Gender Politics: News Coverage of the Candidates' Wives in Campaign 2000

Abstract

This study considers coverage of the candidates' wives prior to the election during the 2000 presidential campaign. News coverage is examined for the presence of established frames used in covering First Ladies: as an escort, in a protocol role, in a noblesse oblige role, and as a policy adviser.

From Professionals to Potential First Ladies: How Newspapers Told the Stories of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama

“…As noted by Winfield and Friedman (2003), "Less research has examined coverage of the candidates' wives as First Ladies-to-be" (p. 548). Notwithstanding, a small, yet noteworthy, body of scholarly work has focused specifically on the media coverage of the spouses of presidential candidates on the campaign trail.…”

“…Recently, Laura Bush remained largely uncontroversial, representing family values and tackling such issues as education and reading. In addition, she successfully assisted her husband on the campaign trail, publicly comforted the nation after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and broke new ground by being the first presidential spouse to give an entire Saturday presidential radio address on her own (Winfield and Friedman 2003;Beasley 2005). As Beasley (2005) noted, "The world and the media have changed since Eleanor Roosevelt's day, but first ladies still speak to women through the mass media" (p. xvi).…”

Public to private and back again: the role of politicians’ wives in British election campaign coverage

“…Winfield and Friedman (2000) make a similar argument about the retraditionalisation of women like Lynne Cheney and Tipper Gore during the 2000 US Presidential election, suggesting that these women tried to avoid being cast in a similar role to Hillary Clinton.…”

“…Samantha Cameron was constructed as middle class and 'ordinary' in order to make her husband seem less upper class and out of touch; while Sarah Brown was intended to humanise her husband by making him appear more warm and caring. Winfield and Friedman (2003) The week before each election was sampled in order to see what role, if any, the wives played in formal campaigning activities. All items which were entirely about the election and featured more than one mention of a female actor were coded.…”

From Hostess to Political Surrogate: The Evolving Role of the First Lady of the United States

“…In fact, due to the backlash from Hillary's recent campaigns, both republicans and democrats have converged on the view that first ladies are subordinate to the President and that wives are there to support their candidate husbands (Winfield & Friedman, 2003). Discourse tracing shows no major developments in the culture of the office of the first lady in recent years due to the Hillary backlash; the first ladies have had to revert to be the woman behind the man instead of an equal partner.…”