Will Men Vote for Sarah Palin Only Because She Is Hot?
We all knew there was a gender gap in politics, but what we didn't know is that there is also a distinct beauty gap. A new study out today from Northwestern University found that looks matter, especially for female candidates. So maybe John McCain made a good decision in picking Sarah Palin?
Most shocking was the strong language used to describe why men vote for women candidates. "While gender bias related to a female candidate's attractiveness was consistent across both male and female voters, good looks was almost all that mattered in predicting men's votes for female candidates," according to the release announcing the study. (The bold is mine.)
The "almost all that mattered" part is what disturbs me the most. While it's well known that appearance matters, this seems to suggest men vote for only attractive female candidates. In the study, participants were shown pictures of congressional candidates and asked to judge their competence, attractiveness, dominance, and approachability. Aside from attractiveness, these categories are important for leadership and men seem to have won. "Overall, voters perceived the faces of male politicians as more competent and dominant relative to female politicians; female politicians were perceived as more attractive and approachable relative to males," the release says. The dominant part doesn't surprise me. Typical gender roles reinforce that women are more nurturing and therefore less dominant than men. What does surprise me is the competence factor. Why are women automatically deemed less competent? The researchers say it's because of certain facial features. "Gender stereotypes may bias voters to value male politicians over female politicians simply because they possess facial features that signal qualities associated with effective leaders," according to the study.
One of the researchers, Joan Y. Chiao says in the release that "lingering cultural stereotypes" likely drive this perceived competence gap. That seems like a nice way to say lingering sexism. Women serve in elected office more now that ever, but if this study is right and they are elected almost exclusively because of their looks we've got even farther to go than I thought.
Do you think looks impact a woman's chance at holding political office? Let me know below in the comments section.
- Click here to read more by Morgan E. Felchner.
Tags: presidential election 2008 | running mates | voting | Northwestern University | Sarah Palin
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Reader Comments
Strength given to all
Put the names up for an interview including President Hussien Obama and you will see who the citizens of this country watches. Sarah Palin is good and she talks like she can treat each citizen in this Country with dignity and respect.
Oh she's very nd very attractive. Yes I am a male and I enjoyed her campaign speeches and all her interviews.
Get ready America for a woman to be our commanding leader of our Country the good old USA
Sarah Palin is hot. A strength not a weakness.
Sarah Palin is hot. But not just because of the way she looks. Because of who she is. I heard her on the radio first thinking she was hot before I even saw her image. Being hot is a strength, not a weakness.
Hillary Clinton could be hot too if I never looked into her eyes or heard her speak. Please.
I have seen many women bias them selves against other women because they are attractive. It's another form of descrimination. I don't want to hear it in politics.
Anyways if I was going to vote for looks I would pick Cassandra Patterson. Now she is hot!
But Sarah Palin would have made a great president and I will vote for her over again even for president if she holds her ideals.
As far as any dirt people can dig up on her it looks pretty shallow to me. There is virtually a book of dirt on Obama however Read about it while you can before he takes up all your time making you do community service if he gets his way.
It takes more than a wink at the TV camera
How can any politician be taken remotely seriously who has avoided a single appearance on a Sunday morning talk show such as Meet The Press or Face The Nation...no interviews without Daddy McCain sitting right there next to her, to rescue her if she gets asked a "hard" or "gotcha" question ( such as, "What do you read every day?"...shame on you, Katie! ). I have never, in over thirty years following politics, seen a more ill-prepared, inept candidate selected for such a high office. I've wanted so badly to vote for John McCain...and yet I just can't. He would enter office at 72 years old, with a Barbie Doll VP presumably ready to step into the presidency, given the inevitability at some point of John McCain becoming incapacitated. She can read a teleprompter. Wow. She can wax enthusiastic in front of Republican crowds, all pre-disposed to love her and dote on her every scripted word ( the Japanese firm that manufactures her glasses is back-ordered some three months ). Come on, people. Get a clue! This isn't a rock star that you can worship for a hockey season, and then drop. This globally ignorant woman could well become our 45th president.
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