I try to avoid discussing Ann Coulter's weirdness because that's her shtick. She, Rush and others of that ilk drag down the debate on purpose and laugh all the way to the bank after doing so.
But this time what she said is worth a feminist lens:
Ann Coulter: Biden "Reminds You Of The Biggest Jackass Boyfriend You've Ever Had" And "You Just Wanted To Strangle Him"
This is a pretty good reversal of the argument made about Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic contest for who would be the presidential candidate. I wrote then that comparing Hillary Clinton to nasty ex-wives or bossy wives was a sexist way of trying to bring her down:
Note that Barnicle asked the other guys to hate on Hillary Clinton because she reminds him of one of the frightening myths attached to women in general: The ex-wife who takes you to the cleaners. Barnicle is not commenting on Clinton; he is commenting on Clinton's femaleness, and by that extension he is commenting on all women. And this was done in an all-male company on television.
Now Coulter uses a similar trick against Joe Biden. Is it the same trick?
Not quite, and mainly because "the biggest jackass boyfriend you've ever had" is not the kind of myth evil ex-wives are in this culture and because Clinton was running against a man whereas Biden is not running against a woman.
But there are some similarities. For instance, Barnicle was talking to men in the audience only and Coulter seems to be talking to women in the audience only. And it's Coulter, of course, who always tries to say the most shocking thing possible.
Still, this made me wonder if sexism would somehow be OK if it was applied equally to everyone. Or would it then stop having any effect at all?