election thoughts: on gender

I watched an interview with President Clinton this morning on CBS Sunday Morning where he was asked if this country is ready for a woman president. This issue of gender (and race) seems to be a thing since President Trump beat Vice President Harris for a second presidential term.

On the issue, David Axelrod said on CNN, “There is sexism in this country and anybody who thinks that that did not in any way impact on the outcome of this race is wrong.”

Over on The View, Sunny Hoston said, “I was so hopeful that a mixed race woman married to a Jewish guy could be elected president of this country.”

I would argue that our country is indeed ready for a female president (I voted for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary); however we’re not ready for a female president who was chosen because she’s female. In a debate with Bernie Sanders back in March 2020, Joe Biden said, “I commit that I will in fact appoint…I’d pick a woman to be vice president.”

So yes, gender was indeed an issue in the election, Joe Biden made it so by eliminating all men from consideration as his running mate. That’s how Kamala Harris got there. Now, how she was selected as her party’s nominee, well, that’s another story. But when anyone reaches a point in their career that they’ve reached because of their gender, they should be prepared for such a rise to end.