As Clinton's bid ends, sexism debate will not

By Ellen Wulfhorst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Was she or wasn't she?

Hillary Clinton's candidacy may soon be a thing of the past but debate will rage over whether the first woman to make it so far in the U.S. presidential contest was a victim of sexism in the media and on the campaign trail.

Her campaign draws to a close on Saturday when she is set to back apparent Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

For some, there's no question that sexism was a constant feature of the former first lady's groundbreaking campaign.

They cite T-shirts saying "Life's a Bitch, so Don't Vote for One," newsman Chris Matthews pinching Clinton on the cheek, descriptions of the New York senator as bitchy and shrill or newscasters bantering over a pen that played a soundtrack of her laugh.

Others say the claim of sexism is laughable. Clinton could not have gotten as far as she did without being the wife of a president so she can't complain about being a woman, they say.

"Women are held to a different standard, and it hurt her," said New York-based pollster Mickey Blum. "It's also a reason a lot of women rallied to her and have stuck with her, even more than they would have, because there was a sense she was being treated unfairly."

Debate is inevitable as long as some hear sexism and others don't hear it at all, said Elizabeth Ossoff, professor of political psychology at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire.

Consider the incident when hecklers interrupted Clinton with shouts and signs reading "Iron My Shirt," she said.

"What if someone raised a sign reading, 'Shine my Shoes' with Obama speaking? We all know that's not OK," Ossoff said.

"When somebody says 'Iron My Shirt,' there's an element that it's not OK but there's an element that it's kind of funny.

"People are comfortable with sexism and accept it," she said.

Among those seeing sexism was Clinton herself, who responded to the hecklers by saying, "Ah, the remnants of sexism, alive and well."

Months later in a Washington Post interview, she decried "sexism" in the campaign. "It's been deeply offensive to millions of women," Clinton said.

Those claims make some conservative observers angry.