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Anessa Klumb [picture courtesy Mitchell Wesleyan Church] of Mitchell, who attended the debate, said she's supporting Lien.
"I think Stephanie needs to focus on her family first," she said of Herseth Sandlin, who is expecting her first child [Carson Walker, "House Candidates Meet in First Debate," AP via MDL, 20008.08.20, p. 1].
Gee, Anessa, Chris Lien has a wife and daughter. Shouldn't he focus on his family first? Your (ahem) logic suggests that any married parent should stay out of politics. That would leave widows, divorcés, and (thanks to the constitutional ban on gay marriage we passed in 2006) homosexuals to serve us in Congress. (Are you and your Wesleyan friends o.k. with that, Anessa?)
Lien has the gall to reprint this chauvinism on his campaign website, implicitly endorsing that double standard. (He and the Rapid City Journal also change the headline to give Lien top billing—dare I ask whatever happened to ladies first?) I'd like to think such sexism would automatically lose him 51% of the vote... but as Anessa shows, some women have bought into their own submission.
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Update 21:37: Look at that: the Lien campaign changed their web page. This morning, the Lien campaign website reprinted the Rapid City Journal story in full, including Anessa Klumb's very distressing comment. Now the same webpage simply summarizes the article, omits any mention of Anessa's sexist defense of Lien's candidacy, and offers a link to the original RCJ article. The last modification of the page (according to the page info) was this afternoon at 13:08:27. The cached Google version of the original Lien page has also disappeared, which as far as I know only happens if someone asks Google to make it happen.
I thought maybe the Lien folks were just worried about copyright, but no, they still have full versions of other RCJ articles, plus goodies from other papers. What's the matter, Lien campaign: your supporters making you a little queasy?
Stephanie Herseth will win this fall without question, because she has been bi-partisan and has served all of South Dakota, and she, like most women in our country, will find the strength and ability to juggle work and motherhood.
ReplyDeleteI suppose there are worse politicians out there... granted, Stephanie's not perfect (i.e. Libertarian), but she seems to get the job done.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny... she's a Democrat here, but if she were anywhere else (D.C., New York, Minnesota, California), she'd be considered a right-wing Republican!
So, it's ok for some to impose un-fettered liberal idiology on readers with out reprise (pretty much nation-wide media), but if someone states a personal view that is more conservative than the norm, they get called a PIG? Then, question the entire Wesleyan community's views? Besides, widows, divorced people, and gays all have families and children just like the rest of us. Therefor, your rant is both illogical and obviously idiotic (for lack of better words).
ReplyDeleteAnon: "impose"? you did the clicking... ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right: Widows, divorcés, gays all have families... and thus by Anessa's statement, should all stay out of politics. Illogical indeed... as illogical as the chauvinist statement she made to justify voting for Lien.
I don't make the illogic; I just report it.
South Dakota has THE HIGHEST percentage of working mothers in the nation. These mother's are working FOR THEIR FAMILIES. Just as Stephanie is working to make SD a better place for her child. I'd like to see this gal state her ignorant opinion to the working mother crowd in this state.
ReplyDeleteIs there a reason you are already attacking a family and staffers instead of talking about candidates? This is the "dirty" part of the political process and you hurt people and families with this junk. Keep it about the candidates, the people of South Dakota will not tolerate "dirty" politics any longer. I am sure the reporter approached these people and they simply answered the question(s), I would imagine they didn't run up to the reporter. Calling a young person a pig and throwing her photo up is disrespectful and really childish.
ReplyDeleteI think she just did, didn't she?
ReplyDeleteSince when isn't a person entitled to their own opinion?
I have to be tolerant of everybody elses beliefs, do I not?
I don't see the atheists demonized and called "pig" in print when they say something opposite to my beliefs. So, why is this lady so chastized for one simply statement that she believes in?
I think the reporter was just annoyed by the person that said that. And, since the pen is mightier than the sword.... touche'
ReplyDeleteNo, when you deliver such a senseless, sexist, and backwards quote to a newspaper, you deserve to be made fun of and mocked for your ignorance.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this is a WOMAN who said this. I see what Ann Coulter was getting at when she said that women shouldn't have the right to vote. :P
But to quote Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, "To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." Amen, sister.
Cory, thanks for the great posts. Both this one and the following one on the Lien campaign.
