Good Old Boys, Hillary Clinton, and the “Little Old Ladies” Tale

By Brigitte L. Nacos
If one observes from afar how Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany does not waver in her tough stand vis-à-vis Russia on the issue of Georgia, albeit in a different way than the threatening messages dispatched by the Bush administration and Senator John McCain, one cannot help but wonder why women in American politics continue to play second fiddle to male politicians. In U.S. politics, women--even strong and opinionated women--are palatable in supporting casts. Thus, Michelle Obama’s speech at the
Denver convention in support of her husband was received very well. After all, an Obama victory in November would merely cast her in the supporting role as first lady.   

But when women reach for the starring role, as Hillary Clinton did in this year’s presidential primary season, they still get bruised as they hit the glass ceiling. The perennial dominance of the good old boys bulwark is alive and well. And when push comes to shove, the persistent old order will pick white or black or Latino males over females of any race or ethnicity. 

Never mind that Nancy Pelosi rose to become Speaker of the House. 

Becoming the presidential nominee of one of the major parties and winning the White House is a different story. And Pelosi’s rise in Congress is far from exemplary in the overall political landscape. 

Unlike the United States, other nations, especially, but not only in the developed world, have left gender prejudices in politics behind—and not only by choosing women as prime ministers and presidents.

As Susan Faludi writes in an op-ed article in New York Times, 

”Today, the United States ranks 22nd among the 30 developed nations in its proportion of female federal lawmakers. The proportion of female state legislators has been stuck in the low 20 percent range for 15 years; women’s share of state elective executive offices has fallen consistently since 2000, and is now under 25 percent. The American political pipeline is 86 percent male.”

And so it is not surprising that Barack Obama never considered Hillary Clinton as running mate but picked Joe Biden, although the Senator from Delaware is far longer part of the Washington political establishment and a few years older than Senator Clinton. He voted for the same Iraq authorization as Senator Clinton did. The argument that Hillary Clinton does not fit the bill for a campaign of change does not wash in view of Biden’s selection.

I actually like Biden. And I assume that a number of those who lean toward Obama might cast their vote in favor of the Democratic team because of Biden’s experience. 

Hillary Clinton would have brought experience plus the good will of many millions of her supporters to the ticket. She won 50% of the popular vote; Joe Biden a negligible number. 

After all the attacks on Hillary Clinton from the Obama campaign, the star-struck Obama worshipers on the Internet, and his cheering sections in the media, the junior Senator from New York is now burdened with the demand to whip her supporters into lining up behind Senator Obama in order to pave the way for his victory in November. As the New York Times put it in an editorial on the morning of Hillary’s speech, 

“In an appearance on Monday morning before the New York delegation, she seemed to be trying to put an end to the backstage fighting. She urged her supporters to ‘work as hard for Barack Obama and Joe Biden as you did for me.’ If she really means that, she has a lot more to contribute, starting with her speech at the convention on Tuesday night. She can argue — persuasively — that Mr. Obama is more likely than Mr. McCain to deliver on all the issues she and her backers care about most.”

Joe Biden, too, has been assigned to court Mrs. Clinton’s supporters. As Chuck Todd, political director of NBC News, put it the other day on “Morning Joe,” the vice-presidential candidate may be able to win over the “little old ladies” in general and in Florida in particular--those old, little ladies who still have a hang-up on Hillary. He used this phrase that I have frequently heard and read elsewhere during this campaign.

So, it is the older women that will make or break Obama’s quest for the White House?

Little old ladies! What about little old gentlemen?

None of the predominantly male commentators who love to refer to the little old ladies uses such a disparaging term for older men in the electorate, for example, when talking about older working class males and male gun owners in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

Whatever the pundits, males and “post-gender” females, have told us about Hillary Clinton’s own undoing in this campaign--all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. Now the Obama supporters even demand that Mrs. Clinton forestalls efforts by her supporters at the Denver convention to put her name in nomination and have a roll call as a sign of her strength in the Democratic Party.

Why would such a roll call be a “waste of voters’ time,” as the New York Times editorial board wants us to believe, and “a pointless distraction?”

I have a hunch that Obama supporters fear that such a completely legitimate and ethical practice would remind everyone (but especially Clinton supporters) of the problems with their party’s undemocratic presidential primary system.

Comments

[Alessandro Machi]

Barack Obama's side was able to spend a lot more in media time than Hillary Clinton's side. That would make the males who ridiculed Hillary Clinton paid off, as in male whores.

Most of the men who were trotted out during the election to help spin Barack's fading popularity could probably be called male whores, or MORES (no link to mores from the past is implied).

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http://www.FAIR-REFLECTION.com

[Eric Chen]

Professor Nacos,

If the standard is American foreign policy representation in the modern era, you have to include Secretary of State Rice, who as a woman, has followed in the foot steps of Secretary of State Albright. Of course, Secretary of State is an appointed position, not an elected position, but it does show a willingness and nascent track record to place women in one of the highest positions of responsibility representing our nation on the world stage.

Our two-party system encourage stability, but the flip side of stability is stagnation. We're slowly moving forward as far as placing a woman in the Oval Office; I believe we're far closer to that than placing a Chinese-American in the Oval Office. What would worry me more than the Democrats' rejection of a woman President is the scarcity in the pipeline. When the time comes that Dems or GOP is ready to choose their first woman candidate for President, will there be undeniable woman candidates in position and ready to take the lead?

In the near future, rather than Congress, I think potential woman candidates should be drawn from the pool of woman governors. If success in a traditionally masculine arena is a deciding factor, retired woman generals may be groomed for the Presidency as well.