The media love to mock women in the political world by using sexist terms that demean us and make us out to be something not worthy of serious consideration.   We saw that time and time again during the 2008 presidential election as talking heads not-so-subtly suggested that Hillary Clinton was only a viable candidate for national office because we felt sorry for her after Bill cheated on her. And instead of focusing on Sarah Palin’s qualifications, or lack thereof, as John McCain’s running mate, the media focused on her looks and questioned whether a mother of five with young children still at home was up to playing with the big boys.

There’s still plenty of that when it comes to powerful women — one of the most recent examples is an article in the Washington Post about Elizabeth Warren, where they question whether she is a “zealot” because of her passion to help middle class families in these horrible economic times.  When I see things like that, it’s hard not to wonder whether a man in that position would have been described differently — I’m betting a male counterpart would be described more positively as something like a “devoted advocate” rather than a “zealot,” which has such a negative inference.  (Not to mention the fact that the article was, yet again, another story about a politically powerful woman that got placed in the Style section.  But that’s another post for another day.)

Another increasingly common phenomenon I’ve been noticing is that some news outlets just act like we don’t exist, implying through omission that it’s just the big ol’ menfolk who are out there trying to make change, with hardly a woman to be found!

The most recent outrageous example is a Politico article entitled, More Bloggers Throwing Hats in Ring.

The article explores the “phenomenon” of political bloggers deciding to take their voices beyond the bloggy world and actually try to get elected to office.  When I learned that the piece was being written, I was excited because I know several women bloggers who are doing just that!

When I saw a call for information about the piece from someone I now know was involved in the research for the article, I e-mailed him with several names — my friend Jill Miller Zimon of Writes Like She Talks who ran and was elected to her city council last year in Pepper Pike, Ohio; my former D.C. Metro Mom blog colleague Aimee Olivo who is running for School Board in Prince George’s County, Maryland; and Ariana Kelly of MomsRising blog who has tossed her hat in the ring for a seat in the Maryland State House of Delegates.

11 men got included in the article, but only two women were mentioned, even though the reporter had at least three more names, and I’d have to bet he had more.   So I have to ask — how does that choice get made and why?  One of the men highlighted in the article is Judd Legum, who is a blogger running for the Maryland State House of Delegates.  He’s talked up in the article as a big money raiser and his head shot is prominently featured just under the headline. Yet Ariana Kelly, who is also running for that same elective body and writes for a very prominent blog and organization that has over one million members is found nowhere in the article.

If one is truly interested in writing an article that fairly represents the growing movement of bloggers running for elective office, why leave out the numerous women and pen an article that implicitly suggests it’s mostly a guy thing?  I certainly hope it’s not because these three women are moms.  Because that would tick me off even more.

When the article does get around to tossing us gals a little bone, it’s with a tone of dismissal with its offhanded reference to the recent BlogHer conference half-day session with The White House Project, that may as well have said, “Oh, isn’t it cute that those lady bloggers are starting to think about running!”

So, other than beating our heads against our computers as it becomes clear that even when we try to step up to the plate with the boys, what do we do to combat the fact that they’re just ignoring us?   I guess we keep fighting — fighting the likes of Politico, who also doesn’t seem to recognize just how many of us women pundits are out here, fighting the Sunday talk shows, fighting NPR, fighting the Washington Post and the media in general that refuses to see political women where they are.

Maybe I should send the writer and his editor each one of these hats as a little reminder?

Or I could just send them an advance copy of this little baby! As the Politico piece said in its opening line, “The blog might be the new on ramp to American politics.”  Politico is right on that one — but we “powerful blogger ladies” will try our best not to run over the menz as we accelerate past them onto the political highway!

Image of MOMocrats at BlogHer ’10 courtesy of Stephanie Himel-Nelson

]]> http://www.punditmom.com/2010/08/whats-worse-when-the-media-mock-political-women-or-ignore-them/feed 5 http://www.punditmom.com/2008/11/hangin-with-the-momocrats http://www.punditmom.com/2008/11/hangin-with-the-momocrats#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:15:00 +0000 PunditMom http://www.punditmom.com/2008/11/hangin-with-the-momocrats
Looking for me? I’m over at MOMocrats today with some thoughts on the Big Three automakers.

