Why A Woman Will Never Be President

Unless there is an sea change in attitudes, a woman will never occupy the Oval Office in the White House.   The media, popular culture and self-appointed feminists have conspired to make every woman presidential candidate appear dumb, weak and nutty.

If that appraisal sounds too harsh, consider the most recent example of Michele Bachmann, the three-term Minnesota congresswoman who campaigned in the Republican presidential primaries.

Rolling Stone magazine called her a "political psychopath."  Liberal radio host Mike Malloy labeled her a "phony ass broad."  MSNBC's Chris Matthews mocked her as the "Mata Hari of Minnesota."  Pseudo television comedian Bill Maher defamed her as "mentally retarded."

And that is just a small sampling of the hate-filled speech directed at Ms. Bachmann. The most demeaning diatribes are so off color they cannot be repeated here.

Of course, even the most disgusting vitriol uttered against the congresswoman pales in comparison to the vicious vile that has been heaped on former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Maher, in particular, saved some of his filthiest characterizations for the former Alaska governor.  On television, the born-again atheist has used such crude epithets as "dumb twat" and the c-word that rhymes with runt. Late night talk show host David Letterman referenced Palin's "slutty flight attendant look" and joked that the ex-governor's daughter had been "knocked up" by a New York Yankee baseball player.

Even feminists attacked Ms. Palin.  Writer Rebecca Traister opined, "she's the kind of broad who speaks on behalf of other broads but appears not to like them very much."  Another feminist labeled Palin a "conservative a**hole."  

During the 2008 campaign, not a single feminist defended Palin over the disparaging caricatures of her intelligence, the media preoccupation with her looks or the verbal savaging of her daughters.

This misanthrope disease not only afflicts Republican woman.  During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, MSNBC's Matthews theorized that Hillary Clinton was the front runner only because "her husband messed around."  Another television reporter commented on Chelsea's Clinton's "pimped out" look.   Conservative radio host Mark Levin ridiculed Ms. Clinton's appearance suggesting an appropriate title would be "Her Thighness."

How long will women put up with this treatment?  Females of every political persuasion ought to be outraged.  Yet the recent verbal flogging of Ms. Bachmann was greeted with stony silence.  Although a few conservative women objected, her male presidential contenders never rose to defend her against these sleazy attacks.

Feminists and liberal women have a sorry record on this issue, too.  They shrug at the cheap chauvinist remarks as long as the target is Republicans. Their silence emboldens others to continue to debase women.  In the end, it also makes their defense of feminist-endorsed candidates appear hypocritical.

Off color jokes, sexual references, stereotyping and misogynistic speech about women have no place in politics, even if you disagree with their views. The male-dominated  media, movies, music and television industries all gleefully reinforce this notion that women are empty headed dolts whose only redeeming quality is their form.  

Ms. Bachmann is the 26th woman to run for the presidency.  The first was Victoria Woodhull in 1872 under the Equal Rights Party banner.  All faced long odds because they are handicapped by the media's inordinate focus on their appearance, their intellect and their emotional state.

In this war on women, the real losers are all females, not just the targets of the politically motivated invective.  Young women today are being negatively influenced by all the verbal trashing of female candidates.  The vilification contaminates the environment for females struggling for jobs, promotions, educations or support for their decision to just be a mom.

No one is suggesting that criticism of women candidates should be off limits.  However, there is no question there is a double-standard when it comes to females in politics.  The focus of news coverage should be the candidates' political views, character and experience, not hair styles.

Women and men must band together on this issue and demand change.  Silence is not golden when character assassinations are rooted in nothing more than gender.  This is a battle worth fighting. Not just for women, but for the country.