By Melissa Anderson
The 2008 election has made history in numerous ways – a woman ran for the Democratic presidential nomination against a black man, and a woman was selected as the Republican vice presidential candidate.
What has not been historical is the unequal treatment of women in this election season.
Palin has made headlines across the nation, she has been mimicked on “Saturday Night Live,” her head has been cut and pasted onto other women’s bodies and her family values have been attacked. These are merely a few examples of controversial gender
treatment in this presidential election.
“I think a lot of people thought the women who supported Hillary would support McCain and that didn’t happen,” said Dr. Barbara Pickering, associate professor and graduate chair of the School of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Pickering has studied political rhetoric since she was an undergraduate and has written a number of research articles about gender and politics.
“Professional women are often evaluated based on their appearance,” Pickering said. Their hair, clothing and physical features are often taken into account. At one point, Hilary Clinton was the highlight of political news, not for her policies, but for her pantsuits and lack of skirts. These critiques on women are prevalent in the professional world – an environment where they should be left out, Pickering said.
The images of Palin’s head superimposed on other women’s bikini-clad bodies have appeared on Internet sites, e-mails and text messages.
Shari Boroviak, a Council Bluffs family consultant and remedial specialist, said Americans have viewed Palin more sexually than seriously.
Stories addressing Palin’s gender have hit the front page of papers across the country throughout this election, leaving some wondering if the country is ready for a female vice president.
“Sarah Palin is not the first,” said Eric Buske, a political science major at UNO.
He points out that Hillary Clinton was the first serious female candidate for president and “10 years ago that would be surprising.” He also said in 1984 the Democratic ticket included a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, as the vice presidential candidate.
Buske said women have held or run for almost every governmental position, including Supreme Court justice, secretary of state, attorney general and speaker of the house, which should have created some equality. Yet the media have focused greatly on Palin’s gender, creating an unequal gender balance in this election.
“A woman candidate’s success depends on her character, motivation, experience and competency - the same characteristics that apply to a man,” said Helen Boosalis, a former mayor of Lincoln and the 1986 Democratic nominee for governor, in a guest essay in USA Today on May 20, 1986. “Women will truly have achieved equality when a victorious woman candidate is no longer news.”
These criteria should be applied every election year for candidates on every level, said Beth Boosalis-Davis, Boosalis’ daughter.
Although many voters are excited to see a woman contending for a high-level political seat, many have voiced their concerns about Palin as a politician, and not because of her gender.
“It does not appear that she is well-informed,” Boroviak said. “Sometimes she attempts to be sarcastic in inappropriate situations.”
Many people have started paying more attention to this election than past elections because of the controversies surrounding Palin’s entry.
“The media has focused on her daughter and family life,” Buske said.
Pickering also said she noticed the concerns raised by the media about Palin becoming the next vice president.
“I have a great deal of respect for the things she’s accomplished as a mayor and the governor of Alaska,” Pickering said, “though the amount of experience is somewhat limited.”
Pickering said people will look at Palin’s credentials and experience to make an assessment of how she will be as a vice president.
“If you look at the women who have been in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the last 10 to 15 years, a lot of those women have been able to work across party lines,” Pickering said.
She said these women have developed social networks as women who are not connected to a particular party and have successfully gone through the process of fitting in to a culture dominated by men.
“If people do not expect more serious female candidates, they should start,” Buske said.
