The last few months, we’ve seen a curious set of mood swings from the Republican party, ranging from braggadocio over a victorious midterm election to sheer panic over the very idea of a Hillary Clinton run for President.? Without an official announcement of her election bid and the Benghazi blaze sputtering out into ashes, there is little left for the Republicans to do but to focus on the most inane of arguments against a threat that does not yet exist: ?Isn?t Hillary a little old to be running for President?
This masked brand of sexism has reared its ugly head an awful lot lately, and not just towards Clinton.? Last Thursday, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) lost her cool at a press conference when pressed whether she had considered stepping down following the Democrats? embarrassing defeat in the midterms.? With fervor, Pelosi said:
?What I said to the most recent person who asked is, ?What was the day that any of you said to Mitch McConnell when they lost the Senate three times in a row? Aren?t you getting a little old, Mitch?? Shouldn?t you step aside??
Fair point, considering Mitch McConnell, at the tender age of 72, is a mere two years shy of Pelosi.
But then there are the bizarre and pointed comments toward Hillary that have been sliding their way into the news.? In Mike Allen’s Politico piece on Rand Paul’s journey towards the presidency,? Paul said:
?I think all the polls show if she does run, she’ll win the Democratic nomination. But I don’t think it’s for certain.? It’s a very taxing undertaking to go through.? It’s a rigorous physical ordeal, I think, to be able to campaign for the presidency.?
Even Fox’s Neil Cavuto dubbed this a ?condescending swipe? at Hillary’s age that suggests she is just not up for the rigors of a presidential campaign.? He goes on to note that on inauguration day, she would be the same age as? gasp!… Ronald Reagan was when he was inaugurated (age 69).? It would indeed be blasphemous to suggest that the Republican hero was not up for the task!
On Monday, this sentiment was echoed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who said in an interview for CNN-affiliate WITI,
?I could run 20 years from now and still be about the same age as the former Secretary of State is right now.?
While these shots at a woman’s age seem harmless and largely inoffensive, they have a sinister aim.? A simple Google search will tell you that ageism and sexism go hand in hand.? A woman’s age is oftentimes portrayed negatively in relation to her mental acuity and effectiveness, while more often than not, the opposite is true with men.? Statements like those above, while seemingly only pointing out the obvious (the age of the woman), are designed to invoke an image of a frail, helpless old lady who couldn’t possibly endure the stress of an election, let alone a presidential term.
Male politicians, especially presidential candidates, have certainly not been strangers to the old ?are they up for the job?? query (sorry, Bob Dole).? But for women, attractiveness and youth have always been linked to society’s impressions of their effectiveness in a way that men simply don’t experience. Should Clinton run for president, there is no question that her ideas and decisions, not to mention slips of the tongue, will provide plenty of fodder for Republican campaigns (whether deserved or not).? It should be beneath even the Republicans to rely on sexism and stereotypes to make themselves look good.
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