Race, gender, and media played a huge role in the 2008 election. Particularly in the Democratic primary, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama chose two oposing public images in order to secure the vote. In the Eileen Walsh article we discussed in class, she noted the "masculinization" of Senator Clinton and the "feminization" of Senator Obama.
She argues that Senator Clinton had to make herself seem tougher and less emotional than an "average woman" in order to compete for office with her male counter parts. For this, the media (as shown in this SNL sketch) skewerd her for being insensitive and mean. The concept of gender roles in the media put Senator Clinton in a difficult position. Competing against men, she needed to prove her equality and ability to govern the nation with a level head and forcefullness. However, her tough public image led the media to depict her as "shrill" and a "bitch" (SNL).
On the other hand, Senator Obama had to down play some of the negative stereotypes associated with race in America. Throughout the campaign for both the Democratic and national vote, Senator Obama was depicted as an eloquent, calm, sensitive, and stable candidate for the American public. In this SNL sketch, his almost brevity is emphasized next to Clinton's active response to each question.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/11208/saturday-night-live-democratic-debate-2
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I think what it is interesting though is that these candidates did not necessarily oppose their stereotypes as represented in the media, but embraced them as part of their campaign.
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