Current Affairs


Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Notes From A Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin And What It Will Take For A Woman To Win

By Anne E. Kornblut
"Although neither Hillary Clinton nor Sarah Palin managed to pull off the historic achievement of becoming the first woman president or vice president, they have added to the debate about the likely prospect of a woman ever reaching the highest office. Washington Post reporter Kornblut reviews the campaigns of Clinton and Palin from the perspective of how the media and voters reacted to female candidates. Based on her own observations, as well as those of campaign consultants and advisors, Kornblut explores how the candidates wrestled, or not, with gender issues from appearance to the role of their husbands and children in the campaign. Clinton was determined to downplay her gender in favor of her experience, while Palin apparently was unconcerned about the issue but more willing than Clinton to use gender to her advantage as Republicans and Democrats reversed themselves on traditional feminist issues. Kornblut analyzes the double standard applied to Clinton, Palin, and a number of other female politicians, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and self-made billionaire and Republican California governor hopeful Meg Whitman. Kornblut concludes with an analysis of the long-range implications of the two historic campaigns for the future prospects of women in public office." ( Booklist Reviews)
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