Are female Democrats held to higher ideological standards than male Democrats?

[IceSpear]

Some examples:

1) Arkansas conservadem Blanche Lincoln gets a fierce primary. Arkansas conservadem Mark Pryor gets to skate through without even token opposition.

2) West Virginia conservadem Joe Manchin throwing Obama under the bus is A-OK, he's just doing what he has to do to win. West Virginia conservadem Natalie Tennant throwing Obama under the bus is unforgivable, and the DNC should pull all support for her campaign.

3) Kentucky Democrat Jack Conway distances himself from Obama, but he needs to do that to win in such a red state. Kentucky Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes distances herself from Obama, and she is bashed for it, with many people even saying she lost because she didn't embrace Obama.

4) Despite being similar on 90% of issues, Hillary Clinton gets tagged as the center-right neoliberal whereas Barack Obama gets tagged as the left wing savior.

Discuss.

[IceSpear]

The idea that Democrats have ideological standards is cute.

[IceSpear]

While I admit I hadn't really though much of it until now, such a conclusion makes a disturbing amount of sense considering:

- The Ron Paul-esque worship Elizabeth Warren gets and the draft to get her to challenge Clinton from the left even though she's declined,...while Bernie Sanders actually is running and is unambiguously more liberal than Warren, but where's his following?

- All those polls flaunted about how women are supposed to be more liberal and Democratic than men. And they are really supposed to like Obama.

Take these into account, and it's obvious that Conservadem women fly straight in the face of that. And regrettably, this gets voters and the media up in arms, even if the reality seemingly requires them and actions such as distancing from Obama.



But to be fair with Manchin, he ran in a Presidential year, which is obviously very different from a  midterm.

Our society is sexist in general.

And this is an excellent short answer.

That's actually a good point, about how women are "supposed" to be more liberal than men which could somewhat explain the higher standard. It could also explain why far right Republican women such as Palin, Bachmann, etc. are targeted more often than far right Republican men are.

[IceSpear]

Some examples:

1) Arkansas conservadem Blanche Lincoln gets a fierce primary. Arkansas conservadem Mark Pryor gets to skate through without even token opposition.

2) West Virginia conservadem Joe Manchin throwing Obama under the bus is A-OK, he's just doing what he has to do to win. West Virginia conservadem Natalie Tennant throwing Obama under the bus is unforgivable, and the DNC should pull all support for her campaign.

3) Kentucky Democrat Jack Conway distances himself from Obama, but he needs to do that to win in such a red state. Kentucky Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes distances herself from Obama, and she is bashed for it, with many people even saying she lost because she didn't embrace Obama.

4) Despite being similar on 90% of issues, Hillary Clinton gets tagged as the center-right neoliberal whereas Barack Obama gets tagged as the left wing savior.

Discuss.

1. Best argument there I think is that progressive Democrats had given up on Arkansas as a lost cause to a greater extent in 2014 then 2010.

2. You might have a point here.

3. Yeah I agree that was disingenuous, I don't think that had to do with why she lost.

4. Can't speak for others but I'm pretty equally critical of both of them. I've never singled Hillary out in my criticisms of her, I think they apply to most of the modern party.

Fair enough on point 1. Although there was a lot of hate for Pryor, it never reached the level of vitriol directed at Lincoln. Another plausible explanation could be that Democrats were riding high on top of the world after 2008, basking in their "permanent majority" and thinking they had the luxury to primary Lincoln, but were taught a lesson from their thumping in 2010.