Can you say ‘stupid and shortsighted?’

Yeah, I said it — stupidity and shortsightedness. What else can you say about companies who have put

Looking for me? I’m over at MOMocrats today with some thoughts on the Big Three automakers.

Can you say ‘stupid and shortsighted?’

Yeah, I said it — stupidity and shortsightedness. What else can you say about companies who have put their collective heads in the sand and ignored the demand of consumers for smaller, more fuel efficient cars and who just kept right on producing things like the Expedition (14 miles a gallon) and the Tahoe (also, 14 mpg).

So what’s the proper way to handle petulant corporate big wigs? Can’t help but wonder.

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But Michelle Obama still took the time out to write a special guest post for MOMocrats on Making Our Voices Heard.

It’s as simple as registering to vote, but it’s so much more than that. Michelle writes:

During the past 19 months, I’ve met with women in towns and cities all across the country. And I keep hearing about how they’re so busy trying to do it all—balancing work, taking care of kids, looking after parents, and managing all their family’s affairs—that it can feel impossible to fit anything else on their To Do lists.

But every day, when women drive to school or work or home, they almost certainly drive pass several places where you can register to vote. In many states, you can register at post offices, public libraries, and the DMV and other local and state government offices.

Go read the rest of what Michelle has to say about why you must go register to vote now. Go ahead. You’ll be glad you did.

No big surprise, I agreed!

In her article, Steinem compared Palin to Phyllis Schlafly. The more I think about it, the more I worry that Palin’s secret weapon in this year’s campaign is the next generation of Eagle Forum women.

Check it out at my MOMocrats post!

I basically agree. But after talking with some family members, I wonder if Palin’s perceived parental responsibilities could help the Democrats?

Read more at my post over at MOMocrats!

Last weekend brought some much needed R&R from parenting as one of my stepdaughters took over the reigns, bringing down my mental anxiety a notch on a variety of fronts.

As I was pondering why there is still so much coverage of the so-called reluctance of “older” Hillary Clinton supporters to become enthusiastic about Barack Obama, I had one of those light-bulb, Oprah AHA! moments.

When some women look at what Obama has achieved, they see the younger, sometimes not-quite-as-qualified, man in their office who was promoted before them.

The one who got a raise that they should have gotten. The one who got the corner office with the window while they still sat in the cubicle.

They remember how that felt and how, if they wanted to keep their jobs and benefits, they couldn’t really raise a stink about it, even though it was unfair.

They remember what happened to them when they did raise it and were shot down.

There are plenty of us who have been in that work situation. I have.

As a young news reporter just starting out in television in the 1980s, I was told up front that I would not be getting paid as much as some of the guys. There are always plenty of “reasons” — they’re married and have kids to support, you’re married and have a husband who’s contributing, you’re married and have another income and the single guys don’t.

And that was always just the start. I saw men who were younger and less qualified get promoted over me at a large government agency because they knew what I liked to call the “secret handshake” — that intangible ‘guy’ thing that often seems to help push them up the ladder a bit ahead of their female counterparts, even when we were working harder and longer hours (and weren’t working on separate business ventures on government time).

While this is clearly not the perfect analogy for comparing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and how their supporters feel, I suspect that there is a subliminal lingering sense of resentment of that all-too-common workplace phenomenon that has something to do with the reported numbers of Hillary supporters who claim they will not vote for Obama.

My experiences of not always being treated fairly or equally in the workplace are not going to prevent me from voting for Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. But I have to wonder whether the persistent sense of experienced women coming up short in the workplace and having to take the helper’s role to the younger man in the office is something that will unconsciously tip more than a few mid-life women into the John McCain or ‘other’ column.

