--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know this seems quaint, but back in…" description: "\"“I know this seems quaint, but back in 2008, Republicans did not consider \"demeaning and degrading women\" to be senatorial, let alone presidential.”\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png" --- # I know this seems quaint, but back in 2008, Republicans… ![“I know this seems quaint, but back in 2008, Republicans did not consider "demeaning and degrading women" to be senatorial, let alone presidential.” quote by Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png) > ““I know this seems quaint, but back in 2008, Republicans did not consider "demeaning and degrading women" to be senatorial, let alone presidential.”” [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights how political language can downplay sexism, reflecting broader cultural attitudes toward women in politics **In simple terms:** Political talk can hide sexism Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge sexist language Themes gender politics language culture Mood critical reflective Type political social commentary When to use this quote - political debates - media analysis - education - policy making Key Concepts feminism social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape political attitudes? - What can be done to hold leaders accountable for sexist remarks? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic issues beyond language ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) ## Related quotes > [“The Republicans did not set out to establish a strong national state or to facilitate the industrial revolution. They believed strongly in the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-goldfield/the-republicans-did-not-set-out-to-establish-a-strong-national-state/) David R. Goldfield > [My father joined our party because the Democrats in Jim Crow Alabama of 1952 would not register him to vote. The Republicans did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/my-father-joined-our-party-because-the-democrats-in-jim-crow-alabama/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I think we should not do what the Republicans did, which is to spend eight years saying they would do absolutely nothing because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-think-we-should-not-do-what-the-republicans-did-which-is-to-spend/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ I would rather lose than win the way you guys \[Republicans\] did. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-palmieri/i-would-rather-lose-than-win-the-way-you-guys-republicans-did/) [Jennifer Palmieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-palmieri/) > [I was one of the hardest-hitting conservatives on George W. Bush. Republicans didn't like me on George W. Bush. Republicans still don't like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-was-one-of-the-hardest-hitting-conservatives-on-george-w-bush/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [There are some Republicans who say that any time you raise new revenue, you have to have a tax cut to match it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-flake/there-are-some-republicans-who-say-that-any-time-you-raise-new/) [Jeff Flake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-flake/) > [Historically, Democrats have shown they are willing to do just about anything to win elections. Republicans must quit taking the high road and fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kirk/historically-democrats-have-shown-they-are-willing-to-do-just-about/) [Charlie Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kirk/) > [“For Republicans, life begins at conception but ends at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/for-republicans-life-begins-at-conception-but-ends-at-birth/) [J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/) > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The Republicans have chosen to neglect young Americans who need assistance with the costs of higher education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-conyers/the-republicans-have-chosen-to-neglect-young-americans-who-need/) [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) > [Democrats are holistically bad at politics. They don't know how to fight in the way Republicans do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/democrats-are-holistically-bad-at-politics-they-don-t-know-how-to/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [The fundamental problem for Republicans when it comes to the environment is that whatever you say is viewed through the prism of suspicion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-fundamental-problem-for-republicans-when-it-comes-to-the/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) ## More by Al Franken > [I want to reclaim 'liberal.' I'm a liberal, and I think most Americans are liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-want-to-reclaim-liberal-i-m-a-liberal-and-i-think-most-americans/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“The Democratic Senator’s Serenity Prayer God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Legislate The Courage to Legislate the Things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-democratic-senator-s-serenity-prayer-god-grant-me-the-serenity-to/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm for Israel's right to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-for-israel-s-right-to-exist/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/putin-has-had-many-positive-experiences-working-with-western/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm crushed by the responsibility of writing a satirical book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-crushed-by-the-responsibility-of-writing-a-satirical-book/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“right wing’s most common techniques—including the deceptive use of statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/right-wing-s-most-common-techniques-including-the-deceptive-use-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I know I have an awful lot to learn from the people of Minnesota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-i-have-an-awful-lot-to-learn-from-the-people-of-minnesota/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Apple has long been a leading innovator of mobile technology; I myself own an iPhone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/apple-has-long-been-a-leading-innovator-of-mobile-technology-i-myself/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I am a Minnesotan, and not just because I root for the Vikings and the Twins. I like the Minnesota-nice sensibility. I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-am-a-minnesotan-and-not-just-because-i-root-for-the-vikings-and-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [My dad didn't graduate from high school, ended up being a printing salesman, probably never made more than $8,000 a year. My mom sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/my-dad-didn-t-graduate-from-high-school-ended-up-being-a-printing/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Net neutrality isn't a government takeover of the Internet, as many of my Republican colleagues have alleged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/net-neutrality-isn-t-a-government-takeover-of-the-internet-as-many-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Demagoguery sells. And therefore, radio stations will put it on. