After a long and tumultuous primary season, the Associated Press is reporting that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee based on the 2,383 delegates she has secured. But as these sexist reactions to Hillary Clinton have demonstrated now and throughout her campaign, it's still going to be a long and hard road until election season is over. Clinton will likely make history as the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major political party, but these types of responses show that the political playing field is still far from equal.
Unsurprisingly, Bernie Sanders isn't backing down quietly. There is still a chance that the Vermont senator could win the official nomination — Clinton is only the presumptive nominee until delegates cast their votes at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25, meaning that while it seems likely she will be selected, it's not official yet. In fact, Sanders' campaign maintains that the Vermont senator still could sway the superdelegates' vote in his favor before the DNC.
In response to the AP's report that Clinton was the presumptive nominee, Sanders' campaign released the following statement:
"Secretary Clinton does not have and will not have the requisite number of pledged delegates to secure the nomination. She will be dependent on superdelegates who do not vote until July 25 and who can change their minds between now and then."
Many of Sanders' supporters took to social media to assert that they aren't about to give up yet, and urged fellow fans to vote in the June 7 primaries. It's to be expected, of course — there are still seven weeks to go until the Democratic National Convention, and Sanders has demonstrated that he plans on fighting until the very end.
However, some responses have been downright cringeworthy, and they're coming from all corners, regardless of party affiliation.
Of course, this isn't exactly new. Upon becoming the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, Donald Trump said at a news conference that "if Hillary Clinton were a man, I don't think she’d get five percent of the vote. The only thing she’s got going is the woman card."
While it's one thing to voice opposition based on politics, calling out the former secretary of state for her "phony facial expressions," or referring to her as a bimbo demonstrates just why it's taken so long for a woman to achieve this type of milestone in the first place. Sexism is still alive and rampant. Throwing digs in politics is nothing new, but to demerit a candidate based on her appearance and wardrobe, and to question her qualifications because, quite simply, she is a woman, is not just disappointing, but also ignorant.
One thing is for certain: Clinton may be the presumptive nominee, but we need feminism now more than ever.
