One of the best things to come out of this election season is how gender has re-entered the public arena and political debate. In previous election years, women have been relegated to the background. But in 2008, issues of gender and power are very much in the forefront.
I chose to write on the topic of the “first and only,” because it is an important (but not often discussed) reality that numbers matter. We like to think of ourselves as a fair country, beyond the prejudices of yesteryear, where individuals who work hard will be judged on their merits alone. But in truth, until there are enough diverse females in authority so that a chosen few are not expected to speak for an entire race or gender, those few will continue to carry the burden for all. When more women are running for the presidency, say three or four just like the men, the conversation about gender will be replaced by conversations about each woman’s agenda. With one woman, stereotypes abound; often, that “only” woman either has to prove she is “man enough” for the job or find a way to be “tough enough” without losing her appeal as a woman. It’s almost impossible. That isn’t to say that the particular policy concerns about Hillary Clinton or about President Clinton that readers have expressed would disappear, but the issues around gender would be far less pronounced if two other women governors or senators were in the race. If those gender issues are ones you aren’t seeing, let’s take a quick look at how the media are treating this particular one and only.
As much as numbers matter, media matters, and with Clinton, the first powerful woman who has ever been the frontrunner for the presidency, fears about women and power come right to the surface—and not in ways that any of us should be proud of. If you doubt me, check out Kathleen Hall Jamieson talking about the misogyny directed at Clinton in the media (donkey rape and “get back to the dishes” rants included). Or the email that found its way to my inbox this morning encouraging me to buy a t-shirt insisting I put “Bros before Hoes.” Again, I can understand voters or the media disagreeing with Clinton on policy positions or her voting record—it’s a legitimate and important aspect of our democracy to be able to question our leaders.
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