Big Girls and Crying

The 2008 election was a historically significant one in several ways. Looking back is Rebecca Traister author of "Big Girls Don't Cry: The election that changed everything for women." A writer for Salon.com, Traister provides a thorough linear narrative of what was going on behind the scenes during her time on the campaign trail writing pieces for Salon. Traister starts out as an open minded supporter of John Edwards but by primary day the women who walks into the voting booth ends up struggling with who she is going to pull the lever for.

The book focuses primarily on Hillary Clinton. Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin serve as bookends to the recounting of the fiercely fought battle for the Democratic nomination. What is obvious from the beginning is that the examples of media sexism are applicable across the board. Double standards, sexist innuendos, gender stereotypes; it's all there and it applies to all three women.

As November 2nd draws near the obvious news is that Obama has not lived up to expectations. Of course during the election is wasn't necessarily about who was more experienced or who would have the highest approval ratings two years in. Hillary Clinton had to undergo a radical transformation to even be considered as a candidate for the Democratic nomination. Women who hated her when she was first lady may have had a change of heart when she moved from the outspoken spouse that people were threatened by to the more well-behaved feminist Hillary. Her long term supporters felt alienated as she became a poster child for bipartisan cooperation.

Even if you followed the election closely this book has something you didn't catch in it. We are still living through the ramifications of the elections outcome and in hindsight it is easy to see that the 2008 election did change everything for women. What we got wasn't all positive and on the whole the problems for American women are getting more intense and more divided. Sarah Palin is not the only Republican women who has claimed that Feminism doesn't mean you need to trust other women to make there own choices.

Traisters book provides excellent insight and does so with an even handed logical mind set. Her book flows and is easy to read without becoming boring. I suggest this book for supporters of Clinton and Obama. There is also something for the Kucinch supporter, the fans of Edwards, Michelle Obama and many others. Traister gives assurance that women will undoubtedly shatter the presidential glass ceiling and that it is only a question of when.