“In Europe and Asia and elsewhere, women have ruled over millions. It’s not an abstract
concept. But in America, men are still afraid, and I don’t think women are too comfortable with
the idea of a female being in charge.”
Introduction
Is Hillary Clinton or Condoleezza Rice “man enough” to be President of the United
States? This politically incorrect question cuts to the heart of why Americans have yet to elect a
female president.
Women have broken through glass ceilings in American politics in state
houses where they currently hold 23 percent of the seats, and have even made inroads in
Congress, where they comprise 15 percent of the House and Senate.
Beyond U.S. borders,
female heads of state are fast losing their novelty. Women currently lead Ireland, Latvia,
Finland, the Philippines, Liberia, and Chile. But despite emergent gains for women in U.S. and
world politics, the American presidency remains a male bastion. Political pundits and laypeople
alike understand that being male is a basic requirement for the presidency, but few seem alarmed
that this prerequisite denies a majority of American citizens the privilege of serving their country
in this capacity.
Two primary questions are addressed in this chapter: What cultural beliefs about the
presidency hinder women, and how do popular culture portrayals of the presidency promote
these beliefs? This chapter begins with a critical assessment of public support for a female
Commander in Chief. The next section focuses on cultural beliefs about gender that translate
into biased beliefs about the presidency. The last part of this chapter examines the influence of
popular culture in shaping beliefs about a presidency. Through analysis of the first television
program to feature a female president, “Commander in Chief,” I conclude that popular culture
furthers stereotypes that act as barriers for women seeking the White House.
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Convention