments "crossed the line" he felt compelled to leave them on his site to expose Kieklak and reveal the thoughts of the chief of staff of a potential Congressional candidate:
Here is a woman who is contemplating a run for Congress, and she has a chief of staff that not only thinks like that but writes like that....What on Earth is wrong with him? ... I leave that up there because I think people should know."Strangely enough, Kieklak's boss -- state senator Lisa Boscola -- was reluctant to fire him. Although he eventually handed in his resignation, she did not immediately accept it.
The Country's Indifference
The actions of each of the participants may seem surprising and extreme. Sadly, they are all too commonplace and mirror what's been happening across the country in recent years.Comments similar in tone to Kieklak's have been made by Republican strategist Roger Stone and MSNBC correspondent David Shuster. Even 2008 presidential candidate John McCain laughed when a supporter called his opponent Hillary Clinton a bitch during a closed-door meeting.
The sexism faced by McCain's running mate Sarah Palin did not end with her candidacy. She still encounters it as she campaigns for other candidates nationwide, as do the following women in their respective 2010 races: gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell, and incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand.
The CEO's Insistence
But what happened to Sam Bennett? Although she lost the House race, her experiences on the campaign trail led her to advocate for women and against media sexism as CEO of the Women's Campaign Forum Foundation. Today, Bennett is able to effect change on a national level as she advances an agenda to call out sexism and insist on media accountability when gender biased coverage of female candidates occurs. She is determined to see that up-and-coming women in politics never endure what she had to suffer through:It's time to say, enough is enough. No longer will we sit idly by while reporters analyze the wardrobe of women leaders instead of their achievements. No longer will a woman's menstruation be a deterrent for support. We will not accept talks of cougars, MILFs, or Ice Queens. Commanding and decisive women will not be called nagging or shrill; nor will their empathy be dismissed as 'too emotional.'Sources:This all-too-common sexist language has been damaging the campaigns and careers of women candidates for years....
I will not rest until no woman has to endure what I did when I ran for U.S. Congress. When I was attacked, no one said a word.
Bennet, Sam. "This just in: The measure of a female candidate isn't in her measurements." HuffingtonPost.com. 16 September 2010.
Drobnyk, Josh. "Boscola's top aide shows off vocabulary." The Morning Call. 13 June 2007.
Micek, John L. and Josh Drobnyk. "Boscola's aide offers to quit." The Morning Call. 14 June 2007.
O'Hare, Bernie. "Boscola's Congressional Hopes Fade, Thanks to Aide's Sexist Remarks." Lehigh Valley Ramblings. 13 June 2007.
