Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst taught Sen. Tom Harkin what true class looks like after he said, “I don’t care if she’s as good looking as Taylor Swift or as nice as Mr. Rogers, but if she votes like Michele Bachmann, she’s wrong for the state of Iowa.” Ernst replied by stating she was going to “shake it off,” answering the senator’s comments by playing off the title of Taylor Swift’s latest hit.
Ernst said she was offended by the comments, and what woman wouldn’t be? She is more than just “good looking.” If Ernst was a man, Sen. Harkin would have never used such a superficial comment. He must certainly be grasping for straws if he reached so low as to sexualize his opponent to get ahead. Not only is Ernst a wife, mother, and grandmother, but she is also a combat veteran. During her time in the military, Ernst dealt with men valuing her looks over her intellect. Thoughout her campaign, Ernst has been open about how, like many women in the military, she was sexually harassed. The fact that Sen. Harkin choose to comment on Ernst’s looks, having had her testimony on her trials in the military, is even more appalling.
Talk about a “war on women.”