Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Ann Althouse links to this "weird column" by Politico's Ben Smith, and asks "What kind of whammy did Perry throw on these press boys?"
Perry's appearance at the fair, where he challenged reporters on whether they were "tough" enough to walk with him, chomped on meat and a hard-boiled egg and struck rugged poses was a well-staged political triumph. (The word "manly" got thrown around a lot, with varying degrees of irony, in the press pack.)
Ann asks: "He ate a hard-boiled egg and 'meat' and somehow that gets macho points with these characters?"
So Perry's "manliness" was discussed, but only ironically. Does the press pool have a problem with manliness? What does the word even mean when inserted into a presidential race in the year 2011?
The left has already started a "Rick Perry is secretly gay" whispering campaign (a smear campaign I never understood. If "gay is okay," then why are they always trying to whip up the gay panic? cf. John Kerry and John Edwards both mentioning "Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian" in the 2004 debates.)
The left also jeered George W. for being a cowboy. Rick Perry will certainly receive the same taunt. But maybe the great mass of voters outside the Washington corridor want a cowboy in 2011.
The most interesting part of Ann's blog entry is the commentariat (as usual); Rick Perry seems to have taken over the Chuck Norris meme. ("Rick Perry's tears cure cancer. Too bad he's never cried." "Rick Perry didn't shoot the coyote. The coyote saw Perry, gently borrowed Perry's gun, and shot itself to save Perry the trouble.")
Do we have a "manliness gap" in Washington? Or in America in general? Is there a "manliness void" in the White House? How many points will a candidate's perceived manliness be worth?
If this is going to be a factor in the Presidential race, how do you see it playing out?
- Comment (46)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (5)
Comments :
Aug '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
The gay meme isn't about condemning gay men or turning conservatives against the target of the meme. It's about promoting solidarity among those making the accusation. When an opponent shows strength, or "manliness" as you put it, regarding a position the accusers oppose, they ascribe to the target the narrative of a self-loathing to make the target's strength appear as weakness. The weakness is, of course, the failure to come out and form solidarity with the accusers.
If that seems incoherent and convoluted, it's because it is. I couldn't figure out how to make it clearer than this.
Plus, there is always confirmation bias and schadenfreude on their side. Back in 1980, a member of Congress named Bauman sided with the Moral Majority and defended traditional families. Turned out the guy was an alcoholic and gay, and his story overrode all the stories of all other conservative politicians in the minds of LGBTQ defenders.
The schadenfreude is everywhere, and it actually extends beyond the gay meme to the wife-cheater meme, as well. Notice, it usually targets men. The accusation about Cheney's daughter never had legs the way those against Ted Haggard did.
Dec '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Give Perry and Romney each a hammer and see which one can drive 5 16d nails the fastest. Might as well throw Obama in that as well. Yes, we have a manliness gap in Washington. Perry might have to recall some of his boyhood skills, but at least he has those skills on which to draw.
Oct '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
It's Texas envy. Plain and simple.
Feb '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
I defintely see serious reservations about manliness in the culture from the MSM. Gov. Perry in many ways personifies the "stereotypical" Texan manliness thus adding even further revulsion. As to taking over the Chuck Norris meme, they are absolutely hilarious. They are on Twitter and people keep adding in new ones. I found myself repeatedly laughing out loud and the fact that Gov. Perry hasen't demanded it be removed shows a good sense of humor on his part.
Nov '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
That's nothing! I drink buttermilk straight from the carton, and my favourite mid-day snack is peanut-butter and onion sandwiches. No kidding!
Oct '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
When Rick Perry walks into a room, he doesn't turn the light on, he turns the dark off.
Nov '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Take them all out into the bush with rifles and see who brings back and dresses a deer the fastest. I'd bed on Palin, Perry and Bachmann for win, place and show. Obama finally figures out how to load the weapon but only fires it at the other candidates (good thing he's good poor aim) and makes speeches apologizing to the deer, Romney would shoot the thing but faint when it comes to handling it. Paul would insist that we've got no business interfering with deer. Cain would actually have come in just behind Palin, but skips the last part of the contest to pursue a brilliant idea to market a line of Venison-based pizza and fast food.
May '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Wranglers vs. Obama-mom jeans......Nuff said.
Apr '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
I think what you're calling the "smear" campaigns was mainly intended to show up the supposed hypocrisy of those it was aimed at.
Aug '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Devin Cole
Wranglers vs. Obama-mom jeans......Nuff said. · Aug 16 at 11:00am
The unedited version of my post included a line about the President wearing mom-jeans, throwing like a girl, and whining about the price of arugula. But I'd already used the arugula bit a couple days ago. Can't go to the arugula patch too often.
Mar '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Harvey Mansfield on the subject, for whatever it may be worth.
Dec '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Want a woman's perspective? A woman who so despises the identity politics game played by modern liberals, I have a knee-jerk reaction against GOP women running for president (I know, I have a problem. I'm working on it).
