we gotta be careful to draw the distinction between judging her explicitly because she's a woman, and judging her for exhibiting many traits common in women that are terrible traits for a leader.
crying to get what you want? check. using your more husband to help you accomplish your goals? check. emotionally erratic behavior? check.
if most women are not in politics, that's probably because most women do too many womanly things.
yeah, that's sexism. and i'm totally ok with that.
oh yeah, and tarja halonen (the doppel-conan) is an open lesbian too.
it's not that women can't or shouldn't be in politics, it's that the baseline for female behavior isn't as conducive to political activity as that of males.
sure, they're "women", but i wouldn't want to run into maggie thatcher at night in a dark alley.
Indira Gandhi, the ex Indian Prime Minister, had more balls than all the men of Punjab put together. She stomped out terrorism in that state and also imposed a repressive emergency on the country when her rule was threatened. By the end of her life she wore the harsh look that many women in power end up having.
Take a look at early pictures of her or even of a young Hillary and you ll see a more girlish aspect to them. I think it might be that a lifetime spent in politics hardens a woman, forcing her to become a forceful and asexual figure. Boardroom figures like Carly Fiorina have that look too. What would you do if you had to fight to get on top in a male dominated game like politics or business? Harden up of course and hide all your weaknesses, like your femininity and softness.
I think in Hillary's case, when she saw that her exterior was putting off too many voters she had to try to bring out qualities that she had long since abandoned on her path to power. She is completely unconvincing as a human being but perfect as a embattled politician. That is the role she has spent a lifetime preparing for.
5 responses:
we gotta be careful to draw the distinction between judging her explicitly because she's a woman, and judging her for exhibiting many traits common in women that are terrible traits for a leader.
crying to get what you want? check.
using your more husband to help you accomplish your goals? check.
emotionally erratic behavior? check.
if most women are not in politics, that's probably because most women do too many womanly things.
yeah, that's sexism.
and i'm totally ok with that.
think about the women who ARE leaders...
Thatcher...
That president of Finland who looks like Conan O'Brien...
...and ask yourself: are they REALLY women?
oh yeah, and tarja halonen (the doppel-conan) is an open lesbian too.
it's not that women can't or shouldn't be in politics, it's that the baseline for female behavior isn't as conducive to political activity as that of males.
sure, they're "women", but i wouldn't want to run into maggie thatcher at night in a dark alley.
Indira Gandhi, the ex Indian Prime Minister, had more balls than all the men of Punjab put together. She stomped out terrorism in that state and also imposed a repressive emergency on the country when her rule was threatened. By the end of her life she wore the harsh look that many women in power end up having.
Take a look at early pictures of her or even of a young Hillary and you ll see a more girlish aspect to them. I think it might be that a lifetime spent in politics hardens a woman, forcing her to become a forceful and asexual figure. Boardroom figures like Carly Fiorina have that look too. What would you do if you had to fight to get on top in a male dominated game like politics or business? Harden up of course and hide all your weaknesses, like your femininity and softness.
I think in Hillary's case, when she saw that her exterior was putting off too many voters she had to try to bring out qualities that she had long since abandoned on her path to power. She is completely unconvincing as a human being but perfect as a embattled
politician. That is the role she has spent a lifetime preparing for.
... I dunno. Benazir Bhutto wasn't a bad looking dame.
Women get uglier as they get older, and much more quickly than men. The bell curve drops off pretty sharply at about 27.
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