Huffington Post
"Is America Ready For a Woman President?" Go To Hell
Elayne Boosler
Two years to go until the presidential election, and it boggles my mind how many times I've already seen this sentence: "Is America ready for a woman president?" That's usually followed by some stuff about how much you would like to have a beer with the candidate being a predictor of electability. Maybe this question keeps being written by some of the 79% of Americans who don't have passports, because here's a flash: while Americans perceive this country to be on the cutting edge of, well, everything, the world is already waaayyy ahead of us this time.
In 2007, a record 13 countries have currently serving, elected female Presidents or Prime Ministers; Ireland, New Zealand, Latvia, Finland, The Philippines, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Iberia, Chile, Jamaica, South Korea, Switzerland, and a Chancellor in Germany. None have renowned ballet companies, or have ever asked neighboring countries if their maps make them look fat. All play some kick-ass soccer.
(snip)
When people write, "Is America ready for a female president?" they need to know how insulting that is to women. These are the doubt planters.
Tell 'em to go to hell. They're not asking, they're undermining. If you want to make someone feel unwell, don't say, "You look terrible", because he'll immediately bounce back with, "I feel fine!" But if you ASK, if you say, "Do you feel all right?" the doubt sets right in. "Why? Why do you ask? What's wrong?" That's what they're doing. "Is America READY for a woman president?" "Why? What's going to happen??"
(snip)
A word about the beer thing. I remember the"pundits" saying over and over again during the last presidential election, that everybody wanted to have a beer with George Bush but not John Kerry. Well, they should have had a beer with Bush, and elected John Kerry. How did this suddenly become the benchmark of electability?
I don't want a president I'd want to have a beer with. I want someone so busy, brilliant and sterling that I would be terrified to have a beer with her. I want her way too busy, and way too smart and serious for me. I want her having her beers with presidents, prime ministers, scientists, philosophers, and heads of state. But guys, if you can't get past it? Then vote for the woman you'd most like to get drunk.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elayne-boosler/is-america-ready-for-a-w_b_40300.html>
emphasis - mine
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While I don’t support Hillary in the primaries (but probably would in the general), I want to be sure to write that I DO support, encourage, hope for and demand that we have a QUALIFIED and INTELLIGENT president some day in the future (unlike what we have now), be that person female, male, black, brown, white, atheist, Buddhist, Christian, tall, short, nerdy, disabled, grey-headed, bald, wigged, charismatic, funny, overly serious, former comedian, former rocket scientist, or saxophone player. It's past time we got past this "rich white guy" thing we have for Presidents in the supposed Great Melting Pot.
But I do insist that the next president NOT be the one that 79% of Fox Noise viewers would rather have a beer with.
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tcb
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