to survey questions, but continued to hold underlying (symbolic) racist beliefs.
finds polling on support for a woman president to be suspicious as well, noting that social
desirability “might lead individuals to provide the socially acceptable response rather than their
Another shortcoming of polling research on support for a female president is the way the
question is typically asked: “Would you vote for a woman for president, if she were qualified”
or “If your party nominated a women for president, would you vote for her if
she were qualified for the job” (emphasis added).
I propose that in the minds of many voters,
being a woman makes one inherently not qualified for the job of the presidency. Questions that
include the word “qualified” are actually measuring voter support for a female president who has
magically transcended her gender. This proposition is upheld by the fact that support for a
“qualified” female president drops from over 90 percent to 72 percent when respondents are
asked, “would you be personally willing to vote for a woman president.”
lower to around 50 percent when respondents are asked more directly, “If the Democratic/
Republican party nominates a woman for president in 2008, are you very likely, likely, not very
likely, or not at all likely to vote for her?”
Furthermore, a recent national poll found that thirty
percent of Americans do not support a female presidential candidate, regardless of her party
affiliation, a handicap that would have cost a female candidate every presidential contest to date.
To put this figure into context, the biggest popular margin in history (the 1968 Nixon/McGovern
race) was 23 percent. The primary reason given for opposition to a female president is that
“women are not up to the job,”
and 11 percent of respondents who oppose a female presidency
stated that “It’s a man’s job.” A more nuanced look at public opinion polls uncovers significant
opposition to a female presidency.
4
Convention