Sexing up political candidates akin to Sex and The City

Jill Miller Zimon — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:35:20 -0500

Grand Central Political published this column by Jennifer Nedeau of New Media Strategies and Human Folly, "Could A Little "Sex" Help Female Political Candidates?" Here's a tease:

Since Barack Obama took the Democratic Presidential
Nomination, I have come to wonder: if Hillary had harnessed some of the
powerful imagery of SATC, could she have done better among women like
me who think she just wasn't female enough to earn the title of "First
Female President?"

...

In the SATC movie, Miranda remarks to Carrie as she looks for a
Halloween costume - "These are the only two choices for women - witch
or sexy kitten?" Currently, the ability for a female leader to rise
above these stereotypes is difficult, if not impossible. If we are ever
going to get past these stereotypes, we need a female leader who is
brave enough to prove that being powerful and female isn't a
detrimental condition corrected by a short hair cut, a figure less suit
and emotionless campaigning. I think Hillary in particular would have
had more success if she had tried to embrace her gender instead of
treating it like a handicap. Perhaps then, the females turned off by
her decision to fit in all too nicely with the male political paradigm,
might have decided she was someone worthy of their vote.

Before you start rolling your eyes, or wondering what Jill is saying she thinks, remember the following:

The next female who wants to be commander-in-chief could
try to embrace her gender as a plus, rather than a minus. Simple things
such as an upside down stiletto could easily take the place of the "V"
in "Vote for Me" as a start. Instead of stuffy suits, add some fashion
to the political stage and allow a popular female designer to dress the
candidate for a day. Work with Mommy Bloggers, admirable female
celebrities, female sports stars, and sorority girls to create the
solid base of female support to carry the campaign. Most importantly,
meet women in their element. Organize the female electorate such as
Mobilize.org did with a voter registration drive at the Sex and the
City Movie Premieres. Or host a Cocktail Caucus at CHANEL similar to
what Polichicks Online has done.

I chose to be a Barack Obama supporter in part because I did not
agree with Hillary's misogynistic branding of her campaign. When Obama
took the nomination it became clear that in targeting the 20 to 40
year-old demographic he found success - they wanted to have a beer with
him and listen to his policy - something Hillary could not seem to
achieve. However, when another female wagers for the White House -
instead of seeking a candidate to drink a beer with, why not a one who
might sip a Cosmopolitan? Bridging the gender gap in politics is not
impossible; it just takes a little creativity.

See the sense? I do. And this isn't an easy topic or a stupid or
silly one either. I know there are women who will always bristle at the
suggestion Nedeau makes because they'll see it as selling out or not
pursuing gender neutrality.

However, if our gender - whether man or women - offers us the
potential to have advantages, as political candidates, and re-brand
otherwise negative images connected to our gender which we reject, why
not manipulate these images and definitions ourselves? That's taking
control, and I can't argue against it (and have in fact argued for it
before).

It's never too late to try out strategies like the ones Nedeau
suggested. Maybe the next step is to start a website that encourages
women who are running for office or will be running for office to
figure out their level of comfort with these suggestions and see how
she fits them in, and whether they work, or fail.

If I run for something, I promise to be a guinea pig for this tactic. You?

As an example of turning images on their heads, here's the White
House Project's baby doll fit t-shirt (which I wear constantly):

Works for me.

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Sexing up political candidates akin to Sex and The City