filed in Myths and stereotypes
Would We Elect a President Who is Single?
Today, I swerved to the side of the road to call in to a radio show that was asking the question, would you vote for a presidential candidate who never married? Senator Lindsey Graham, a lifelong bachelor, just announced his candidacy, and the host (and some listeners) made it clear that they would not be in favor of it. They suggested that married people have a fuller life experience, are better at compromising and understand more about the American family. As you can imagine, my head was exploding. It took awhile to reach the call screener. I told her how single people have a life experience that’s full, just different. We’re often more nimble, better at creating networks of support, and have learned how to stand up for ourselves, even when going against the cultural norm. The screener loved it, and she was about to put me on the air, but the segment was wrapping up.
Illustration by Marc Johns
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21 comments for “Would We Elect a President Who is Single?”
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I love your response, it’s perfect!
Thanks for letting me vent. I only wish I’d gotten on air.
+1 on Claire’s comment! And given the growing number of singletons, a very stupid thing for Graham to say.
I don’t think Graham said that, I think the host of the radio show did.
That’s right, Neeka.
Neeka’s correct. Graham didn’t say it. The host and some of his listeners did.
Here’s a quote from Lindsey Graham: “The last time I checked, I didn’t see a sign on the White House that said ‘single people need not apply.’”
Good quote, and thank you for being brave enough to represent the singletons! I’m sorry you didn’t get your statement on the air. That radio show host certainly has an ax to grind. Why do some married people constantly need validation that their decisions give them some kind of moral superiority over the rest of us?
Sorry. Misread that.
I might add that last week and tonight my neighbor (a single woman) and I helped each other clean out our gutters (which involves, gasp, ladders!) There’s that network of support.
Network of support and cooperation.
I don’t necessarily think it’s an ax to grind, but rather not being informed or taking the time to think it through. And this is where we all come in. I believe that it’s up to us to let people in on the truth.
It’s a bummer you didn’t get on air!
Yay. The screener had me all lined up to go. I was ready.
I don’t know that we would elect a single president. And your question begs the qualification; single man vs. single woman. Since I think that a single woman has more of a stigma than a single man, and would have a MUCH harder time appealing to voters.
So much about winning seems about having a certain image; for example I don’t think that it’s an accident that all of the presidents for the past 20 years have had only daughters.
Additionally Hilary changed her name from Hilary Rodham to Hilary Clinton in order to create a more ‘wifey-wife’ image when Clinton was trying to win as Governor of Arkansas.
Not sure if someone who didn’t convey an ‘All-American family’ wholesomeness could be elected. That being said, Maria Cantwell has been the Senator for WA forEVER, so I guess that in some instances a single woman can successfully win an election!
So many interesting points, Meghan. I agree, there’s always been more stigma for a single woman, and at least for now, that would be too many hurdles to overcome. Why do you think it’s no accident that recent presidents have only had daughters?
oh, I just think that, for example, watching Sasha and Malia walk onstage in adorable dresses with their mother after Obama’s speech at the Democratic Convention conveys sweetness & innocence and stirs up idealism in voters that perhaps cannot be achieved with sons.
Girls, I’ve seen, can be a little bit more sheltered than boys; daughters are expected to behave much more properly and boys are ‘allowed to be boys’.
Elections are a lot about stirring up people’s imaginations. Perhaps, as things have become less certain economically & politically in this country we’ve increased our ideals in our leaders.
That being said, I think that Scott Walker still stands a fighting chance, as does Lindsey Graham.
It’s just a little theory of mine, thought that it’s perhaps uncanny that we’ve seen three presidents in a row who have only daughters.
Have a nice weekend, Wendy, with lots of QT 😉
The Obamas are so fashionable and photogenic. I will really miss that.
In Canada we elected a bachelor Prime Minister … Pierre Trudeau. He later married a badly behaved young woman.
One is electing a person for the office, their ‘real’ life need not come into it.
You’re so advanced in Canada, about so many things.
Senator Mark Kirk of IL made a comment about Senator Graham stating that he is a “bro without a ho.” This is odd because Kirk himself is divorced. He later apologized.
I remember when Kirk said it. Such a stupid remark.