Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

Tribune Column

I think the meat of the column is in this passage:

[ QUOTE ]
Here's the thing though. I find that I can't name a single female national political figure I do like--not respect, not agree with, but "like." Oh, I can name you many men who, their politics aside, strike me as likable: McCain, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, even cranky old Bob Dole.

But women? Not so much. Nancy Pelosi, Janet Reno, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright. I cannot see myself -- we are speaking metaphorically here -- cuddling up to any of them. They all seem formidable, off-putting, cold.

Which suggests the problem here is not so much them as me. And, if I may be so bold, we. As in, we seem unable to synthesize the idea that a woman can be smart, businesslike, demanding, capable, in charge and also warm.

[/ QUOTE ]
The jist of it is that many of the negative impressions we have of Clinton and other powerful women are not the result of their actual traits, but rather lingering sexism. We have a hard time imagining women in charge and thus when confronted with one resort to crass descriptions. So the next time you choose to judge Clinton or another powerful women harshly, please examine whether that judgment is justified.

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Tribune Column

I think the meat of the column is in this passage:

[ QUOTE ]
Here's the thing though. I find that I can't name a single female national political figure I do like--not respect, not agree with, but "like." Oh, I can name you many men who, their politics aside, strike me as likable: McCain, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, even cranky old Bob Dole.

But women? Not so much. Nancy Pelosi, Janet Reno, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright. I cannot see myself -- we are speaking metaphorically here -- cuddling up to any of them. They all seem formidable, off-putting, cold.

Which suggests the problem here is not so much them as me. And, if I may be so bold, we. As in, we seem unable to synthesize the idea that a woman can be smart, businesslike, demanding, capable, in charge and also warm.

[/ QUOTE ]
The jist of it is that many of the negative impressions we have of Clinton and other powerful women are not the result of their actual traits, but rather lingering sexism. We have a hard time imagining women in charge and thus when confronted with one resort to crass descriptions. So the next time you choose to judge Clinton or another powerful women harshly, please examine whether that judgment is justified.

[/ QUOTE ]

*thinks about it*

*thinks about it*

Nope, she's still in the pockets of big buisnesses, and I hate her. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

interesting link

I think the unlikable women thesis holds up better for politicians than powerful women in general. That suggests that maybe it has something to do with the type of women who succeed in politics in addition to latent gender prejudice.

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Tribune Column

I think the meat of the column is in this passage:

[ QUOTE ]
Here's the thing though. I find that I can't name a single female national political figure I do like--not respect, not agree with, but "like." Oh, I can name you many men who, their politics aside, strike me as likable: McCain, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, even cranky old Bob Dole.

But women? Not so much. Nancy Pelosi, Janet Reno, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright. I cannot see myself -- we are speaking metaphorically here -- cuddling up to any of them. They all seem formidable, off-putting, cold.

Which suggests the problem here is not so much them as me. And, if I may be so bold, we. As in, we seem unable to synthesize the idea that a woman can be smart, businesslike, demanding, capable, in charge and also warm.

[/ QUOTE ]
The jist of it is that many of the negative impressions we have of Clinton and other powerful women are not the result of their actual traits, but rather lingering sexism. We have a hard time imagining women in charge and thus when confronted with one resort to crass descriptions. So the next time you choose to judge Clinton or another powerful women harshly, please examine whether that judgment is justified.

[/ QUOTE ]

people who make it that far in politics are almost always unlikeable people to those who aren't sheep and prefer not being pandered to. some men can make it through as a breeze so sometimes get to skip or gloss over this process.

women who make it that far often do extra pandering to make up for their unlikely political success. I would say this accounts for why female political figures are almost always unlikeable.

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

Do you feel the same way about Clinton as you do about Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir?

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

Oh, woops, pusHy, I misread that.. nm.

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
interesting link

I think the unlikable women thesis holds up better for politicians than powerful women in general. That suggests that maybe it has something to do with the type of women who succeed in politics in addition to latent gender prejudice.

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely think all the "Shrillary" comments are due to some latent sexism myself. You can see this type of behavior in sports where we expect leaders to be brash, violent and outspoken (even at the cost of finesse and intelligence) and their wives to be behind-the-scenes and softspoken.

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

This has it all mixed up. The real thing IMO is that women have to be pretty off-putting and cold in order to be successful in a "man's world".

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
This has it all mixed up. The real thing IMO is that women have to be pretty off-putting and cold in order to be successful in a "man's world".

[/ QUOTE ]

or they can just put out

Re: Is Clinton as pushy as we think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Oh, I can name you many men who, their politics aside, strike me as likable: McCain, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, even cranky old Bob Dole.

[/ QUOTE ]
McCain is likeable??