Rethinking Madam President: Are We Ready for a Woman in the White House? - Softcover

"Informative and insightful.... The authors provide a compelling appraisal of the barriers that a woman US presidential candidate must confront and overcome in order to win nomination and election." - Sharon Z. Alter, William Rainey Harper College and Roosevelt University "In contrast to the typical, highly speculative 'madam president' discourse, this book offers concrete data and tools for assessing the changing accessibility of the Oval Office to women. A significant contribution, one that should find wide readership among scholars and frequent classroom adoption." - MaryAnne Borrelli, Connecticut College"

From the political rumor mill to pop culture, all signs suggest that the United States is finally ready for a woman in the White House. But is the vision of an imminent Madam President truly in line with today's political reality? ""Rethinking Madam President"" offers a critical assessment of the inroads made by female candidates into the previously male bastion of electoral success - exploring whether they actually apply to the presidency. The authors tackle a range of provocative issues: the conflation of the presidency with masculinity, particularly when it comes to security and military concerns; media coverage focusing, even today, on the novelty of a female candidate; public support for women that often evaporates in the voting booth; and more. Although Madam President is not an impossibility, they conclude, it would be a mistake to ignore the very significant hurdles that women still face on the path to the Oval Office. This title reveals the harsh political realities still facing women on the road to the White House.