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More woman victimization from the left

More woman victimization from the left

I happen to love strong women.  I have worked for them, hired them and worked alongside them. It is why Katherin Hepburn is my movie role model of the strong woman – intelligent and confident with a can-do spirit.  In politics, I admire Nikki Haley, Condoleezza Rice, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Mier, and Jean Fitzpatrick (that last one should generate a few Google searches).

The one characteristic for me is that the strong women I respect in movies and in life are NOT whiners.  They do not embrace a belief in ever-present victimization.  There is a distinction between being a real victim of events and situations and assuming victimization as a political plea for attention and advantage.

There are strong women on both sides of the partisan and philosophic divide, but the so-called feminist movement – which is a faction of the left-wing Democrat base – represents the self-proclaimed victim class.

I saw an example of that on “Morning Joe” – which was presided over by Mika Brzezinski. (One of the few times she is allowed to have the platform without being put down or rudely dismissed by co-host and hubby Joe Scarborough.  As a person who cows to her overbearing partner, Brzezinski is not a good example of what she preaches. But I digress.) 

The subject of the ‘Morning Joe” discussion was “High Functioning Depression” by Democrat women voters over the election of President Trump to a second term.  Brzezinski’s two guests were Maggie McGrath, an editor for the one-time (pre-China ownership) conservative Forbes Magazine, and Huma Abedin, former wife of cybersex flasher and former New York Democrat Congressman Anthony Weiner.  (And yes, that is not his porn stage name – although it could have been).  Abedin also gained public attention as a person who had state secrets on her home computer when working as an aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The discussion of High Functioning Depression was prompted by an article McGrath had penned for Forbes entitled, “Post Election, Many Women Are Working With ‘High Functioning Depression’”.

If you have not heard of that particular malady, it is because there is no such syndrome associated with political outcomes in the ledgers of medicine.  In fact, McGrath admitted that it is not a recognized clinical medical issue – and is not found among the recognized Major Depressive Disorders (MMDs).  Nonetheless, McGrath advised women who feel bad over the election to call their doctors to seek psychological help.

I understand political disappointment.  My side has lost a lot of elections.  (Remember, I was a Chicago Republican).  Some of those election losses were my own.  Even those did not send me on a downward spiral of mental illness.  My mental condition was more challengeable for running in the first place.

I know a lot of Republican women who were not happy that Joe Biden beat Trump in 2020.  I know a lot of Democrat women who were not happy that Trump won in 2016 and 2024.  I do not recall any of them suffering from High Functioning Depression or any other variety of mental dysfunction.   And that is not surprising because the vast majority of women – Republicans and Democrats — are strong.  They can cope with disappointment. 

But there is a subset of liberal ladies who play the victim card at every opportunity – because it is the only card in their deck.  They are constant complainers.  They see themselves as the universal victims of every aspect of life – jobs, pay, healthcare, misogyny, male toxicity, motherhood.  They are the women Democrat strategist James Carville appears to have had in mind when he said his party has “too many preachy women.”

Brzezinski said that “the impact [of the 2024 election] on women’s health has been devastating.”  Really?  Does she really believe women are that fragile?

McGrath provided the symptoms of this new malady.  There is a drop in productivity, a tendency to procrastinate, tense interactions with co-workers or total avoidance.  These are possible symptoms of depression — but caused by an election loss?

McGrath also provided recommendations for employers dealing with workers suffering from HFD.  (I should not use the initials since it makes it sound like a serious mental issue).  She recommends that employers “acknowledge the emotional toll, offer mental health support, encourage flexibility in work assignments, foster inclusive conversations and provide management training in handling the “victim” of election-related High Functioning Depression.

This is not the first time that post-election anxiety has been viewed as something other than a lack of coping skills.  You will recall that Harvard canceled classes following Trump’s victory on the theory that students could not cope with learning.  According to one “expert” appearing on CBS News, “Taking a break from social media can help with post-election emotions.”  Other articles referred to anxieties that would lead to a “victim’s” anger, bitterness and dysfunction –for at least the next four years.

It is fair to question whether all this public agonizing is drawing attention to a serious mental health issue – or is it creating another female victimization?   Or … does it distract attention from the very serious problems of real clinical depression?  I say that because I have dealt with friends and family with real depression – in one case resulting in the suicide of a niece.  I disagree with promoting victimization over an election loss for political reasons.  The folks like McGrath, Abedin and Brzezinski are promoting victimization by telling women disappointed over the election that they are traumatized and need to consider themselves victims of an assault on their mental stability.  Unfortunately, some women will believe them.

In the progressive world, victims – real or imagined — get more privileges.  In the real world, more privileges create more victims.