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something else and also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/demagoguery-sells-and-therefore-radio-stations-will-put-it-on-but/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) [Explore all 245 Al Franken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## More Demeaning quotes > [I'd rather be somewhere building a house, if I knew how. The whole idea of being a professional artist is like a demeaning kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-earl-beal/i-d-rather-be-somewhere-building-a-house-if-i-knew-how-the-whole-idea/) [Willis Earl Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-earl-beal/) > [When I think about what we now know about Donald Trump and what he's been doing for 30 years, he sure has spent a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-i-think-about-what-we-now-know-about-donald-trump-and-what-he-s/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“My sense of what I’m worth depends on how much of the world I displace as I walk around? Christ, that’s a demeaning thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-sense-of-what-i-m-worth-depends-on-how-much-of-the-world-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If there were more temple work done in the Church, there would be less of selfishness, less of contention, less of demeaning others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/if-there-were-more-temple-work-done-in-the-church-there-would-be-less/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [To be told that one can be dependent on one's parents until age 26 should strike a young person who wants to grow up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/to-be-told-that-one-can-be-dependent-on-one-s-parents-until-age-26/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [I never respond to Donald Trump's personal insults about me. I could care less what he says about me. I'm going to respond when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-never-respond-to-donald-trump-s-personal-insults-about-me-i-could/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Sexism is bad enough when it's men demeaning women. When women do it to other women, it's even more deflating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-robbins/sexism-is-bad-enough-when-it-s-men-demeaning-women-when-women-do-it/) [Mel Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-robbins/) > [For Democrats to reduce women to beggars for cheap government-funded birth control is demeaning to the women that I know who are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/for-democrats-to-reduce-women-to-beggars-for-cheap-government-funded/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [The amount of people that I feel like... I'm not being self-demeaning, but I actually feel like I'm not as cool as them, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/the-amount-of-people-that-i-feel-like-i-m-not-being-self-demeaning/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [There are a lot of movies out there that I would hate to be paid to do, some real demeaning, real woman-denigrating stuff. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beah-richards/there-are-a-lot-of-movies-out-there-that-i-would-hate-to-be-paid-to/) [Beah Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beah-richards/) > [A man who is violent to his woman, with or without provocation is less than a man; and a woman who deliberately provokes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tia-nnebo/a-man-who-is-violent-to-his-woman-with-or-without-provocation-is-less/) [Tia Nnebo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tia-nnebo/) > [The McJob tag is misleading, and demeaning to our staff and franchisees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-easterbrook/the-mcjob-tag-is-misleading-and-demeaning-to-our-staff-and-franchisees/) [Steve Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-easterbrook/) > [It's the end of the day where wives stay home and raise the kids and all that. That demeaning stuff? No more. Country club…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-s-the-end-of-the-day-where-wives-stay-home-and-raise-the-kids-and/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [There has to be so many other ways of approaching airline security than demeaning ourselves by giving up a lot of our dignities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quico-canseco/there-has-to-be-so-many-other-ways-of-approaching-airline-security/) Quico Canseco > [“...to protect her from male attention, that feeling of being scored each time you walked down a street, the demeaning comments yelled out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/to-protect-her-from-male-attention-that-feeling-of-being-scored-each/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) Browse all 102 Demeaning quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I know this seems quaint, but back in 2008, Republicans did not consider \"demeaning and degrading women\" to be senatorial, let alone presidential.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Franken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-2008-republicans-did-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Demeaning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-2008-republicans-did-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/394/al-franken-1407_demeaning_i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-200_2050094.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know this seems quaint, but back in 2008, Republicans did not consider \"demeaning and degrading women\" to…” — Al Franken", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Franken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I know this seems quaint, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-2008-republicans-did-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-this-seems-quaint-but-back-in-2008-republicans-did-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```