The Massachusetts Victory For A"Everyman" Candidate Begs The Question: What's An "Everywoman?"
Friday, January 29, 2010 at 05:11PM I really like this guest post by Nicole Rodgers, originally published in the Huffington Post. Nicole is is a Vice President at Fenton Communications in Washington, D.C. Democratic pollster Celinda Lake has also weighed in on the question of what women candidates can learn from Marthat Coakley's defeat. And in an op ed in the BostonGlobe.com, Ambassador Swanee Hunt and former MA Lt. Governor Kerry Healey say women should "start their campaigns" and not be deterred by any barriers real or perceived. That's why I placed this post into my Courageous Leadership blog, because it is going to take courageous women leaders to keep forging ahead until we reach parity as political decision makers. Let me know what you think.
Scott Brown is from Wrentham, and he drives a truck. He is now a Massachusetts Senator.
This week, as pundits debated whether Brown's win was a referendum on Obama or on health care reform -- and what it says about the "pulse" of the country -- an important discussion about gender was drowned out. Coakley's uninspired campaign produced many legitimate criticisms and it would be unfair to blame her loss on sexism alone. But the typecasting of political actors that electoral campaigns are often reduced to made it nearly impossible for Coakley to succeed in the current political climate. Driving a truck certainly contributed to Brown's win -- but it also solidified Coakley's loss.
Voters want candidates they