Brzezinski said those of us on the right would have a “field day” with these issues.  Not sure “field day” is the precise term, but her statement does concede, unwittingly, that the entire issue of politically related High Functioning Depression is a subject rife with pushback and criticism.

However you want to describe women with undue anxiety and depression over an election, you do not characterize them with the word “strong.”   I would argue that I have a higher respect for women than many of those hardcore feminists because I believe that the vast majority of women ARE strong, capable and have very good coping skills.  They can deal with disappointment over and election without making it mentally debilitating.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

12 Comments

  1. Darren

    The Problem is MOST women deal with issues emotionally first and logically second, and some guys as well.
    MOST guys deal with issues Logically first and emotionally second.
    I have found this ratio also changes with education and job structure.
    Finances usually do not play as important a roll other than creating the knowledge
    that a person can ride out the storm!
    That is my finding anyway.
    That knowledge and $3.00 get me a Star Bucks!

    Reply
    • Frank danger

      But it isn’t knowledge. There is no evidence. It is opinion. Emotional opinion. No support. No facts. No evidence. All Darren.

      Reply
  2. Americafirst

    Dictionary definition: Opinion 1. A belief, conclusion, or judgement not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof
    2. An evaluation based on special knowledge.
    3. Prevailing feeling or sentiment: public opinion, to think

    Knowledge 1. The state or fact of knowing
    2. Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study.
    3. That which is known; the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or inferred.
    4. Learning; erudition

    It seems to me they are cousins. Nearly the same thing.

    Reply
    • Frank danger

      Same as you are cousin to the ape.

      Here one is based on evidence and facts.

      The other may or may not be.

      No evidence or facts were offered.

      Reply
      • Americafirst

        Boy, Danger, you sure know how to turn EVERYTHING upside down to prove only YOUR (opinion)! You are the one acting like an ape. Don’t even think you are hurting me with your stupid (opinion) about apes. t doesn’t matter to me. We are all fractals of God and that IS what matters.

        Reply
  3. Robert Berger

    Yawn. This is just the same old hypocritical conservative BS . Millions of Americans, men and women, are are horrified devastated by the totally unmerited reelection of the career criminal, phony president , shameless con man and grifter , malignant narcissistic sociopath , pathological liar , deranged lunatic , totally unfit, unqualified, unethical, amoral , unprincipled, callous , self-serving , abysmally stupid , dementia-addled , serial adulterer, serial rapist, pedophile, racist, misogynist , xenophobic, unhinged, bigoted , traitorous, monstrously corrupt, totally incompetent, clueless, inept , divisive, destructive , greedy, ruthless and megalomaniacal demagogue Donald Trump – the most evil and dangerous individual ever produced by the USA , including me . I’m not depressed and dysfunctional , but I am disgusted as hell that this unspeakably vile abomination is going to be our next president . Mine is a cold rage !

    Reply
    • Theodore

      You forgot to mention Unhinged mentally in your tirade.

      Reply
      • Jim wampler

        He also failed to mention that neither of you are good enough to kiss Trump’s ass. Kumbreath lost. Get over it asshole. Better times are coming. Don’t like it? Leave.

        Reply
        • Theodore

          I was referring to Roger being mentally unhinged. He’s the one that was ranting. Hell, I support Trump. I don’t understand where you thought differently.

          Reply
          • Theodore

            Whoops, I meant Robert.

    • Americafirst

      Robert Berger – Oh? You mean fake Biden? Or the real now dead old Biden? I would like to know which of the two you refer to? Your cold rage is what I and others feel about hate like you just spewed!

      Reply
  4. FRANK DANGER

    Remember the title: “More woman victimization from the left.” The author, without a shred of evidence, presumes that there are all sorts of female victims that only come from the left. He guesses that IF you believe his bullshit headline, for which he provides no supporting evidence, then you will also believe there are more, much more, victims, they are all women, and they are all from the left. No proof or evidence is offered, just a leading headline of bullshit. And the story does not make it better. The author has a problem with anyone acting outside of his box of correctness. In the box — good. Out of the box — bad. Very bad. Must win and make bad lose…. So there ‘tis.

    Speaking of loss, his book is $25 bucks on Amazon with ZERO reviews and you can already get used ones, go figure. On the top 100 list, it’s rated 2,677,755 with a bullet. I’m getting ten copies today. Returns are free. Coming right back at ya Larry :>) Depressed women everywhere should buy the book and then return it on Larry’s dime no doubt, heh, heh. But I digress.

    This is an amusing self-portrait from an author who spent most of his career whining about one thing or another. And it’s always the Democrats fault.

