During the interview which naturally took place in front of an all-female audience, Michelle made the following observations about men.

Men should simply be better if they want to help women achieve gender equality. Be better at everything. Be better fathers. Good lord, just being good fathers who love your daughters and are providing a solid example of what it means to be a good man in the world, showing them what it feels like to be loved.

A woman with a powerful voice and a very public platform decides it is her right to sit in judgment upon the male gender and tell them how they can be better men and better fathers. She even feels the need to tell fathers to love their daughters. It is breathtakingly arrogant and deeply offensive. I know that the “flip the genders” test is by now old hat, but it remains the single best way to make people reflect upon the incredibly different way in which the public responds to what men and women have to say about each other.

Imagine if you will, that Donald Trump held a rally or did an interview with a male journalist who was so enamored with him that he would be willing to lick his boots should he ask him to do so. Imagine this interview is taking place in front of an all-male audience.

The interviewer asks Trump if he has any advice for the women of America.

Trump responds: “Be better mothers. Good lord, just being good mothers who love your sons and are providing a solid example of what it means to be a woman in the world.”

Of course, these words are spoken to the accompanying applause and cheers of the all-male audience.

There is nothing in Michelle Obama’s words that one could call hateful (not yet.) But the sheer arrogance and prejudice are clearly evident to any objective observer. Now, if Mr. Trump has spoken the words I just quoted the media would crucify him. Even people in his camp would have thrown their hands up in dismay at his stupidity and chauvinism.

Can you believe it? This buffoon has the effrontery to lecture the women of America and tell them how to be better women-him, a man! What a fat, sexist pig! He has cost himself the women’s vote if indeed he had any to begin with. How can this woman hating pig even be running for President? There would be street marches and breathless, orgasmic editorials by the salivating left and head shaking condemnation from the right.

Here we have the First Lady, on stage with the most famous, influential and richest female in America and the only reaction to these words were positive. I am yet to hear one word of condemnation.

The words became far more poisonous as the interview continued, but the audience and Oprah remained as enthusiastic and supportive as ever.

Obama told Winfrey that it’s sad that her experience of never being physically abused by a man is a “rare reality.”

Just pause and read those words again. Can you believe it? The First Lady just said that the vast majority of men in America physically abuse their wives and partners. This is the only inference one can make when she states it is a “rare reality” for a woman never to experience physical abuse in a relationship with a man.

Public condemnation, criticism, raised eyebrows- zero. Again, not even a mild rebuke from a conservative journalist or politician. Nothing.

Let’s flip it again.

Trump says to his all-male audience. “I am fortunate enough to have been in a relationship where I have never been nagged or been used as an ATM, but this is a rare reality for men in America.”

The campaign would end there. There is every possibility his very life could be in danger. The media would eviscerate him, and his friends would apologize on his behalf and beg forgiveness from the women of America.

And surely being called nag is preferable to being branded a woman basher.

Nevertheless, as much as Trump has trampled on many politically correct conventions, if he attacked the whole female gender he would be finished. As it is, if he calls one nasty, abusive, obese woman a “pig” this apparently can be taken to mean he hates all women.

[...]

Hillary is able to call Trump a sexist, racist, homophobe to his face and Trump knows that if he responds with the same slurs ( even with ample factual evidence to support him), the public would condemn him and call him a bully and misogynist. How liberating is it to be a female politician debating a male in 2016, knowing your opponent fights you with both hands tied behind his back and his tongue tethered? Is it any wonder Hillary smirked so smugly throughout the first debate?