Our First Woman President

You might be asking yourself, "WTF is this guy doing?  This is a blog on CULTURE!  Is there ANYthing "cultural" about a political race?"
My answer would be, "Yes, there is!"

It might have begun in 1948, when Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn starred in "State of the Union", the story of Tracy running for office, but the greater power--the power behind the throne, as it were--being Hepburn!
There was a farcical attempt to place a woman on the ballot in 1964, when Polly Bergen had "Kisses for My President".

In real life, Walter Mondale chose Geraldine Ferraro as his Vice-Presidential candidate, which stirred women's hearts and imaginations!
Would it be possible?

But it really wasn't until 1992 that "serious" movements towards a Female as President took place.
In the actual race, Governor Clinton's wife--Hillary--became more controversial than her womanizing-draft evading husband!
Talk of her hair, clothes, figure--and her being one of the 100 highest rated lawyers in the country--dominated the news!
But it was an obscure--and Impossible to find!--Lifetime Channel movie that truly opened some doors!

Blair Brown starred as a Field General whose strategic moves won a Gulf War--who is urged to run for the Presidency--does, and wins!
The movie was called "Majority Rule"--which isn't so fictional when you consider that women outnumber men--in the population, and as likely voters!
While some of the later plot becomes a bit much--nearer to Hollywood than to Washington DC--it helped give weight to the notion that a woman COULD be our President!
(Interesting that a REAL General was making a name for herself about then--and even being talked about as "short list" material for Veep!)

I've read several novels about women running for, or holding, high office.
One, by Blayne Cooper, called "Madam President", had some good scenes, and some decent dialogue, but the woman was a late 30's lesbian who, after being elected, hires a woman to come live in the White House and write her biography!
It then turns into a "lesbian novel" rather than a serious treatise on what a woman President might do!

For one season--2005-06--a TV show called "Commander-In-Chief" took its turn on the ladder toward building hype behind a female candidacy for the Oval Office.
Geena Davis plays "Mac Allen", a 2-term Congresswoman who quit for ethical reasons, became a University Chancellor, and was asked to become "Teddy Roosevelt Bridges" VP.
Two years into their first term, he suddenly dies, and she fights off Republican House Speaker "Nate Templeton"s attempt to get her to resign, and takes the Oath!
Templeton is played brilliantly by Donald Sutherland, and their battles throughout the 18 episodes shows her savvy--and strength!
The rumors--maybe the truth!--was that Davis was Hillary Clinton--who was said to be planning a Presidential run in 2008!
(Who says "truth is stranger than fiction"?)

Then along came Sarah!
John McCain shocked everyone when he announced the Governor of Alaska as his VP choice!
And for about 3 weeks, it worked!
Her brilliant speech at the Convention, and her popularity on the stump, made people believe we'd have our first female Vice-President.
And with McCain then 72, images of a "President" Palin weren't so hallucinatory!
Then McCain killed it with his stupid move to suspend his campaign to try to stop the economic meltdown, and boom, we had instead our first black President--a man!

And here we are--it's 2016--and the same Hillary Rodham Clinton--now 69 years old!--is on the precipice of becoming--for REAL--America's first President with breasts and ovaries!

It's maybe ironic that Palin endorsed Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner--in a race to STOP a woman from becoming President!
It's been Palin who's been most vocal in speaking of a new Feminist dialogue and paradigm for the past several years, as she's defined in speeches before important "women's groups".
IMHO, it's sad that this argument--and this woman!--has been so severely attacked--even with death threats against Sarah and her family!
The reason--or the MAIN reason--seems to be Palin's total advocacy of a "pro-life" philosophy!
Yet, on every "woman's issue" standard, Palin's life history truly DEFINES feminism--and its child, feminIST!--like no other!

If Clinton becomes President, will life in America be any different than under the rule of the 44 MEN who preceded her?
Look at the many examples around the world.
We've had Presidents (or Prime Ministers) in India, the Philippines, Great Britain, Germany, and Israel, among others.
Those countries are still alive and kicking--to varying degrees!
I can't see "Armageddon" for America with a woman President!

One difference we MIGHT see, however, would be a rush by writers to pen the "great American novel" --an "All the King's Men", or even an "All the President's Men" (if Hillary becomes the SECOND Clinton to face impeachment!!)--although the latter wasn't fiction, but as many reviewers said, read like a mystery novel!

I can imagine novels written about a lesbian becoming President--but with a more serious tone than Ms Cooper's earlier tome.
I can foresee "sex scenes" and marital discord perhaps trading chapters with discussions of peace treaties and terrorists and "global warming".
There would be children, and pets, and in-laws (Polly Bergen played a wonderful Mom to Geena Davis's character in a few episodes of "C-i-C"!), and most likely, affairs!
After all, what's "normal" for her 44 male predecessors would be normal for her!
Why not?

It's politics, yes, to think of what a woman Presidency might be like--but all we need do is look at some of what the movies and novels have said about it to get a fair idea of what to expect!

It would have been great--again in MY humble opinion!--if we had been served TWO women to choose from instead of one!
Imagine a race--if Sarah had decided to run!--between Palin and Ms Clinton!
Between "old feministic" ideas and "new" ones!
Between a "woman of the 60's" vs a "woman of the 21st century"!

The mind boggles.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!
This blog will NOT accept nor publish any comments speaking to the "popular" memes of "Palin as idiot" , or any comments which demean Palin in any way as a PERSON of SERIOUS demeanor and ability!
Same goes for Hillary--though it seems MOST of the attacks have been against Sarah and her family!
Otherwise, feel free to comment!