• Advertise
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Fordham Ram
  • Home
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Editor’s Pick
    • Fashion
    • Film And Television
    • Food
    • Music
    • Review
    • Television
    • Theatre
    • Who’s That Kid
  • News
    • Academics
    • Admissions
    • Faculty & Administrative
    • Feature
    • Finance
    • Metro
    • Research
    • USG
  • Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Editorial
    • From The Desk
    • Letters To The Editor
    • Op-Ed
  • Sports
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Beyond The Scoreboard
    • Football
    • Rowing
    • Senior Profile
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Squash
    • Swimming And Diving
    • Tennis
    • Track And Field
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Editor’s Pick
    • Fashion
    • Film And Television
    • Food
    • Music
    • Review
    • Television
    • Theatre
    • Who’s That Kid
  • News
    • Academics
    • Admissions
    • Faculty & Administrative
    • Feature
    • Finance
    • Metro
    • Research
    • USG
  • Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Editorial
    • From The Desk
    • Letters To The Editor
    • Op-Ed
  • Sports
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Beyond The Scoreboard
    • Football
    • Rowing
    • Senior Profile
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Squash
    • Swimming And Diving
    • Tennis
    • Track And Field
    • Volleyball
    • Water Polo
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
The Fordham Ram
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Columnists

Candidates More than Just a Face

by The Fordham Ram
January 18, 2021
in Columnists
0
Candidates More than Just a Face

By Marcelle Meyer

Loretta Lynch was recently named United States Attorney General and is the first African American woman to serve in this position. This is not news to many people. The media has been buzzing with the usual headlines that are pulled out whenever a groundbreaking event for a minority group happens. The problem with this is that I have heard very little about Loretta Lynch herself. This woman who was nominated and approved by both houses of Congress must certainly have some interesting characteristics other than her gender and race. Has American culture become too focused on a candidate’s face at the expense of their policies?

“It’s time we had a woman in the White House!” an enthusiastic volunteer called to me from her “Ready for Hillary” table. Of course, statistically, there should be more women in government. More than half of the country is made up of women, and Congress and the executive branch should represent that. However, as a woman, I become somewhat offended when people tell me to “put a woman in the White House.”

One reason for this is the fact that issues still matter. When gender or race completely dominate the conversation, important issues fall out of it. All things equal, would I prefer a female president? Yes. Is the choice ever that simple? No.

Hillary Clinton has built much of her public image around being an advocate for women’s issues. However, there are some contradicting stories. The Clinton Foundation accepts donations from several countries, such as Saudi Arabia, with policies that systematically discriminate against women. It is also hard to wipe away the infamous “bimbo eruptions,” in which Hillary has been accused of attacking sexually-harassed women to protect her husband’s political career.

Additionally, Clinton has been attacked in the past for focusing on policies that favor middle-class white women.

It cannot be denied that Hillary Clinton has a history of advocating for women’s healthcare and pro-women policies; however, many men have a similar record. Assuming that women ought to be in favor of a female candidate by virtue of her gender alone is simply insulting. National policies and presidential elections require a much more nuanced analysis than the simple “it’s time we had a woman in the White House!”

As hard as it is to believe, we women can do lots of crazy things like read, write and form educated opinions about what kinds of policy initiatives we want the future president to prioritize. Diversity is always a good thing, but a candidate who tries to turn gender into political power neglects the diversity of opinions women have about politics. There are many reasons to be “Ready for Hillary,” and focusing on those creates better political dialogue for everyone.

 

Tags: columnelection 2016Marcelle MeyerOpinionpoliticspresidential election
ShareTweetShare
Next Post
Bernie Sanders Visits Arthur Avenue

Bernie Sanders Visits Arthur Avenue

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Senior Profile: Ryan McNally

Senior Profile: Ryan McNally

1 year ago
Where Will Jason Heyward Land?

Where Will Jason Heyward Land?

1 year ago

Popular News

    Connect with us

    • Advertise

    The Fordham Ram • © 2021 • Privacy Policy • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Editor’s Pick
      • Fashion
      • Film And Television
      • Food
      • Music
      • Review
      • Television
      • Theatre
      • Who’s That Kid
    • News
      • Academics
      • Admissions
      • Faculty & Administrative
      • Feature
      • Finance
      • Metro
      • Research
      • USG
    • Opinion
      • Columnists
      • Editorial
      • From The Desk
      • Letters To The Editor
      • Op-Ed
    • Sports
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Beyond The Scoreboard
      • Football
      • Rowing
      • Senior Profile
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Squash
      • Swimming And Diving
      • Tennis
      • Track And Field
      • Volleyball
      • Water Polo
    • About Us

    The Fordham Ram • © 2021 • Privacy Policy • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In