In 2008, the media influenced the electorate to reject Hilary Clinton as the presidential candidate. Analysts observe that the media brainwashed the electorate to believe that gender affects the performance of an individual in executing his or her duties as the head of state.
Anita assesses how the media influenced the electorate during voting in 2008. Anita evaluated the role of the media in party politics, particularly in the Democratic Party. She observed that the society does not give women sufficient support to vie for influential positions.
In 2008, the Democratic Party preferred Obama because it believed that Clinton could not beat McCain due to her gender. In the political realm, media commentators present women as people who cannot make decisions on their own.
They suggest that women are should be allocated inferior and degrading positions in parties such as secretary. In the 2008 debate, the media referred to Clinton as a homemaker whose main role was to take care of the husband and children.
In fact, some media commentators observed that Clinton’s husband would be in charge of government while Clinton would be relying on him for policies. The media subjected Clinton to stereotypes, which portrayed her as weak and emotional.
The analyses of media commentators suggest that women should be excluded from public activities in the US. Political journalists suggest that women should be relegated to the private domain of the home.
The society ascribes specific feminine qualities to women. Women learn through the process of socialization that they should not compete with men for political positions. In society, women live in a state of false consciousness.
In the American politics, subordination of women is a result of socio-economic factors, but not biological factors. Women have always played an active role in the American politics, but because of deliberate efforts to exclude them, they perform less prestigious roles.
The party media viewed Clinton as an individual who had no agenda for the party. The party ensured that Obama won the presidential flagship since officials believed that McCain could easily defeat Clinton. In society, people are not ready to support a woman for a senior post.
McCain might have lost the presidential debate because of Palin, who was a woman. In the US, the vice-president is the second in command implying that he has the powers that are close to those of the head of state.
The vice-president can take over power if the president dies. Therefore, people were not ready to trust a woman with such a position. In parliament, the vice-president is the leader of government business.
The vice-president should come up with measures that would ensure government bills are passed in time. However, Palin was a doubt since democrats argued that she was weak and could not defend the government policies in parliament.
In 2012, the geopolitical climate is different. Women candidates are not contesting for high positions in government. The 2012 presidential race is different because no woman is involved in the race to the white house. The appearance of women in public places invites evaluation from other members of society.
Some of the comments made by media commentators are insulting because they aim at degrading women. Public places are places of inequality in the life of women. The society never gives women sufficient time to campaign or express their views regarding the performance of governmental institutions and the economy.
In 2012, gender is not one of the variables that will determine the outcome of elections. It can be concluded that the American society is not ready for a female president. The society thinks it is easy to compromise a female president. However, this is a false perception created through the process of socialization.