This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow
Krystal Ball, a candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 1st district, recently introduced an ad campaign targeting her opponent. The campaign, “On the Road with Rob,” follows Ball as she visits Congressman Rob Wittman’s offices and meets with constituents. More often than not, she finds his district office empty and that Virginians don’t relate to Wittman’s policies.
In response, the Wittman camp released the following statement:
“As cute as our opponent may think she is with a life size cut out of Rob…”
While Wittman’s spokesperson was ostensibly referring to Ball’s videos, and not her appearance, there was clearly an inference about Ball’s physical presence—which has already gained attention in the mainstream media. In essence, Wittman is relying on the stereotype that an attractive woman cannot be an effective leader—rather than addressing the substantive aspects of Ball’s criticisms.
Unfortunately, this behavior is far too common in the modern political world. Last week, a Colorado Senate candidate, Ken Buck, tried to argue that he deserved Coloradans votes over his female opponent:
“Because I do not wear high heels.”
This is not an acceptable reaction in a civilized political debate. The immediate decision for many male candidates when faced with an aggressive female candidate is to turn to a sexist and unfair attack in an attempt to discredit their opponent. If their rival was another man, they would be forced to respond to the actual criticisms—and be held accountable for their weaknesses as a candidate. Instead, female candidates are threatened based on their appearance, wardrobe, and personality, rather than their qualifications.
Indeed, this was also an issue in Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court. She was attacked time and again for her physical appearance and marital status, while her conservative opponents failed to acknowledge her outstanding legal credentials. It seems that Kagan’s inherent qualifications have overcome the sexist criticisms leveled at her, and I hope the same will be true for Ball, and all the other fantastic women running this year.
Krystal Ball, a certified public accountant, business owner, mother, and Virginia native, is committed to fiscal responsibility, building a secure nation for her children, and fighting for the interests of Virginia’s 1st district. These issues should be what this campaign is about—and not about Ball’s gender or appearance.