Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Billie Jean King was on NPR this week promoting her new book called Pressure is a Privilege and reminiscing about her classic "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against Bobby Riggs, which she won 25 years ago. "Anything You Can Do" was the theme song for that event, nicely capturing the spirit of the gender divide at that time when women were first breaking into traditional male roles and having to prove that they could be physically and intellectually comparable to men, if not superior.

I haven't been able to get that song out of my head since McCain announced that Sarah Palin would be his running mate. But this time the song doesn't celebrate female accomplishment, but rather a manipulation of gender issues to (once again) further a man's career. Palin's nomination is a slap in the face to everything that women's movements have struggled to achieve for decades. Palin wasn't selected because of her qualifications for the job, she was a tool for McCain to flaunt to the Democrats that anything they can do, he and the Republicans can do better.

Regardless of the outcome, this presidential race has been the most fascinating that I can remember and full of historical precedence. We will break some kind of power barrier in the fall -- either by electing the first Black president of the U.S. or the first female VP. Either way, the outcome changes opportunity structures for future generations, and that should be celebrated.

And yet ... if it is the latter victory, it will be a hollow one. Putting aside the fact that I don't want to see another Republican presidency, the fact that the first female VP made it to that office as a token of a male agenda rather than on the strength of her qualifications is not a great stride for gender equality. The message that McCain is sending is that the American people would like to see a female on the ticket, and any woman will do. So he picked one that best suited his needs and his image. She's young and inexperienced, and therefore unlikely to challenge or overshadow him. She's pretty and dresses appropriately, therefore she'll look nice standing next to a visibly aging man. How can you question the vigor of a man when he has not one, but two pretty women on his side -- his trophy wife and his token running mate?

The true test for Palin, if she makes it to the White House, will be whether she can capitalize on her good fortune and truly become a strong leader or whether she will be content to take all of the credit for breaking through this glass ceiling without having earned it. I can't even imagine what Hillary Clinton must have felt when she learned of this news. Talk about kicking someone when they are down!