Posted on 01/14/2010 6:57:26 AM PST by deport
AUSTIN – Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sarah Palin have helped shift the landscape, but gender issues are still tricky for male candidates in political debates.
Rick Perry may discover the pitfalls when, for the first time in his long political career he's the only man on stage tonight against two female contenders. From gestures to tone to r-e-s-p-e-c-t, the age-old tussle between men and women will be magnified by stage lights and close-up cameras during the hourlong Republican gubernatorial debate in Denton, broadcast live on public television......
Communications and political experts said that in facing off against women, Perry must stay steady and calm. He must not seem to attack. Mostly, he must stay unfailingly polite because TV amplifies a tone and a look and assumes an attitude.
And if he slips, as plenty of male candidates famously have, TV also provides an endless instant replay and becomes the one thing remembered from the debate – and not just for the relatively few watching, but for the millions who didn't.
Kay Bailey Hutchison, in her fervor to score political points, must not come across as too "shrill" – a word reserved almost exclusively to describe women in debates.
She must avoid a high-pitched tone and anything that resembles scolding. What comes across as forceful for a man is sometimes seen as churlish in a woman. .....
Adding to the peril for both Hutchison and Perry is the presence of Debra Medina, an outsider with little to lose. Tea Party followers have coalesced around Medina, who has pushed gun rights, border defense and state nullification of federal mandates. KERA said it decided to invite Medina to the debate because she had attracted media and public interest.
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(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
She said she doesn’t carry in the grocery store.
My wife and I do. She must not have a CHL.
I remember two quotes from Clayton Williams...Rape is like the weather. You might as lay back and enjoy it. And when it was revealed scuba diving might be dangerous for pregnant women. he said we could use it as birth control..abortion.
I don’t know that Medina has won but she hasn’t hurt herself so far.
It ain't over n00bie.
go Medina. I am. Don’t waste your vote on some damned phony or a baby killer.
She definitely looks and sounds genuine in comparison to these two aging and hackish pols.
And she looks above the fray as Hutchison and Perry attack each other.
She doesn’t have one...they mentioned that...
It is absolutely over!! The sheeple will zombie their vote for Perry but what will a conservative with a brain do? MEDINA!!! WAKE UP!!!
I get that I just wonder why she doesn’t. I can see LongElegantLegs’ reasoning, I just don’t agree.
Ron Paul cheerleaders make me sick and only hurt Medina.
You’ll be taken a little more seriously if you tone it down a little bit.
I support Medina - been driving around with her bumper sticker on my car for two months now. She squeaked her way into these debates but I think she’s got a chance. Scott Brown’s proving that right now.
Kay showed her really true RINO self.
What tone would you turn down? What fact did I misstate?
She squeaked her way into these debates but I think she’s got a chance.
She got into this one but I don’t think she is in the one coming up later this month. I wish she was.
Remember they are politicians; personally I will vote for Perry. He is a good politician, unlike Hutchinson. Medina doesn’t have the political clout yet, but she will next go round (I hope). Please NO Hutchinson!
I like that she continually pushed the people’s right to make their own government. Even if this debate is as far as she gets, maybe it can serve as a wake up call for Hutchinson & Perry.
Have at it!!! Medina won and gets our votes!! She is a TEA BAGGER!!! We want TEA BAGGERS.
LOL............. Well do you really mean the above or just don’t know what you are saying?
It’s all about presentation. Excessive use of exclamation marks tends to lead people to believe your message is weak and needs to be propped up by them.
It’s like TALKING IN CAPITALS.
Hutchinson [sic]
For those from Texas I’d think you’d know it is Hutchison, Hutchinson
I hope she makes it in. The Dallas Tea Party and Mark Davis really poured on the heat against KERA to get her into this one.
Be interesting to see what happens to her poll numbers after this.
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