Behar Touts Jim Webb, Then Rants Against Sexism

Joy Behar, a self proclaimed feminist, touted a man with a sexist past to be Obama’s running mate, then ranted against alleged sexism that surfaced in the 2008 primary. The conversation on the June 4 edition of "The View" led to whether or not presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama should choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate. Whoopi Goldberg also expressed her discontent with Clinton’s post primary speech.

When Barbara Walters questioned the panel about Hillary Clinton as an Obama running mate, Joy Behar added she thinks "that [Clinton] is very divisive in the country," then named Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.) as a potential pick, because he is not as liberal as many elite Democrats. Behar, who once called abortion opponents "against women," did not mention Webb’s past opposition to women at the Naval Academy describing the predominantly male dorms as "a horny woman’s dream."

Missing her own sense of irony, Behar later ranted against the media for alleged sexism against Senator Clinton calling the media "slightly biased against her as a female." Then called out particularly MSNBC for alleged sexism charging "the names that they called her and the way that they projected that she was some kind of a witch did not help her."

Also of note in the political discussion was Whoopi Goldberg’s disgust with Senator Clinton’s speech. Goldberg also agreed Clinton should not join an Obama ticket because her speech "wasn’t about the country it was about her."

The relevant transcript is below.

JOY BEHAR: I think that [Hillary Clinton] is very divisive in the country. I think that Jim Webb would be a better candidate for him. He used to be a Republican. He used to work for Reagan. Now he’s a Democrat. He’s a Vietnam veteran. The guy’s a firebrand. He can appeal to people who love guns, because he does and he’s a Democrat. He’s somebody that would balance the ticket.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: He may be divisive too. He’s had some comments in the past.

[...]

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I didn’t like her speech.

HASSELBECK: Why?

GOLDBERG: I didn’t like her speech because with all of the greatness that this woman has in her, that she couldn’t say "you know what? We have run an insanely brilliant campaign." And since he’s got what he needs to become the nominee, we as a party have to get ourselves together. That was what I needed from her. Whether she said everybody go to him or not last night wasn’t the issue. But for me, I just felt like it was like "well, I’m not sure what I’m going to do and I want you all to e-mail me and tell me what you think." Because it was like "well, I’m not sure what we’re going to do because maybe we’ll go to McCain. I don’t know." I didn’t like it. I did not like the way, but I’m answering. I did not like the speech because I felt for the first time that it wasn’t about the country, that it was about her. And it pissed me off.

[applause]

BEHAR: Is it the first time?

GOLDBERG: For me, yeah.

[...]

BEHAR: I think the media has been slightly bias against her as a female and as Hillary. And I’ll say that. I said that from the beginning. I still don’t think she should be president right now. But I think that MSNBC was mean to her in the beginning. And I have the written proof. I went online and got all of it. The names that they called her and the way that they projected that she was some kind of a witch did not help her.

BARBARA WALTERS: So why the article?

BEHAR: And that’s why these women out there are mad.