In California Senate Race, Barbara Boxer Attacked for Standing Up to Sexism

Senators are referred to by their title. When not referred to as "Senator," that's a mistake. Yet Republicans find it outrageous that Barbara Boxer (D-CA) once asked a witness to refer to her using this proper title, rather than the gendered term "ma'am."

Republican Carly Fiorina, the woman challenging Boxer in the California Senate race, has decided that rather than disagree with Boxer on policy, she will one-up Boxer by being a more know-your-place kind of woman. In her newest ad, Fiorina pulls footage of Boxer asking to be referred to by the same title as her male colleagues: “Twenty-eight years in Washington, and Barbara Boxer works hard for a title? I’ll really go to work to end the arrogance in Washington.” The point, of course, is that women who demand respect are arrogant. Barbara Boxer, an arrogant woman, is on the wrong side of feminism; but Fiorina knows her place. Watch it.

In essence, this is an ad aimed at courting male voters. It says, look, Barbara Boxer disrespected a brigadier general; therefore, she doesn't like men. This is strategic because even though women vote at a higher rate than men, men are more likely to vote Republican. Moreover, Fiorina's anti-abortion stance is not popular in a highly pro-choice state. Like Sarah Palin, whose biggest supporters are white men, Fiorina knows her chances with women are slim and is going after traditional men. Perhaps more interesting is how Republican women will take this ad. Do they see Boxer as an uppity feminist, or do they want a female senator who will stand up for herself?

Fiorina plays on the worst stereotypes of the feminist as bitch, ball-buster, and man-hater — the same stereotypes that scare women away from demanding equality and scare men away before they understand the point of feminism. You would think that it would be a great day when two women battled for a Senate seat; instead, Fiorina's ad harms women by propagating the myth that feminism makes monsters of women.

Photo/Video credit: Korean Resource Center / Carly for California