Evelyn Murphy on Coakley:
Big and Loud? No.
Strong? Absolutely!

Evelyn Murphy says of yesterday’s Globe headline calling Coakley cautious,

This is outrageous, and it is wrong.  

At the campaign’s fundraiser last night, the former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor (and first female to hold state-wide elective office) spoke about the importance of language in a campaign. 

When you run for the top offices, whether it’s Governor or US Senator, things change… The language becomes more important. And here’s what happens…

The language of what a US senator needs to be — politically strong and tough – is male. It’s about who has the loudest voice, who has the biggest shape, who is the most aggressive. It’s all those things. And that’s the way it has been defined over and over again, because [having men in high office] is all this state knows, so that’s what political strength and toughness is [defined to be]. But that’s not what it necessarily is.

Murphy stressed that Coakley is plenty strong and tough in the ways that don’t necessarily fit a masculine stereotype, but are the ways that matter.

…This is a very strong political woman…. Last week, Martha Coakley stood up and said, on principle, ‘I’m not going to compromise women’s health and reproductive rights for a health care bill’ …She had the guts and the courage to stand up and say, ‘This is my principle.’…and that is a great statement of strength. 

… And then she not only said ‘here’s my principle,’ but she stood by it. And when she stood by it, her opponent — the one that immediately came after her [for her stance] – had a flip flop… Political strength and courage is not just about stating [your principles], but it’s about standing by your principles.

And then, you’ve got to act on [your principles]. And she’s shown us how to do that when she filed… the lawsuit against DOMA. You can’t [find] action… with more strength, courage, and toughness, than filing that lawsuit…

Murphy said that it’s important for voters to understand “the spectrum” of how humans exhibit strength.

She’s got a different way of doing [things] — not as loud as a man, but in her own style, with her own sense of presence, and willfulness, and strength and force, she will establish that her strength is as good as anybody in this race.