The Genesis of the "Sexism" Charge?

There is angst over at National Review about the charges of "sexism" that have sprung up as a result of widespread opposition there to the Miers nomination, and understandably so. Winston Churchill may have found "nothing as exhilarating as being shot at without result" -- but for conservatives, there's little as disheartening as being unfairly accused of bigotry by someone supposedly on one's own side.

Although I disagree with most of what's been said recently at National Review, the sexism argument totally lacks credibility, as I've said before ("anyone who charges there is an element of 'sexism' in any of this discussion -- by anyone on any side -- is just wrong. None of the people who are attacking Miers would have opposed Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owens, or Mary Ann Glendon.").

Nevertheless, last Sunday, in the interests of fairness, I posted a note I received from Texas state district court judge Sharolyn Woods. She seems to feel that, in denigrating Ms. Miers' credentials, critics are discounting the extra intelligence and toughness that were prerequisites to ascending the "legal ladder" as a woman in Texas, back when Ms. Miers did it. Judging from the comments posted on my blog (and landing in my e-mailbox), a number of readers apparently agree with her. Perhaps that's the perception underlying the charge of sexism.

I've never been a fan of left-wing fantasies like Stanford Professor Charles Lawrence's theory of "unconscious racism". Similarly, I don't believe that sexism -- conscious or unconscious -- is at work here. But it does seem clear that there were obstacles Harriet Miers faced as a woman that would have required extra grit and intelligence to overcome.

That doesn't mean anyone has to support her or her nomination. But perhaps even a cursory acknowledgement of the barriers Ms. Miers encountered in the course of her career -- even if that career isn't ultimately deemed worthy of a Supreme Court seat by her opponents -- would go a long way to dispel the misunderstanding giving rise to a very inflammatory and, I believe, unjustified charge.