What Gloria Steinem is talking about in her article is what we real people call a “non-issue” or rather an issue that really isn’t important at all. Instead it takes attention away from the issues that really that do matter.
Shouldn’t presidents be elected based on merit and not because of their gender? When voters cast their ballots letting gender factor into their decision it benefits Clinton’s campaign because sympathy turns to her rather than Obama, who would benefit from letting ethnicity factor in. Instead of focusing on “The first women president,” or “the first black president,” why not focus on “the first really great president” instead?
I think what really worries Steinem is simply that the race isn’t looking great for Clinton right now. If she needs to use her gender to get elected then maybe it means that she isn’t really the best candidate. But Obama shouldn’t be elected for his ethnicity either; something that helps strengthens his campaign. Making gender and race issues serves to benefit the candidates that profit the most from it and it hinders the political debate at hand. The presidential elections of the United States should not become the American idol of government where popularity rather than merit becomes the winning
ticket.
2 comments:
But haven't presidential races ALWAYS been popularity contests rather than contests of merit? And isn't isn't it a significant fact that for the first time ever the two frontrunners in the Democratic Party are the kind of people who have never before been elected to the highest office in the country?
I think the time has come to question our liberal humanist assumption that the goal is to not see gender or race. Elimination of difference should not be the goal. Opening up possibility should be, don't you think?
I can see where you're coming from where Steinem seems to be making gender the issue, but a lot people refuse to vote for Hilary because she's a woman.
I think the real issue is the need to be informed voters. People need to know about the issues and how each candidate stands on the issue rather than race, gender, or nearly anything else.
Post a Comment