"The appearance factor is worth exploring — and neutralizing — because of its influence on the inequality of women holding elected office."

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Ginnie Graham: Women in politics subjected to being judged on the superficial
By Ginnie Graham, October 15, 2014

Being “ugly as sin” is enough to avoid voting for a woman, according to a misspelling-laden blog by a New Hampshire state lawmaker.

This decider of all-things-attractive expounds on his philosophy for democratic representation by stating that good-looking people get elected. Look at President John F. Kennedy’s win over Richard Nixon, he says. Clearly, looks matter.

He neglects the 1921 election of Warren G. Harding, who was considered handsome, stately and possessing the most presidential of images. He was also a womanizing poker player who appointed enough corrupt people to launch the Teapot Dome bribery scandal and is considered one of the nation’s worst presidents.

Last week New Hampshire Republican state Rep. Steve Vaillancourt wrote about the state’s 2nd Congressional District race between two women. To discredit the candidate in his opposing party, he gets nasty.

“Let’s be honest. Does anyone not believe the Congressman Annie Kuster is as ugly as sin?

And I hope I haven’t offended sin,” he wrote. “If I may be so bold as to speak the truth, Republican Marilinda Garcia is one of the mot (sic) attractive women on the political scene anywhere, not so attractive as to be intimindating (sic), but truly attractive.”

Garcia’s beauty is so overwhelming, yet obtainable, it takes his spellchecker away. He ended with a bizarre description of various drag queens. I have no idea where these two women stand on major issues.

It’s easy to pick on this guy. He’s clearly a buffoon many New Hampshire residents would like to see go away. As Oklahomans, we can relate to that.

However, he has written what is surely said in private conversation.

I’ve lost track how many times people, women included, make barbs at a female candidate’s appearance. I’ve heard about bad plastic surgeries, needing to lose or gain weight and calling for a makeover. This constant pressure pushes more on women, who may then seek to alter their image unnecessarily.

When it comes to politics, we turn into pre-teen girls on social media.

Traits over issues: This focus on the superficial was confirmed by researchers at Louisiana State University last year. They found female candidates received more coverage of character traits than their male counterparts. When only men are running for office, the stories are more on political issues.

If men and women are running in a race, the coverage emphasizes personality traits over issues even more.

A gender gap exists for women in politics depending on how many people agree with her and how she looks.

The appearance factor is worth exploring — and neutralizing — because of its influence on the inequality of women holding elected office. According to a study by the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics, women represent 18.5 percent of Congress, 13 percent of mayors in the 100 largest cities, 23 percent of state executive offices and 24 percent of state legislatures.

In Oklahoma, it’s worse. Women hold 13 percent of legislative seats. In the history of Oklahoma, only 13 women have been elected to a state executive office and two to Congress (Mary Alice Robertson, 1921-1923 and Gov. Mary Fallin, 2007-2011).

Before you point to Fallin and claim all is equal, don’t. That’s a cheap and snarky response to the overwhelming data and research.

One woman in a high office does not make up for the entire imbalance of a political playing field.

Also, I’m torn on how to count Robertson. She was elected before women could vote. But she won promising to fight suffrage and make sure women never cast a ballot.

After the opening line: In the latest New York Times poll of the Oklahoma governor’s race, the headline is how Fallin is pulling ahead of her opponent Joe Dorman with 53 percent support over his 30 percent.

Compiled by online responses, it’s one of the many polls out there.

Still, it shows that 63 percent of men plan to vote to Fallin, compared to 45 percent of women. It’s also worth noting that 67 percent of voters 65 and older support Fallin.

Our state is conservative, so it makes sense Fallin would post these numbers in some polling. Older men wouldn’t vote for her unless they agreed with her first.

Maybe women are more discerning voters. Like the Sarah Palin vice presidential experience shows, women do not vote in lock step. Perhaps there is a double standard; maybe women are tough on our sisters in power.

Tough means tackling important things, like improving dismal education spending and fixing roads that bottom out my car. No amount of lipstick, Louboutins or hair product can help those.

Like with dating, good looks might get you an opening line, but you better have a substantial followup. And simply tearing down a woman by trash-talking her looks will not get you elected.
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