The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Campaign tainted by sexism, says Cooper
Yvette Cooper has hit out at sexist attitudes towards Hillary Clinton, saying she is judged on her appearance and “not allowed to have a bad hair day”.
It comes just weeks after Mrs Clinton had to leave a memorialevent for 9/11 victims early. It later emerged she had been diagnosed with pneumonia.
Ms Cooper praised Mrs Clinton’s “phenomenal” performance and contrasted her “huge authority” with the “anger” and “vitriol” of Mr Trump’s campaign.
But the former shadow home secretary, who worked on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, saidMrsClintonwas held up to different standards to her male rival.
She said: “I think she is being judged by different standards. For example, the focus on Hillary’s health and when she had pneumonia was partly, I think, a focus on her appearance as well. Everybody freaks out when she has a bit of a cough, but somehow it’s all right for Donald Trump to want to ban all Muslims from America.
“The interesting thing I thought was there was a focus on her appearance, because she always looks so amazing, she looks incredible – her hair and the way she looks and talks. And in those images when she was not well she doesn’t – her hair looks flat, she looks ill– and somehow that was the really evocative image.
“So she is not allowed to have a bad hair day, but Donald Trump is allowed to have a bad hair day every single day of the week.”
Ms Cooper saidMrsClinton was the victor in the clash and put in a “phenomenal performance”.
She added: “I think she had the huge authority and experience but also steady judgment and ideas for the future as well. Whereas what you’ve got in Donald Trump is somebody that’s just based on anger, on vitriol, onIslamophobia, onso many divisive things.”
But Ms Cooper said Mrs Clinton’s long history in politics could also be a hindrance in her campaign.
She said many Americans are angry and looking for something different “even if it involves just easy promises”. Ms Cooper added: “What she’s got to show is that what she’s about is changing America, andnot just carryingonthe way things are at the moment because for too many Americans they are worried about falling living standards, they are worried about what’s going to happen to their kids.”