America Can't Handle Smart Women - by Greer Clem
The title of this piece was going to be “America Doesn’t Like Smart Women” - but that seemed a little harsh. But as I sit here, I think maybe that is actually the case. One of the biggest and rudest awakenings for me was realizing how many women weren’t ready to elect Hillary Clinton in 2016. Naively, it seemed natural that the most qualified candidate would receive the most votes, especially against Donald Trump. Nearly four years later, that feeling sits heavily with me again today. America is threatened by smart, educated women. Yet we tell our daughters and sisters to work harder, to do more to earn respect, and just maybe we will tip the scales. The most qualified candidate on the ballot yesterday was a woman. She was an educated woman, a former public school teacher and law professor, someone who understands the American economy probably better than any male counterpart. Yet she was downplayed in news cycles and op-eds for weeks. Her electability was contested day in and day out. So let’s just call it what it is - misogyny. She was seen as “risky” for no other reason than her gender, and not just by men. She had more hoops to jump through and more tests to pass than any of her male competitors - Bloomberg didn’t even participate in 80% of the process and his electability never faced the scrutiny hers did. I have said and will continue to say I will vote and strongly support whoever the Democratic candidate is come November - but this is a systemic problem that isn’t going away. It existed four years ago and it exists now. And to be honest, I’m tired of it.
And guess what - I get to express these feelings. Many men will deride them because I am a woman who will apparently never be content with the system no matter what the result is. But without people standing up, advocating to let the best, most qualified voices in, how can we expect any change? How can I reach the goals I have for myself? How can I tell my daughter one day that I tried my best to create a world that recognized her?
Do you really think if women hadn’t stood up and said something that men would have one day just given us the right to vote? That if we didn’t elbow and shove our way into board rooms and lecture halls that we would have a woman Speaker of the House? Absolutely not. It is a struggle that the women in my life talk about day in and day out. Whether it be at job interviews or out at a bar, we deal with this on a daily basis, finding solace in texting our friends “can you believe what just happened?” We commiserate and rage together and endeavor to make the situation different, and on most days we tolerate people who are tired of us making these arguments. On many days, I myself am tired of making these arguments. But that is a weary tiredness that expires with a glass of red wine and some encouragement. What never dissipates is the belief that we can have a more equitable system and that one day things will be different.
Ten years ago, Elizabeth Warren was just a law professor. A renowned one, yes, but mostly she was viewed as a 60 year old woman leaving her societal prime. As it turns out, she was just getting started. And that gives me tremendous hope. So today, I celebrate her and the people who put their faith in her, not because she is a woman or even in spite of it, just because she was the best. Because she made them feel seen. She made me feel seen and heard in a way that is rare in politics and I am forever grateful to her, no matter the ultimate outcome of this election. I will celebrate voter turnout and the democratic process today but I will also not be afraid to voice these criticism and to continue fighting to make our system fairer and more representative.
Oh, and if that annoys you, tough.