Reading List: This One? Y'all, It Hurts.
Yesterday, I came home from dinner with my parents to find the following piece of merchandise I’d ordered a couple of weeks ago wedged into my mailbox.
Needless to say, with yesterday’s news that Elizabeth Warren was ending her presidential campaign, opening that bag was a bit of a punch in the gut.
As I posted on the various socials yesterday, this one hurts. Deeply. Because in my mind, Elizabeth checked off all the sexist (and often inaccurate imho) boxes thrust in front of us by progressive Hillary naysayers after her loss in 2016. Warren: Lacked baggage? Check. Likable? Check. Scandal-free? Check. Lack of big sketchy donors? Check. Able to speak from the heart and be ‘human,’ whatever that means? Check. Passionate supporters who genuinely, deeply appreciated her and how she made them feel and what they knew she could do for this country? Check check double secret probation check to the moon and back check.
And if you’re me, my feeds are straight up depressing right now. Because between lamentations from strong and talented women I love and respect about how they truly wanted Warren because she was the best candidate, would have been the best president, how they saw themselves in her and had hope again, there are people calling for Warren’s head because she didn’t drop put soon enough and throw her weight behind their anointed one. Or she didn’t attack hard enough. Or she was too shrill. Or or or or or….
I was told when I was younger that women could do anything, be anything. And tbh now that I’m seeing nuanced coverage of Warren’s talents and challenges AFTER she has dropped out, I’m not so sure anymore. We all sure love our talented and capable ladies, as long as they’re not trying to be in charge of everything they’ve fought so hard for.
Because I can’t shake the feeling that the political goalposts will always, constantly, endlessly, be moving for Democratic women candidates, no matter how good we are or how many existing rules we follow. That just when we put up a woman who seems to check all of the boxes, we’re still a mile short of expectations we didn’t know we needed to meet.
Welp, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. And before I get any emails, yes I will vote for whomever the democratic nominee will be. Because my personal sadness shouldn’t trump doing what is right for those vulnerable people in political harm’s way.
And hey, there’s stuff to read on the internet that I picked out before yesterday weeeeeee!
Moe Tkacik, Rebekah Neumann's Search For Enlightenment Fueled WeWork's Collapse (Bustle) - If it’s a story about WeWork insanity, I’ll read it. But if it’s a story about woo woo self-improvement intersecting with celebrity intersecting with aspiring artistry intersecting with VC-funded madness, I will read it AND re-read it.
Caitlin Mostatello, Katie Hill, After the Scandal (The Cut) - This profile of a politician post-leaving office after an inappropriate relationship with a staffer is absolutely novel for a few reasons: 1) the politician in question was a young Democratic rising star woman, 2) the controversy came to light because of an abusive ex-husband leaking revenge porn, and 3) Hill’s remarkable candor with the reporter. It’s fascinating.
Stephanie McCrummen, Miranda’s Rebellion (The Washington Post) - A bunch of y’all sent this in. I haven’t read it yet but an examination of how a woman’s politics are changing in red state America is something we should all be cognizant of.
Y’all are lovely. Have a great weekend, and be kind to each other.
Xoxo
Amy