February 7, 2020 - Deutsch Derides Warren Again as Strident and Unlikable


In a segment for MSNBC’s Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough asks panelists to offer thoughts on why Warren has declined in popularity and momentum in the past two months. Shawna Thomas points to voters’ concerns “that men won’t vote for her” largely due to her being a woman. Deutsch, who has repeatedly criticized Warren as unlikable in ways that many have characterized as sexist, interjects to disagree with Thomas. He asks, “Is it a woman or is it her? Or is it a certain stridentness to her that, do we want to invite her into our bedrooms and living rooms every day for four years?” He adds, “She has the same issue Bernie had. I don’t think it’s a gender issue — it’s a likability issue. I think we have to be careful. I think an amazing woman would be a great antidote to Jon’s point earlier, a different definition of strength if you will. Strength to strength but a different way. But I don’t think Elizabeth Warren’s problem has been she’s a woman.” Deutch’s denial that gender matters in how Warren is evaluated relies on an explicitly gendered characterization of her, thus proving the point that women are often evaluated in different ways and on different terms than their male counterparts. He continually mines the vein of likability – which matters more in evaluations of political women – by reinforcing the claim that she fails to meet that standard (in his view) and that should/will doom her presidential campaign.