The cast of ABC’s The View is still re-litigating 2016 in 2022. That much was apparent during a segment Wednesday where they suggested female politicians supposedly had to complete with being “likable” while their male counterparts didn’t. In the course of this griping, co-host Sunny Hostin lashed out at women who voted for former President Trump by suggesting they “voted against their best interest.”
“The good news is there are more female-elected officials in America than ever before, but gender bias is still alive and well in politics,” announced co-host Joy Behar. Citing “research” from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, she added: “Women have to jump through a lot more hoops than male candidates to show voters that they're likable and qualified. Men just have to be qualified.”
“So, men are getting a pass again,” she chided despite admitting: “even when it's two women running against each other, the one who's more likable will win.”
The idea that likeability isn’t a factor for male politicians is ridiculous. For decades “could I see myself having a beer with this guy” has been a fairly common standard for male politicians.
In 2000, the media pushed Al Gore as an immensely qualified candidate, but he lost to the guy people felt was more relatable in George W. Bush. And looking ahead to 2024, people are leaning toward Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) because he doesn’t have the baggage of Trump. And in 2016, both Hillary Clinton and Trump had low favorability ratings but Clinton was the known quantity.
Speaking of the known quantities, Hostin and co-host Ana Navarro couldn’t understand why people didn’t like how Vice President Kamala Harris (and Clinton) would launch into bouts of laughter at inappropriate times:
NAVARRO: And as Viola Davis said yesterday, seeing yourself matters and, you know, seeing a vice president who's a woman for the first time, even though for some reason people are, like, obsessed with the way she laughs. It's, like, don't men laugh?
BEHAR: Oh, Kamala. Also, Hillary Clinton had that. They also attacked her laugh.
Keeping the focus on Clinton, Hostin decided to take an elitist approach to lashing out at the women who supported Trump over Clinton. “I hope people are studying Hillary Clinton because what was surprising to me was that so many women voted against their best interest in voting for Trump and not Hillary Clinton,” she sneered. “The misogynist. That was so odd to me.”
Co-host Sara Haines actually pushed back and noted that there are women who vote based on policy positions and not on who has what kind of genitals. But Hostin still couldn’t get it:
HAINES: But that assumes a female that that issue is their number one. Because you often talk to people that are politically—
HOSTIN: But she was more qualified! It wasn't just about gender.
(…)
HAINES: [T]hey often vote for different things down their ballot. So, I don’t think it was just against a woman. If you see it that way, you're missing why they did it.
HOSTIN: But it was also qualifications!
The only person who knows what’s in a voter’s best interest is the voter in question. No one can dictate that for them. That’s what leftists like Hostin don’t understand.
This elitist scolding about who women voted for was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Ensure and Tide. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
April 27, 2022
11:13 58 a.m. EasternJOY BEHAR: So, the good news -- the good news is there are more female-elected officials in America than ever before, but gender bias is still alive and well in politics. Research from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation found that women have to jump through a lot more hoops than male candidates to show voters that they're likable and qualified. Men just have to be qualified. See? The women have to be likable also.
So, an interesting point, in the study, they said even when it's two women running against each other, the one who's more likable will win. So, men are getting a pass again.
SUNNY HOSTIN: That's in this country, right?
BEHAR: Yeah. I believe so.
HOSTIN: That's in this country. Because there are so many female leaders all across the world that are kicking butt and doing really, really well.
BEHAR: Yeah, was Angela Merkel very likable? I don't know, was she?
HOSTIN: Right? And you think about New Zealand, is it.
(…)
11:16:06 a.m. Eastern
ANA NAVARRO: Let's be realistic here. Gender bias exists in politics, it exists in life, it exists in TV, it exists in families, it exists in workplaces. Women are not getting paid the same as men. It exists in life. In our American life, gender bias is very much a part of it. I think we've made progress, right?
HOSTIN: Yes, we have.
NAVARRO: Almost 25 percent of the Senate is female. Almost 28 percent of the House is female. And as Viola Davis said yesterday, seeing yourself matters and, you know, seeing a vice president who's a woman for the first time, even though for some reason people are, like, obsessed with the way she laughs. It's, like, don't men laugh?
BEHAR: Oh, Kamala. Also, Hillary Clinton had that. They also attacked her laugh.
[Crosstalk]
HOSTIN: I hope people are studying Hillary Clinton because what was surprising to me was that so many women voted against their best interest in voting for Trump and not Hillary Clinton.
BEHAR: Yeah.
HOSTIN: The misogynist. That was so odd to me.
HAINES: But that assumes a female that that issue is their number one. Because you often talk to people that are politically—
HOSTIN: But she was more qualified! It wasn't just about gender.
HAINES: Agreed. I voted for Hillary Clinton. I love Hillary Clinton. Politically too though, when you take someone that doesn't agree with the economics or the immigration, they often vote for different things down their ballot. So, I don’t think it was just against a woman. If you see it that way, you're missing why they did it.
HOSTIN: But it was also qualifications!
HAINES: I agree.
(…)