    These are people with depression; that is a fact of life. Because Trump is part of it, the author demeans them as: “liberal ladies who play the victim card at every opportunity – because it is the only card in their deck. They are constant complainers. They see themselves as the universal victims of every aspect of life – jobs, pay, healthcare, misogyny, male toxicity, motherhood. They are the women Democrat strategist James Carville appears to have had in mind when he said his party has “too many preachy women.” Wow, that’s some diagnosis. What a quack.

    Only card in their deck. Constant complainers. See themselves as the universal victims of EVERY aspect of life. Preachy women. Sweet psychiatric bullshit from a guy who hates when we read his mind based on his own writings. Look what he’s reading based on a 15-minute overview on MSNBC which, his words, no one watches, given by “experts” he demeans as less than adequate to the task.

    His grand conclusion: “In the progressive world, victims – real or imagined — get more privileges. In the real world, more privileges create more victims.” Of course he voted for Trump, the most privileged son of a bitch on the planet. The biggest victim anywhere, in Trump’s own words no less, and a whiner to the nth degree, just like the author. “I didn’t do it, it’s their fault, lock em up, I’m gonna sue….whiner.” Whatever.

    The author knows women: he claims he spent 15 years of his first 18 years of his first marriage in counselling where there was a lot of whining by both sides, no doubt. After his protracted settlement phase, his noted how his second wife is a feminist which he says: “the so-called feminist movement – which is a faction of the left-wing Democrat base – represents the self-proclaimed victim class.” So, he whined his way through his first failed marriage only to hook up with a whiny bitch, self-proclaimed no doubt.

    Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Let he who lives in glass houses through stones like the author has.
    Frankly, these folks have depression, or they feel bad. Now, I come from a heritage that says: “we are too poor to be crazy, we’re interesting” so I have a chip on my shoulder to begin with. But I have seen depression and depression is real. If someone can help folks with this, good. If Trump is part of the mix, and I guarantee there’s more going on than Trump here, so be it. Who cares whether Trump or Spanky the Clown is the stated reason, the issue is depression and how to identify it so you can work on it. Demeaning without a scintilla of expertise to do so, is demeaning.

    The author claiming that depressed women are victims and somehow less of a person than his “strong like bull women,” is less than compassionate. But he does not know them, so what the fuck. And they’re Democrats, so what the fuck. Because since they are Democrats, he can tie it to an completely unrelated, out-of-context Carvell statement to explain all things Democrat: “In the progressive world, victims – real or imagined — get more privileges. In the real world, more privileges create more victims.” I do agree that Trump’s privilege has created a hell of a lot of victims. Not in the mind, but in reality. Ask his suppliers. Ask his workers. Ask the separated kids. Ask the garbage people in Puerto Rico getting T-shirts after a hurricane destroyed their lives. Ask the half million that died from covid on his watch that did not have to. Ask EJ Carroll. Ask his personal lawyer, ask his lawyers, ask his CFO, ask his driver, yada, yada, yada.

    Horist is old. Not is age, but in thought. He has no problem putting pain in a stranger if it serves his bigger truth that all things Democratic are bad. He is willing to demean these poor women just to take a swipe at liberals in general. Because he’s a big bad man. A real gentleman. With class.

    NOT.

    And to show how out of focus he is, he dares to reach inside the mind of Mika to psychoanalyze: “As a person who cows to her overbearing partner, Brzezinski is not a good example of what she preaches. But I digress.)” Cows? Don’t you mean kowtows? Geez, if you are using old man cliché’s, can’t you at least get it right? How does he know the relationship? Is she kowtowing or just demurring? Does she not give as good as she gets? Check the body language. Note how Joe does not bring the Big Macs home anymore. Who rules the roost in the house, does Horist see her kowtowing there? The show is Morning Joe, not Morning Mika, would you not defer to the host? Whatever, from the mind of Horist comes reading others minds. Again. As usual. But I digress. You do know, as a strong woman, she has created Know Your Value, an organization pledged to equal pay for equal work. I believe it’s got 10,000 employees, and tens of thousands of members. What’s in your wallet, Horist —– some movie theater in Chicago? She’s helping all women be stronger. You helped a building…….

    FYI: family lived in Hartford a stone’s throw from Hepburn; both Mom and MIL idolized, looked, and acted like Kate. Dad worked at Bryn Mayr for a time as the family launch point was the Main Line. While she looked like she stepped out of an Ayn Rand novel for personal responsibility, she is a liberal. Yes, both sides have strong women and victims of all genders. Ask the author, he’s one.

    Reply

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  1. Remember the title: “More woman victimization from the left.” The author, without a shred of evidence, presumes that there are…