Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders of sexism. She's not the first one.


Bernie Sanders has said he's proud of his record on women's issues, but his rivals in the Hillary Clinton camp aren't so sure he's the rock solid feminist he claims to be. While the progressive Vermont senator has gone as far as to defend Clinton against sexist attacks, he has recently faced a rash of accusations of being sexist himself.
During the Democratic debate, for example, Sanders accused Clinton of "shouting" about gun control; Clinton later claimed that Sanders' remark was an example of sexist language. Later, Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver joked that, "we're willing to consider [Clinton] for vice president... we'll even interview her," further souring the Sanders campaign in the eyes of feminists. The fact that nearly all of Sanders' top campaign strategists are men also hasn't helped his case.
Clinton and her supporters aren't alone in their accusations, however. Politico recalls that in 1986, when Sanders ran and lost against Madeleine Kunin in the race for Vermont governor, he made a point of suggesting that because his opponent was a woman, that was not a good enough reason to vote for her. "He tried to be more of a feminist than I was to appeal to the women's vote," Kunin told Politico. "I found that very difficult."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sanders also got into hot water when he was running against Diane Gallagher for mayor of Burlington in 1985. "He is setting me up to the rich bitch, the girl with the pearls, Lady Di," Gallagher told the Burlington Free Press at the time.
None of this has escaped feminists keeping watch on the current campaign. "I'm stunned that a man like Bernie Sanders, who has clearly committed his life to making the country a better place, would get sucked into this very dangerous rhetoric, which perpetuates sexist and misogynistic stereotypes," former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, now a Clinton supporter, told Politico. "The candidate is supposed to set the tone, set the agenda. If Bernie Sanders does not want to be seen as someone who uses sexist language and perpetuates a dangerous sexist stereotype of strong women, then he should tell his people to stop. And if they don't stop, he should fire them."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Art review: Diane Arbus: Constellation
Feature Park Avenue Armory, New York City, through Aug. 17
-
July fiction: Summers to remember
Feature Featuring the latest summer-themed novels from Darrow Farr, Lucas Schaefer, and more
-
Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?
Today's Big Question Over 100 people, including 27 girls at a summer camp, died in recent flooding
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration