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Mulitple instances of "the wise Latina"

...the rhetorical flourish that fell flat, multiple times

Posted by :Drew McKissick July 16, 2009 - 4:02pm

You've heard all about it, but maybe not ALL about it.  That being you've surely heard about Sotomayor's comment several years ago that ...‘A Wise Latina Woman’ Or ‘Wise Woman’ Judge Might ‘Reach A Better Conclusion’ Than A Male Judge.” (“Sotomayor Repeatedly Referenced 'Wise Woman' In Speeches,” CQ’s “Legal Beat” Blog, 6/4/09)

And you've probably heard her defense (and/or apology) for that remark in the last few days, telling senators in her confirmation hearings that it was a "rhetorical flourish that fell flat".Well, it turns out that she was so enamored of that "flourish", that she repeated it numerous times, just desperately hoping that it would "work" at least once I suppose.  But alas...In any event, for the record, here's a list of her other attempts to really "knock 'em dead" with that great flourish:

In 1994: "I Would Hope That A Wise Woman With The Richness Of Her Experience Would, More Often Than Not, Reach A Better Conclusion. What Is Better? I … Hope That Better Will Mean A More Compassionate And Caring Conclusion.” “Last Friday the White House argued that Judge Sonia Sotomayor's ‘word choice in 2001 was poor’ when she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.’ Today, it undermined its case. An administration aide pointed out that in addition to the 2001 speech, in a 1994 speech Sotomayor used nearly identical language: ‘I would hope that a wise woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion. What is better? I … hope that better will mean a more compassionate and caring conclusion.’” (“More Better Judging,” Slate, 6/4/09) 

In 1999: “I Would Hope That A Wise Woman With The Richness Of Her Experiences Would, More Often Than Not, Reach A Better Conclusion.” “In a 1999 speech to the Women's Bar Association of New York State, Sotomayor invoked ‘sister power,’ called for the selection of a third woman Supreme Court justice -- which she would now be -- and used phrasing similar to that in the Berkeley speech. ‘I would hope that a wise woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion,’ she said.”  (“Sotomayor Speeches Woven With Ethnicity,” The Washington Post, 6/5/09)
 
More 1999: “My Experiences Will Affect The Facts That I Choose To See As A Judge.” “Whether born from experience or inherent physiological differences . . . our gender makes and will make a difference in our judging. In short, I accept the proposition that a difference will be made by the presence of women on the bench and that my experiences will affect the facts that I choose to see as a judge. I simply do not know exactly what that difference will be in my judging, but I accept there will be some based on my gender and the experiences it has imposed on me.” (“In The Words Of Sonia Sotomayor,” The Washington Post, 6/5/09)
 
In 2001: “I Would Hope That A Wise Latina Woman With The Richness Of Her Experiences Would More Often Than Not Reach A Better Conclusion Than A White Male Who Hasn’t Lived That Life.” (In 2001, Sonia Sotomayor, an appeals court judge, gave a speech declaring that the ethnicity and sex of a judge ‘may and will make a difference in our judging.’ “A Judge’s View Of Judging Is On The Record,” The New York Times, 5/15/09)

In 2002: “I Would Hope That A Wise Latina Woman With The Richness Of Her Experiences Would, More Often Than Not, Reach A Better Conclusion.” (2002 speech to the Princeton club: “Sotomayor 'Wise Latina' Quote Used On Multiple Occasions,” CNN, 6/5/09)
 
In 2003: “Sotomayor repeated that she disagreed with a comment attributed to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor that ‘a wise old man and a wise old woman reach the same conclusion’ in deciding cases. ‘I'm not so sure that I agree with the statement,’ she said at Seton Hall Law in 2003. ‘I would hope a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion.’” (“Speeches Reveal More About Sotomayor's Thoughts On Race,” Los Angeles Times, 6/5/09)
 
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