John F. Kennedy. Ronald Reagan. George W. Bush. Barack Obama.
There obviously isn’t a very diverse array of names to pick out of this pool — the pool of all male past presidents with the “cool” or “approachable” factor.
A quick Google image search for any of these men will bring up the all-too-common pictures of burgers, beers, rolled up sleeves and presidential conversation. The image of Joe Biden chowing down on some ice cream still seems to be a favorite among voters. The iconic ‘80s photos of Regan longingly looking at the sight of a cheeseburger will forever be ingrained in the public’s political conscious.
What do these depictions all have in common? Yes, males. Yes, food. But more than anything they depict “the common man,” the approachable man.
Hailey Stewart | Argonaut
Do the same for any past and present female leaders or candidates and you’re likely to find no such thing. Type “Hillary Clinton and food” into Google and you’ll largely see her holding food, ordering food or sipping a coffee — no beer, no rolled up sleeves, no messy burger grease. What’s so approachable about that?
Instead, when you Google search female leaders, you’re more likely to read the headline, “Nine non-threatening leadership strategies for women.”
It’s a far cry from the easy-going laid-back vibe we might find in a male leader. And that’s the problem.
When Beto O’Rourke graced the front cover of Vanity Fair Magazine’s April edition, he explained his want to lead as, “I just want to be in it. Man, I’m just born to be in it.”
Wearing dark-wash Levi’s, a light blue shirt and a timid smile next to his truck and an all-American dog, O’Rourke looks and evidently feels the part. But it’s the part of a “common man” with the approachable factor.
You could, if given the chance, most likely be comfortable sitting down, cracking open a beer and rolling up your sleeves for a burger with Beto. Kamala Harris? Elizabeth Warren? Amy Klobuchar? It’s hard to imagine them in the same space as O’Rourke and Biden at the greasy diner booth.
While Biden may share his love for ice cream, it’s not just food that brings out the approachable. George W. Bush was someone to watch sports with. O’Rourke has been referred to as the cool dad on the 2020 campaign trail.
When Harris explained her love for ‘90s rap stars Tupac and Snoop Dog, she was bombarded with questions revolving around her “questionable” authenticity.
It’s not just for political leaders. It’s not just middle-aged female adults with political dreams that are servants to this notion. No — the idea that women are less approachable than men and less accessible starts early on.
From the “boys will be boys” remarks to the gendered bias we place on women when they’re young, there is little room to escape that notion.
In a recent Vox article, the suggestion of authenticity in candidates takes centerstage. What goes better with authenticity than approachability? And what happens to be the outcome of these attributes — based on years of gendered prejudices — election into office.
The basis of these notions of commonality and approachability is that they (these politicians) are just like us. The only problem? They’re just not female. They’re white, male and often more out-of-touch than we give them credit for.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @HaileyAStew