Feminists like to have it both ways: Women and men are supposed to be seen as interchangeable… except for all the ways in which women are better. This is doubly so when it comes to women in leadership positions.
You would be marched to gender sensitive training if you said anything suggesting male leaders are generally more decisive or logical, but it’s fair game to make sweeping positive generalizations about female leaders as more inclusive, emphatic, and skilled at forging consensus.
A recent Pew Research report on public attitudes about female political leaders confirmed that Americans were more likely to see female leaders to be superior on many of these key traits–and women were particularly likely to give other women the edge–including for “being more honest and ethical.”
This is certainly one stereotype about women than Mrs. Clinton is doing everything possible to destroy. One wonders if this could be part of Clinton’s legacy. Yes, she is a trailblazer for seeking the highest office of the land, but she’s also showcasing how women can be insiders and abuse the system just as much as any man could. This sad reality check could erode some of the good will that female candidates have previously enjoyed.