Via Amanda Hess, Rebecca Traister of The Washington Post says of ‘winger extremist candidates like Christine O’Donnell, Michelle Bachman, Sharron Angle, and Sarah Palin

Even if you don’t like them, it’s not fair to suggest that their presence on the ticket represents a step backward for women. ... In the pursuit of true gender equity, people across the political spectrum need not only women to vote for, but women to vote against.

Source: The Washington Post

Yup. Sort of like “the answer to unpleasant speech is more speech,” the answer to gender and sexual equality isn’t fewer asshole women in politics, the answer is larger numbers of honest ones.

I have to say it took me a really, seriously long time to get that. Waaay back in the old days (like, the 1970s) back when both popular, academic, and even some feminist culture still really did imagine women were essentially more peaceful, cooperative, virtuous, and superior by nature instead of by lack of opportunity, whenever I’d hear about a woman getting into a position of authority and then abusing it I’d just shrug my shoulders and say it made sense. Real equality, I’d say ruefully, means more assholes too.

While that was and is technically true it’s also bloody defeatist. Which is why I’m really happy to pass along Traister’s far more optimistic point.