When news of Chelsea Clinton’s pregnancy broke, the media erupted with stories about the announcement, and a significant number of news outlets, including the Washington Times and Fox News, posed this hard-hitting question to the nation: how will this grandchild affect Hillary Clinton’s potential 2016 bid for the presidency?
Just in case you don’t want to read further to find out, I’ll tell you right now: it won’t.
These fine examples of journalism addressed questions that were very obviously relevant to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s possible presidential campaign, including the pressing issue of her advanced age, and in doing so, highlighted some of the many double standards that female politicians face today.
Lest we forget, 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney has 22 grandchildren, and not once did anyone ever stop to ask how all those grandchildren would affect his Oval Office hopes. And while Clinton may seem ancient at 66 years of age, recall that Ronald Reagan was 69 when he assumed office.
But in this discussion of double standards and sexist media coverage, it would be a crime to leave out the incessant and grossly unbalanced scrutiny of female senators, representatives and governors’ physical appearances in comparison to their male counterparts.
It’s undeniable that the media covers all politicians’ appearances, but understand that the occasional snide comment about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s weight is different from the constant barrage of criticism that female politicians face.
It seems harmless to feature pantsuits or “frumpy” hairstyles, but when a magazine dedicates entire pieces to a female politician’s “new look” and sensationalizes her everyday life, it neglects and steals from her political credibility. The audience’s focus shifts from her intellect, merit and platform to how she looks, which has absolutely no bearing on her competency.
When Texas Senator Wendy Davis staged a filibuster to block a state bill that would triple the mandatory waiting period before an abortion, journalists wrote pieces featuring her pink Mizuno running shoes. Instead of calling her relentless defense of women’s reproductive rights iconic, Davis’ shoes replaced her achievement as the noteworthy part of this story.
All politicians assume office with similar if not the exact same goals. They strive to serve their country, and while whether they do so effectively is questionable, the fact remains that just because a politician happens to be a woman does not give the media license to place an intense focus on her hairstyle or dress.