In the Blog
She’s in
So, Hillary Clinton (finally) officially announced that she’s taking the preliminary steps to make a bid for the US Presidency in 2008. This lady doesn’t mince words: “I’m in. And I’m in to win.”
However you feel about Clinton and her politics, it’s going to be fascinating to watch the way she will be portrayed by the media during the lead up to the big race. Although the international climate for female heads of states is warming up (see Chile’s Michelle Bachelet and Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, for examples), women in power, especially politics, tend to get a very chilly reception from the press, pundits and even fellow politicians. The recent Belinda Stronach episode shed some fascinating light on the struggles women still face when trying to break into politics.
Things to watch for: the way in which Clinton’s personal life gets dredged up (although this is arguably a common tactic for all politicians, when women are involved things like sex and relationships tend to dominate, whereas with men it’s their military record that’s a test of their manliness and loyalty to their country); accounts of her appearance when it’s totally unnecessary: tracking haircuts, suit colour, shopping expeditions, etc., and, of course, the irritating question that will not stop until the race is over (unless, gasp! she wins): is America ready for a female president?
