It’s easy to conclude, as have some have, that opposition to Hillary Clinton’s drive for the Democratic nomination is the result of lingering or overt sexist sentiment. It’s just as easy, perhaps even easier, to assert that opposition to Barack Obama is the result of racism, or that opposition to Huckabee is caused by anti-Christian attitudes. And, unfortunately, even in 2008 America, all three of these contentions are supportable in some quarters and with certain voters.

However, I think we oversimplify if we reach a point where the foregoing conclusions become the immediate response to opposition to these and other candidates. Is opposition to Mitt Romney automatically a sign of being anti-Mormon?

In Clinton’s case, there are certainly legitimate policy and personal reasons to oppose her candidacy, especially if one examines the “35 year” record she herself constantly invokes. Besides, there are many women voters who support candidates other than Clinton. Can they be labeled sexist?

There are also sufficient reasons to doubt Obama’s readiness to assume the presidency, or to be concerned about some of Huckabee’s extreme social positions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those who express these views are racist or anti-Christian (even Clinton and her supporters continually bring up the issue of Obama’s lack of readiness).

Also in Clinton’s case, there are many politicos who feel, if anything, that the press has been too easy on her, too deferential. And a sufficient number of these pundits and writers are women whose motives cannot be attributed to sexism (see the link below).

I think we lower the political discourse and give too little credit to many voters when we are quick to label. It’s an understandable reaction when passions run high. As a Jew, I will admit that I might sometimes too quickly characterize someone’s motives as anti-Semitic. I don’t think I’ve done it often, or in recent memory applied it inappropriately. But I cannot claim to be anywhere close to perfect, so I must accept the fact that at somewhere along the line I probably applied the label too quickly.

While there is no question that portions of this election will, in fact, turn on gender, race and religious affiliation, women supporters of Clinton and African-American supporters of Obama need to accept the fact that opposition to their candidacies come from people of all backgrounds, as does opposition to the other candidates, and in their cases are not inherently or by default the result of being sexist or racist.

Click here for more.