Female candidates face an uphill battle on the national stage. Here's why
Source: NBC 5 Chicago
Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016 made some voters question whether a woman can be president.
Now, eight years later, a second woman, Vice President Kamala Harris, tops the presidential ticket. Comparisons have been drawn between the two candidates and their campaigns; however, Dr. Malia Bowers, a professional lecturer from DePaul University, notes a big difference: Clinton made the historic nature central to her campaign.
"'I'm with Her.' You think back at the DNC when she came out to give her speech, and there was that huge thing of the glass ceiling shattering. That kind of imagery, that kind of rhetoric, has not really been present for Kamala Harris," said Bowers, who teaches courses in public law and American politics.
"There's really good research showing that sexism did play a role in Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016. So, I think that it is a strategic move to kind of shift the conversation away from identity markers," Bowers said.
Instead, Bowers believes Harris has positioned herself as the "change" candidate.
Read here the full article published by NBC 5 Chicago on 18 October 2024.
Image by NBC 5 Chicago
Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016 made some voters question whether a woman can be president.
Now, eight years later, a second woman, Vice President Kamala Harris, tops the presidential ticket. Comparisons have been drawn between the two candidates and their campaigns; however, Dr. Malia Bowers, a professional lecturer from DePaul University, notes a big difference: Clinton made the historic nature central to her campaign.
"'I'm with Her.' You think back at the DNC when she came out to give her speech, and there was that huge thing of the glass ceiling shattering. That kind of imagery, that kind of rhetoric, has not really been present for Kamala Harris," said Bowers, who teaches courses in public law and American politics.
"There's really good research showing that sexism did play a role in Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016. So, I think that it is a strategic move to kind of shift the conversation away from identity markers," Bowers said.
Instead, Bowers believes Harris has positioned herself as the "change" candidate.
Read here the full article published by NBC 5 Chicago on 18 October 2024.
Image by NBC 5 Chicago