The John McCain campaign is accusing Barack Obama of sexual insensitivity for using the common political phrase “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.” Even though the phrase has been used by almost every politician in America, the John McCain campaign claims this time it was making reference to Governor Sarah Palin. The reason: Sarah Palin has publicly stated that she in fact wears lipstick.
Personally, I did not see anything wrong with what Barack Obama said, but clearly I don't understand sexual sensitivity as deeply as John McCain. After all, this is the man who joked, “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly-- because her father is Janet Reno?”
Now that is how you do sexual insensitivity. It is a simple joke but with many layers of sexism and crudeness. It is an onion of insensitivity. He starts by making fun of the appearance of a teenage girl. He then calls one of the most powerful women in America ugly, while implying that she is in reality a transvestite. Finally, he is claiming that Hillary Clinton was not only unfaithful to her husband, but is also a lesbian (or at least enjoys extramarital sex with a transvestite). Clearly, John McCain understands sexism on a very meaningful level.
