Opinion
Desperately Seeking Sarah
I might not have C as my middle initial, but Erica's not the only one around here who gets frustrated with the ridiculous sexism in the media.
The latest cover story in Newsweek is just pathetic. It's about the wives of this year's presidential candidates, sympathetically commiserating with spouses of the GOP crop for having to adopt the Stepford Wife look and demeanor. (The article mentions Democrats, but the fodder comes from Republican wives.)
But their attempt to get righteous about feminism backfires.
What's maddening about this article's portrayal of GOP sexism is that it ignores—with the exception of one toss-off line about "hell-raiser" Sarah Palin, a "quirk of Republican political life")—this fact: The two most prominent political women in the country right now, Palin and Michele Bachmann, happen to be Republicans.
After the 2008 Democratic party primary got done hating on Hillary Clinton, Democrats have yet to come to terms with the fact that the GOP is producing female political stars.
In our own state, while we're loaded with Democratic female leaders, including Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Gov. Chris Gregoire, it's worth noting that the newest female politicians to emerge are Republican women, freshman U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera (R-WA, 3) and fourth ranking house Republican, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA, 5).
Rather than spoofing the GOP for enforcing 1950s ideals of women, Newsweek should recognize that Michele Bachmann heads up the most influential political movement of 2010 and could be poised to translate that into 2012.
The latest cover story in Newsweek is just pathetic. It's about the wives of this year's presidential candidates, sympathetically commiserating with spouses of the GOP crop for having to adopt the Stepford Wife look and demeanor. (The article mentions Democrats, but the fodder comes from Republican wives.)
A political spouse should be poised and gracious and able to smile benignly for 16 hours straight while wearing pumps and panty hose in 100-degree heat. She should make frequent mention of how much she cherishes her role as wife and mother. And she should strive to look the part. Pretty is a plus. Sexy is a no-no.
But their attempt to get righteous about feminism backfires.
What's maddening about this article's portrayal of GOP sexism is that it ignores—with the exception of one toss-off line about "hell-raiser" Sarah Palin, a "quirk of Republican political life")—this fact: The two most prominent political women in the country right now, Palin and Michele Bachmann, happen to be Republicans.
After the 2008 Democratic party primary got done hating on Hillary Clinton, Democrats have yet to come to terms with the fact that the GOP is producing female political stars.
In our own state, while we're loaded with Democratic female leaders, including Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Gov. Chris Gregoire, it's worth noting that the newest female politicians to emerge are Republican women, freshman U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera (R-WA, 3) and fourth ranking house Republican, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA, 5).
Rather than spoofing the GOP for enforcing 1950s ideals of women, Newsweek should recognize that Michele Bachmann heads up the most influential political movement of 2010 and could be poised to translate that into 2012.
