The Woman of the (White) House

Are we ready for “Madame President”?

ABC’s new fall show “Commander In Chief” is getting rave reviews from critics and fans alike, but it is also getting criticism from conservatives. Some conservatives say that the show is nothing more than a vehicle to get Americans used to thinking of a woman President, or more specifically Hillary Clinton as President. Although this seems to be plausible (after all, this is Hollyweird we’re talking about here), I think the American people are smarter than we think. Personally, I’ve watched 10 minutes of “The West Wing” and I can affirm with no fear of contradiction that I have never said, “You know, Martin Sheen would be a great President.”

But if “Commander In Chief” is an attempt to brainwash people into being willing to elect a woman President, the show has some long odds to overcome. A recent poll shows that 47% of people surveyed would not vote for a woman if she ran for President. This means one of two things. One, all Janet Reno needs to do to run for President is to switch from skirts to pants, or simply run as her alter ego, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton. And, two, people aren’t sold on the idea just yet.

Part of this may be because of who the woman running for President is. So far, there is only one woman who has been talked about as far as being a Presidential candidate in 2008, and that’s Hillary Clinton. The junior Senator from New York State has been playing coy with the press by dodging questions about her candidacy while at the same time amassing a small fortune in campaign contributions. Sort of like Tom DeLay, but with more of a penchant for pantsuits.

Yet, Hillary isn’t that well-liked outside of the DNC clubhouse. There are any number of possible reasons for this (and some of them have nothing to do with her horndog husband). But the one that sticks out most in my mind is the fact that she doesn’t seem to interact well with the public. I’ve seen her give speeches and do the “grip and grin” afterwards, and I haven’t seen someone looking more stiff and cold in my life. And when you consider I included Al Gore in that list, that’s saying something.

For me, it’s when she gets that wide-eyed smile when she sees someone she knows. It comes off looking phony and disingenuous. Of course, that may be because she’s been in the Senate, where being phony and disingenuous is a requirement to hold the office. But, those traits don’t work that well when you’re trying to convince people that you are sincere. Politics is all about image, and to be honest, Hill, you’re coming off to the majority of people like an iceberg, but without the charm.

This is not to say that there aren't any women who could be a great President if given the opportunity. Two women that come to my mind are Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and author and commentator Tammy Bruce. Both Rice and Bruce share quiet grace, dazzling intelligence, and a genuine warmth that sets them apart from many people, this columnist included. (Man, if I sucked up any more, I could give David Oreck's vacuum cleaners a run for their money.) Of these two women I just named, only Rice has been rumored to be in the mix for the Republican nomination in 2008. And I honestly think if she were to accept the nomination, she could win the White House.

Especially if Hillary Clinton is the Democrat nominee.

Make no mistake, Hillary will pose a challenge. If she were to run against a man (Rudy Giuliani excluded), she would have the advantage of being seen less harshly than the man would be. Like it or not, society has taught us that women are the "fairer sex." Apparently, the people who came up with that one never saw Helen Thomas, but I digress. In a head-to-head election, Hillary would get the nod most of the time because she has the ability to turn on her feminine side. No man this side of RuPaul could do that.

But put Hillary up against a woman like Dr. Rice and you neutralize that weapon. Then it becomes a battle not between genders, but between different forms of feminism. Even though Hillary is a feminist icon for being a "strong, intelligent woman" in their eyes, she would not do well against a woman who really is a strong, intelligent woman as Dr. Rice is, or at least appears to be. When given a choice between the two, people will have to decide between someone who switches images more often than Madonna and someone who has only had one image throughout.

Oops. Looks like Hillary may not need to measure the Oval Office for new drapes after all.

Personally, I think we're more ready for a female President than we think. Women have proven to be as capable, intelligent, and talented as their male counterparts in many areas, including politics. We shouldn't dismiss any woman merely because of gender. Maybe it's time for the men to step aside and let a woman take over the ship of state. We could do worse.

After all, we almost elected Al Gore.

And that's the Bottom Line.

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