103-Year-Old Feminist Loves Bernie Sanders, Hates Donald Trump

Claire Landsbaum
Updated
She has some harsh words for 2016 Republican candidates.

A lot has changed since 1911, when Ruth Littman was born. She's lived through the invention of airplanes, the advent of Skype, the women's rights movement, and 26 presidential elections—next year's will be her 27th. Given her singular perspective, Newsweek traveled to Connecticut to interview Littman about her views on the 2016 presidential candidates. Unsurprisingly given the race so far, her take was pretty bleak.

Her first love is Bernie Sanders: "He's the best candidate we have." But Littman doesn't think his campaign has enough money to compete in the big leagues. She's facing the same dilemma as many Democrats. If she votes Sanders, "it reduces Hillary's chances. He'll never get in. So what do you do? This is a dilemma that I have no solution [for]."

One thing Littman is clear on is her disdain for Republicans. "They are all miserable," she said. "There's not one of them that has a redeeming [quality]." Ben Carson she labeled "a horror," Jeb Bush is "phony," Ted Cruz is a joke, and don't get her started on Donald Trump.

I'm glad he's running. Maybe if he runs, Hillary will get in by a landslide [laughs]. He is the most uncouth, insensitive—let him run! Now he talks about a third party. That would be good; that would split the Republicans.

One of the reasons she's so anti-Republican is because, well, she's a woman. She sites right-wing claims against Planned Parenthood as a pathetic attempt by Republicans to control women's bodies. They'll "do anything," to discredit the organization, she said. "I'm just going to write a check out to Planned Parenthood. I always send money to them." Littman is encouraged by the progress the women's movement has made, but still sees room for improvement.

We don't have all the privileges that we should have. We don't have equal rights as far as salary is concerned. And we still have people who want to control our bodies...We still have stupid women who vote for Republicans who are against everything that's good for them.

We'd love to hear her take on Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Deez Nuts. Littman 2016, anyone?

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