Palin and Kelly: prospects for the fairer sex

With the global economy spending most of September lurching from one financial crisis to another, even reports of plots to bring down the Prime Minister were sometimes forced off the front pages. However, an intriguing political sub-plot emerged during the month concerning female politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the UK, the shock announcement from Cabinet Minister Ruth Kelly that she was stepping down from politics overshadowed the end of the British conference season. Her descent from the political frontline came in direct contrast to the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican’s Vice-Presidential candidate at the beginning of the month. The latter’s meteoric political rise has come at the cost of severe media scrutiny into her personal life and the opposing trajectories taken by these two female politicians raises interesting questions about the wider prospects for women in politics.

After a swift rise to high political office, Kelly had become something of a fixture in the British cabinet, though she was no stranger to personal intrusion. Her adherence to the Catholic sect, Opus Dei, attracted a great deal of media scrutiny, particularly with regard to her voting record.

But it seems Ruth Kelly was being disingenuous to no one when she attributed her resignation to a desire to “spend more time with her family.” Dissatisfaction at the Prime Minister’s performance may also have contributed to her departure, along with the possibility of becoming a high-profile casualty at the next election – she defeated her Conservative rival for the constituency of Bolton West by just 2,064 votes. But her decision to escape the heavy workload and media scrutiny of the political frontline and spend more time with her family was preceded by Sarah Palin’s decision to put both her family and reputation at the mercy of the world press.

John McCain’s decision to install Sarah Palin as his running mate transformed his previously quotidian campaign for the White House. Within a week he had wiped out the poll lead held by his Democrat opponent, Barack Obama. But it also changed forever the personal life of Palin and her family. An intense media spotlight was immediately shone into the private affairs of her husband and five children and it did not take long for a number of intimate details to emerge.

While certain details inspired support from the Republican base – such as the decision of her seventeen year old daughter to marry her boyfriend after falling pregnant – others left liberal commentators and bloggers fuming. The emergence and widespread derision of the fact that her daughter’s boyfriend had written on his Myspace profile that he “didn’t want kids” illustrates the depth of media intrusion into the family members of leading politicians that has now become acceptable.

Alongside the media intrusion into her personal affairs, she has been under fire for her performance in TV interviews, with her insistence that Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience inviting public derision even from fellow Republicans. Though her spokespersons defend her and blame the barrage of criticism on sexist, out-of-touch commentators, her performance has been less than inspiring. However, it is also true that she has received far more attention due to her gender and her family life has been more highly scrutinized as a result.

But the media is not all to blame. That she has used both her family and femininity for political ends cannot be argued (witness the public announcement of her daughter’s decision to marry and her wink to camera during her debate with Joe Biden). However, it may prove damaging for future female politicians who want to get ahead in politics without their gender being an issue. With Obama having restored his lead in the polls, Palin’s rise should soon come to an end. Either way, it seems the departing Ruth Kelly set a better example for female politicians with her de-gendered, professional approach.