But, as in any discussion we might have about oppressed groups, we'd probably have to divert off into a discussion about social groups and power dynamics, competition, and the problem of vichy feminism. Frankly, even the stereotypic attributes that reflect poorly on men are lauded in certain circumstances (violence turned protection, for instance). I don't think the comparison is nearly so level as you portray it. Bush cultivated his image as a cowboy. Cowboys are potent. Cowboys are decisive. Cowboys act with certainty. I defy you to come up with any similarly positive connotations for a "hysteric".

Frames can be very subtle. If I wanted to slip a sexist frame under the umpire's nose, I might write a post about personality and foreign policy, the importance of emotional stability, and gradually evoking images of the staid pater vs. the emotionally reactive woman. Sound familiar?

And of course, they're not limited to sexism (though racist memes are trickier, due to a greater backlash problem). I anticipate, however, you're going to see some clever, but concerted attempts to evoke ideas about tokenism, and I am sort of waiting for the next round of "IQ/ethnicity" discussions to erupt, because that's a hybrid meme that's proven surprisingly robust with the more educated set. I promise I'll holler about those too.

But I do feel betrayed by/alienated from my party. Obama's handlers are very sophisticated about this sort of thing (Hillary's, not so much), and the least they, or the Democratic national committee, could have done is said something about it (he missed a golden opportunity to flex his progressive rhetorical muscle - this time on the topic of sexism).

I'll vote for him, though. I just wish the XX-factor bloggers would figure it out. I wish Obama would figure it out, frankly. I'm uncomfortable with the rift in the Democratic party (and losing patience with a "winning side" that seems determined to persist in alienating a "losing" side via invalidation, often enough using sexist frames to discredit vocal critics) and how any Democrat could assume the election's a done deal, after we just elected the worst president in history (twice!) escapes me.