Don’t Let the Glass Ceiling Hit You on the Way Out
After Congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced today that she would be suspending her presidential campaign, the Washington Post has written the first in what will surely be a long line of vaguely sexist articles about what the Congresswoman did wrong in Iowa. Author Patricia Murphy identifies a puzzling reason why the winner of the Ames Straw Poll emerged 6th in the Iowa caucuses last night: her fellow conservative “mama grizzlies” stopped supporting her campaign.
You know that awful stereotype that women hate to see other women succeed and won’t support them if they do? The Washington Post is doing a great job of perpetuating it in this article. Furthermore, they’re suggesting that the only way a woman candidate can win is through the unanimous support of her fellow women—which, if reversed, would probably never be said about a male candidate.
But wait, there’s more! Let’s play “Spot the Sexism” in this quote:
“Enter Rep. Michele Bachmann onto the 2012 presidential stage. Like Palin, she was a prolific mother, successful fundraiser, unquestioned conservative and telegenic communicator ready to take on Barack Obama and the Republican establishment in a way few of her male competitors would.”
I don’t know about you, but I have a suspicion that when Murphy writes “telegenic,” what she really means is “pretty.” That’s just plain sexist, and so is this:
“It seems like only yesterday that Sarah Palin stepped into a pair of red, Naughty Monkey peep-toe pumps and blew up every assumption about the Republican Party and women.”
But what’s really sad about this article isn’t just the subtle sexism that Murphy slips in the text. No, what’s worse is this quote from Iowan and former Bachmann supporter Jeanne Jennings:
“But then I just started thinking about being presidential and I don’t know that we’re ready for a woman for president. I think what we really need to do is get Rick Santorum for president and Michele Bachmann for vice president.”
With attitudes like that, no wonder Iowa has never elected a woman governor, senator, or member of Congress. And with media coverage like what Congresswoman Bachmann received during the last few months, you have to wonder if the Hawkeye State ever will.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 01/04/2012