ReplyDeleteYou've done South Dakota and her catatonic media a tremendous service.
People are drawing a lot from one quote by this woman. Would you like to be judged and portrayed so quickly? Not that women need be the main caretaker, but many used to say quality time was more important than quantity time which helped justify two careers. Kids need lots of quality time much more than 2 SUVs in the driveway. In SD some couples must both work to make basic ends meet, yet there are some who prefer to live frugally so there can be a full-time parent engaged with their kids. There is a real loss when parents are unavailable, for whatever reason. JH
ReplyDeleteOne quote can say a lot.
ReplyDeleteAnswer this, JH: if Anessa can argue that we shouldn't vote for Steph because Steph should focus on her family, can others argue that we shouldn't vote for Chris because he should focus on his family? That's the very obvious point Anessa's comment raises... test it, and you'll see her sexist double standard shining through.
It's easier to find fault rather than learn from another person's perspective. As far as quotes go, as Joe Biden. He may find her clean as well. jh
ReplyDeleteBut JH, what's the other perspective you want us to learn from here? That it's o.k. to expect women to stay home to take care of the family but imposing no such expectation on men? I'm still not seeing the upside of Anessa's sexist statement (and now that they've edited their website, neither is the Lien campaign).
ReplyDeleteI’m asking you to see her perspective from your way of thinking and see if there is common ground. Does family come first? Can differences in sexes be appreciated? Do you agree the first months and years of life are formative and need your attention rather than being handed off to someone without your intimate knowledge?
ReplyDeleteThe Wesleyan Church is a very conservative church. I agree if a woman is expected to stay home and raise the family, why shouldn't men be expected to do the same. Gee! if that happened the government would have to support everybody. I wonder how some people would like that---being there are some people against food stamps, medicaid, etc.
ReplyDeleteIf family comes first, it comes first for everyone. If having a family is a reason not to vote for a woman, it should be a reason not to vote for a man.
ReplyDeleteSure, the first years of life are formative. A child needs as much contact with the parents as practical. That's why I took a job that allows me to spend more time at home with my daughter.
But why doesn't Chris Lien stay home and spend more time with his daughter? And how do we know Mr. Sandlin won't be staying home with the coming bundle of joy?
Anessa's statement is still arrogant, hypocritical, and absurd. I don't feel obliged to find common ground with sexism.
Your post at KELO made it sound as if the Lien campaign somehow highlighted that comment on its website. That is dishonest. All they did was post an article that mentioned his participation in the Dakotafest event, along with a number of other articles.
ReplyDeleteYou are not obligated to find "common ground" with someone you obviously have big problems with. But it would be nice if you did feel obligated not to project a random comment from a member of the audience (obviously solicited by the reporter) onto the Lien campaign just because they posted the story.
Nothing dishonest here, Deb. I said the Lien campaign reprinted the sexist comment, and they did. Hihglighted or not, the Lien campaign evidently changed their mind about having that comment (random? come on, do you seriously think the Klumbs randomly ended up in the Dakotafest press?) anywhere on their website, indicating even Lien sees what an embarrassment such sexism could be to his campaign. They know campaigns and candidates are held accountable for the words they use to win election, and they quickly backpedaled from that unacceptable language, much to their credit.
ReplyDeletePerhaps worth noting another blogger (Badlands Blue) mentions Anessa's father is a former GOP treasurer and her brother Dystra's driver/assistant. She is also attributed a quote on Johnson "I think it's rather sad," she said. "If he can't talk to us, he can't talk for us". I cut Anessa some slack because her comments were described as woman-in-the-street (as well as her age), but now imagine them to be more thought out or prepared in advance. jh
ReplyDeleteThanks, jh -- that's another part of why I found the comments so reprehensible. And credit where credit's due: Badlands Blue notes that it got that info from Madville Times.
ReplyDeleteI missed your other post and didn't put together the family agenda. To admit more foolishness, I reacted to her innocent-looking photograph. John Hess
ReplyDeleteI am acquainted with Miss Klumb, and indeed she was home schooled, and raised in what many would call a very, very conservative christian family, totally black and white. Her perspective is of, and from the past, and is backwards indeed. If one can accept her backwardness, and I can, she is not a bad person to know, and is quite interesting as well.
ReplyDelete