Check this out: Hillary’s ‘your girl’! What do you think about this deliberate playing of the gender card? Do you think she’s being politically astute here? How do you think it will go down with female voters? And male voters?
WatchHillary
Tania
I don’t think it would have an effect. It kind of makes her sound inferior- What would a girl know about politics? Whereas if some male politician like Obama says I’m your man! It might have a positive effect. It just associates with all those gendered terms and binaries like girl/ boy weak/strong and men will probably be more likely to vote for a man because of the whole notion of the pact among men to keep in control. Consciously or not.
I came across these clips, found them interesting…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B27E1wW9i_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-rtubJbXIw
She is using the “im your girl” to sell herself, and promote herself as a competent younger candidate. (she turns 60 next month) Also to emphasise that she is a female in a male dominated political world, and she is rising to the challenge. She uses the “your” to reach out (I think) to male voters – males being the dominant sex – and prove that she can do what men can do. I think female voters may see it as slightly patronising, selling yourself (a grown woman) as a “girl”. She should embrace her age and experience, not promote herself as something she is not.
I think Hillary’s already played the ‘right hand’ so to speak, in terms of political edge. I mean – she doesn’t really need the ‘gender card’ in order to gain extra votes. If you look at the hallmark of Hillary’s life – from Bill Clinten’s term of Leadership. What you see is a women who used ‘public sympathy’ as the (should be ‘bitter women’), when her husband cheated on her. Instead of hiding away from the public eye…..she was in the rooms of Parliament….business as usual. This has poured in overwhelming public support. People loved Hillary even more….. I read a political book on the life of Hillary. Her Father was a perfectionist & expected no less from Hillary, just because she was a girl. She was raised in a family in which,….she’s go home with A’s and her Father would say, ‘you, can still do better’. She knew that ‘gender’ made no difference for her to expect ‘softer’ treatment…but, she used her Father’s imput to cause her to excell further into the fine women that she is today. I think if Hillary was raised with the opinion of ‘gender differences’ allowing for sterotypical views of ‘weak women’ inferior to the ‘strong man’ and leadership dependent on ‘gender’…then I don’t think she would be where she is today. I think her ‘your girl’ comment is positive….as, it shows that she’s already played her cards right, (first sympathy) ….now, she playing the ‘relational’ terminology card…..that ‘yes’ women can be strong leaders, as much as men. I think, she speaks not of age….but to communicate that voters will vote whoever they see as the stronger leader. She’s already proven herself strong, in this area. Like Contours…would say for marketing purpose….’you go girl’. Its the same thing….’I’m your girl’.