motorfirebox

You're probably right that nobody would have publicly objected if it had been McCain who was the target. Though I tend to see it as evidence of - and more importantly, serving to maintain - an underlying misogyny, and I have been known to say so privately.

I'd apply the same reasoning to "queer" and "faggot", by the way. It's easier to get people to see the point with the racial epithets, but I agree that the cases are not handled identically.

I agree that simple berating achieves very little, and I do apologise for somehow missing that that was part of your point.