Do you think female politicians suffer from a lack of support from their own gender?

Question

I remember watching a newscast where an older woman said that she would never vote for a woman President. What is the root of this self-denegration?

Angela Merkel is currently the first woman chancellor of Germany, the biggest and strongest member of the EU. Calling all Germans: Has society fallen down?

Answer 1

Old prejudices die hard, it seems. I can hear the echos of my mom born in the 20s speaking of 'lady doctors' with some degree of disdain...

Where can that come from but a deep misogyny, not limited to men but to all who grew up mired in it? I'm sure there were women who also believed that women shouldn't be allowed to vote, before their sisters fought for and won that right.
Perhaps the arguments went something like "oh, it doesn't seem right...it should be men running the government and making decisions about such things". or "oh, women are too emotional, let their feelings get in the way when making decisions about issues" or some such bit of dross...

Answer 2

There are many people out there, both men and women, who do not find comfort that the person responsible for protecting them is a woman. I think it is a father-figure thing that may not even be a conscious choice - throughout the history of the world, in most every herd/communal mammalian species, it is the males who protect the females and young.

I'm not one of them. I would love to see Condi Rice as president. Or an American equivalent of Margaret Thatcher. Strong, intelligent, dauntless. Those type of women would change lots of minds.

On the other hand, a corrupt self-absorbed power-hungry socialist like Hillary would have an opposite effect, and would reinforce the belief that women are unsuitable for the presidency.

Answer 3

Older women came from a culture that taught very different ideas about women. Thus, they would be more likely to say that. I would imagine a comprehensive survey of all women of voting age would portray a different view. The root of this particular self-denigration is the society the woman grew up in.

Answer 4

I think the sad truth is that we live in a culture which over-values youth and beauty when it comes to women...

Remember the OJ trial? How many comments were made daily in the media that pertained to what Marcia Clark was wearing, how her hair looked, and what was going on in her personal life?

How many of the same questions about Johnny Cochran? Or Judge Ito?

Women with the credentials to run for president are devalued by women and men alike, often by shallow criteria...

I think the reason people on the left support Hilary is that they think they're getting Bill...

I think the reason people on the right support Condi is that they think they are getting GW.

Sad commentary...

Answer 5

I wish that there have been extra women individuals in authorities, yet i do not for a lady because we percentage similar reproductive organs. Palin, no count number what you imagine of her, develop into elected to an place of work and worked her way through even with passes for the equipment in Alaska. She did not journey all and sundry's coattails through being a member of the Palin prolonged relations or position self assurance of their wealth to get her elected. She develop into elected through the electorate of her state and that i visit provide her credit for that. Kennedy, on the different hand, is using her call and relations fortune as her credentials. in simple terms because she is a Kennedy does no longer recommend that she is owed a senate seat or some thing else for that count number. and that i concern that many who help her are banking on the Kennedy delusion and air of secrecy to unexpectedly make her qualified for the place of work. a minimum of Sarah Palin develop into elected to diminish places of paintings earlier she ran for the governorship. there are probably ratings of qualified women individuals available, yet operating for place of work might want to be an complete time career. you should anticipate to have your call and historic previous dragged through the dirt and if you're a mom, your little ones investigated and judged. Oh, and if you're no longer considered "lovable" adequate, you do not stand a risk.

Answer 6

i think in general human beings are very competitive so if a person sees another person of the same sex who is more succsessfull there is bound to be some jelousy.

another possibility is that women understand their own gender better (exept me. im a woman and dnt understand women at all) anyway its because they know the huge capabilities of an intellegent woman in power they are afraid to give her that power

Answer 7

IF you are old enough and have talked WITH enough women, you will find out women HATE to work for another woman. The term is the women feel women bosses are "b*tchy.". From my experience, they are. Besides, if Hilary Rottweiler Clinton can't control Slick Willie, how could she control a government? NOW Condie. She could do it.

Answer 8

i dont think,,,
we should bring the gender profiling here to..

a president could be male or female...
havent heard of a presidentess..

hillary cant become the president,, because people in her party dont want her..

if given the chance ,, she would have easily defeated bush the last time around

Answer 9

It's only one woman's view. I live in New York, the state that gave us Senator Clinton. I can't tell you how many women I've heard say that they voted for her "because she's a woman". I wish to God they hadn't!!

Answer 10

Yes they do suffer lack of support because they are all too busy competing with each other.