For better or worse, the sum of our life experiences color and inform our election decisions and judgments. If Barack Obama wants to start wooing back some of the women who claim they are leaning toward McCain, he needs to find some empathy about their life experiences. It won’t be enough to send Michelle out to the speaker’s platform to do that.

Barack, you’ll have to find it in yourself to take that one up, as well.

I’ve proposed a panel at the SXSW conference in March next year called Building Political Clout Online. Writing about politics out here in the blogosphere isn’t just for pundits anymore! Let’s all get in on the conversation!

And the panel isn’t just going to be PunditMom jabbering on! Two other wonderful bloggers have agreed to be on the panel, as well — my fellow MOMocrat and MOMocrats co-founder Glennia Campbell (also of The Silent I) and Gloria Feldt, former president of Planned Parenthood who blogs at HeartFeldt Politics.

But as you may know, SXSW chooses the panels to present by the number of votes each panel gets.

So, could I ask a little favor? Pretty please? If you have a minute, head over to the interactive panel picker and click on “Building Political Clout Online.”

Voting ends on August 29 and then they’ll decide! Thanks for your support! I hear Austin is supposed to be lovely in the spring!

Lots of us will not be able to be there, but you can read their books!

Here are a few offerings from some very high profile Mothers of Intention to get you through the rest of the summer and the Democratic and GOP conventions:

Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters, by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi: I started this book at the pool yesterday, and it is a quick read — part bio and part motivational piece to get all of us women, not just our daughters, off our duffs and working for the change we want to see. Check out the Amazon link for a video interview with Pelosi, as well (sorry, Amazon won’t let me embed it!)

Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, by Rep. Carolyn Maloney: A look at why women’s lives really aren’t getting any easier, even though we think they should be. Also check out the great interview of Congresswoman Maloney over at MOMocrats that would make a great companion to the book!

Women’s Media Center articles: OK, so you have to print them out to take to the pool or the beach, but it’s worth a little ink and paper for Sexism: The Invisible ‘Ism’ and Obama and Women Leaders Get Down to Business.

Also, for something a little lighter, I recommend the new book by Michelle of White Trash Mom blog called, what else, The White Trash Mom Handbook! Don’t get all riled up at the name — it’s got advice about how to navigate the treacherous waters of PTA meetings and school events! I’m still waiting for my copy, BUT having read Michelle’s blog, I know it’s Mother of Intention-worthy!

Also, life is funny sometimes. When Michelle and I talked at BlogHer, we realized our paths had crossed in our earlier lives, though we both only had dim recollections of the actual meeting (age and kids will do that to a mom brain!)

So enjoy the reading recommendations, let me know what you think and stay tuned for more Mothers of Intention!

So if you’re interested in giving us a little help, head on over to our raffle site Help a Mama Swag-o-Rama!! You won’t BELIEVE how much great stuff we’ve put together to finance this momentous undertaking.

My contribution to the raffle should be especially tasty — the package includes two bottles of wine from the great guys at The Political Winery. Chris Trebilcock and and John Hemboldt started their wine venture, even though they are long-time politicos on opposite sides of the political fence! Because even if we can’t always come together on our politics, we should be able to find common ground with a glass of wine.

Or if you’re just feeling generous, that’s OK , too:

I know my mom always said it wasn’t polite to ask people for money, but we all figured this was a good cause AND we’ve gotten our hands on some goodies you’ll enjoy! Thanks for any support! We won’t let you down!

And, of course, if it helps us get one step closer to “world domination,” don’t worry — we’ll be kind!

For something a little more wonky, I’m talking about whether Dick Cheney could be VP for a third time over at MOMocrats!

P.S., The Political Winery item is not cooperating on the widget over at MOMocrats. So if you’d like to enter for that item, E-mail me and we can put your name on the list for it! Thanks!!

I have no doubt we will have a lively discussion about this week’s political news and Arianna Huffington’s new book, The Right is Wrong!

I’m hosting!!

Also, don’t forget to take part in PunditMom’s $27 Political Revolution! Aside from making a political difference, you get a cute blog button, too!