New Jersey Editor Thinks State’s Got An Old Boy’s Network
Whitman says because she’s a woman she was treated differently. |
An article in the New Jersey Spotlight entertains the idea that gender bias might have something to do with the party politics in the upcoming New Jersey gubernatorial election. Mark Magyar, a former deputy policy chief and senior policy advisor during Gov. Christine Todd Whitman’s administration and now editor at large for the New Jersey Spotlight suspects that gender is playing a role Barbara Buono’s campaign. In his article “Buono: Running Without Backing of Old-Boys Network” Magyar writes that New Jersey politics are especially difficult to maneuver if you are a woman in this man’s “club.” He points out the male dominated political makeup of New Jersey in that there has never been a woman in the Senate and the last female representative in Congress retired in 2002. He compares Buono’s campaign to Whitman’s who also was overlooked by her own party. He quotes Whitman saying:
“I was given absolutely no chance… You’re never part of the Old Boys Network, you’re never anybody’s first choice, and you know you’re going to have to deal with a certain amount of sexism every step of the way”
Magyar quotes Buono expressing similar frustrations of being treated differently because she is a woman:
“In the spirit of being brutally honest, I will say this: If you are forceful and a strong leader and you are a woman, they are more likely to see you as an inconvenient nuisance and not embrace your leadership, but if you’re a male, they are going to try to take you into the fold and embrace you”
This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard of the “Old Boys Network” from female politicians. In fact, just recently we covered the same sentiments being brought up in Virginia.
Published by Michelle Van Veen on 07/16/2013