Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The White House Is No House for a Woman   [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

LA Times:

But the CNN poll today shows that 72% of whites and 61% of blacks believe the country is ready for a black president. That's up from 65% and 54%, respectively, two years ago. (Both polls have a margin of error of +/-4.5%.)

But asked if the country is ready for a female president, blacks and whites both are in agreement; they're less sure — only 63% of both whites and blacks answer yes. That's up slightly (from 58%) for whites but down among blacks from 67% since December, 2006.

Interestingly, men and women remain in agreement on this issue, too. In 2006, 60% of both genders said yes and this time it's 65% female and 64% male.

My explanation: Years of ridiculous efforts to portray female presidents in American pop culture that bombed. There have been bad Lifetime movies (that was redundant, wasn't it?). There was Commander-in-Chief with Geena Davis. There have been whiny women and Barbie dolls. I don't want a female president either. She'd be whiny and annoying and the embodiment of identity politics (as I said, whiny and annoying) — if some of the pop culture examples are any indication. I'm surprised, frankly it is as high as it is. But people lie.

01/22 04:50 AMShare