There is something unsettling to me about Rick Perry's manliness. Maybe I've become unaccustomed to it in the age of man-purse carrying metro-sexuals. But, I get the sense of being in the presence of a recently domesticated wild animal. Maybe the positive take on this is, it's exciting! I would rate it a net-plus for Perry and the country.
Aug '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
I suspect that it's an attempt to horrify the social conservatives. Divide and conquer.
But I've never seen this approach work.
Social conservatives reacted very badly to Kerry and Edwards awkwardly injecting Dick Cheney's daughter into the debates, but not by turning against Cheney; rather they got angry that Kerry and Edwards would stoop so low as to use a candidate's family member for political gain.
One hopes in vain that such tactics would backfire. That by reacting in mock horror about the possibility of a Republican candidate being gay, people would begin to wonder whether the left's horror was genuine and consider that they might actually not be as tolerant as they claim. (Of course, we know that their tolerance is a sham.)
Anyway, back to the subject . . .
I find it deliciously ironic that the perceived "manliness gap" in Washington could conceivably be filled by a woman, should Sarah Palin decide to run.
Dec '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
DrewInWisconsin
I find it deliciously ironic that the perceived "manliness gap" in Washington could conceivably be filled by a woman, should Sarah Palin decide to run. · Aug 16 at 11:27am
Interesting concept. Perhaps it's more of a tradition gap in Washington. People want strength in leadership. For men, manliness and strength are all but synonymous. Women show strength in different ways traditionally such as prudence, loyalty, decorum, etc. Maybe the manliness in our male hopefuls is just a signal for safe harbor we seek.
Jul '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
I have a problem with the premise here, so let me see if I can explain why. Love him or hate him, Ron Paul is a 'man.' He says what he means, means what he says and behaves thoughtfully and consistently where his principles are concerned. Using that as a metric, Romney and Huntsman have a problem. Bachmann can, I think, fill the 'man gap', as could a Palin. I'm not convinced Perry can fill this gap with anything other than ruggedness, which is what I think we are mistaking here for manliness. Perry was very involved in the 87/88 campaign of one Al Gore Jr. I would be interested to hear how he rectifies any support for Junior with his current Federalist positions.
So, to sum up, I do think Perry is trying to fill the 'man' gap with down home, country charm. History shows that if he is even remotely consistent, this will work for him. As for his ruggedness, anyone who picks a president based on number of pickled eggs, weight of steaks and gallons of beer consumed, is a fool.
Dec '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
J.Voss: I have a problem with the premise here, so let me see if I can explain why. Love him or hate him, Ron Paul is a 'man.' He says what he means, means what he says and behaves thoughtfully and consistently where his principles are concerned. Using that as a metric, Romney and Huntsman have a problem. Bachmann can, I think, fill the 'man gap', as could a Palin. I'm not convinced Perry can fill this gap with anything other than ruggedness, which is what I think we are mistaking here for manliness. Perry was very involved in the 87/88 campaign of one Al Gore Jr. I would be interested to hear how he rectifies any support for Junior with his current Federalist positions.
So, to sum up, I do think Perry is trying to fill the 'man' gap with down home, country charm. History shows that if he is even remotely consistent, this will work for him. As for his ruggedness, anyone who picks a president based on number of pickled eggs, weight of steaks and gallons of beer consumed, is a fool. · Aug 16 at 11:34am
But Paul is crazy. Insanity is unmanly.
Jul '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
The King Prawn
But Paul is crazy. Insanity is unmanly. · Aug 16 at 11:37am
Really? Aside from rabid isolationism what has he ever been diagnosed with, or accused of that wasn't at one time or another, a major part of the RNC platform? I'm not a fan of the guy for personal reasons, but I have never seen any rational argument for why he is 'crazy'.
Aug '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
I don't know how Perry would respond, but as mentioned on a few threads here, Al Gore was a very conservative, pro-life Democrat in '88. (Heck, even Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat.) But Perry and Gore seem to have moved in opposite directions since then.
Apr '11
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Maybe they don't want a cowboy in 2012, which I guess is more likely. Been there done that.
Aug '10
Re: Is Rick Perry Stepping Into the "Manliness Gap"?
Perry and Romney - too good looking
Palin and Bachmann - too good looking
Fox commentators - well, not comment required
Coulter, Malkin, - writing only surpassed by looks
vs.
Clinton and Napolitano
Wasserman-Schultz and Pelosi
Trumka and Stern
Emanuel and Axelrod
Dowd, Brown , Krugman , Rich
what freakish trick of nature is being played on us here.
I can feel the ism rising ... it's the soft bigotry of cosmetic injustice !!
Clift, Brazile, and Woodruff
oh, the hits just keep on coming.
They do have Hollyweird covered. So the casting couch does have value after all.