Ben+L.

Jen's right -- there is more to this question --it's one you could do some research on -- you were also alive for the second example of a female v.p. candidate, but you ignore S Palin--how was her treatment different--talk to your parents about what people expect of a female politician--are they held to different standards? Are there looks studied more closely? If they make a mistake, are they criticized more or less? Is there pressure on them to prove that they are "tough" (since a v.p. could end up the commander in chief)?

These days, there are women at almost every occupation. Doctors and principals instead of nurses and teachers. Lawyers instead of secretaries. Fighting in the front lines instead of saving men in the back lines. Women CEOs. Women have been at every job except for one: President. Some people, such as my mom, think that women have proven themselves to be as capable as men at everything, including the presidency. Many years ago, when Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president, my dad said, “I didn’t think they had a chance - it just wasn’t a strong ticket.” On the other hand, my mom thought it was very exciting and the beginning of women and men being equal in politics. My dad’s comments mean that he thought that with a woman on the ticket, people wouldn’t take that ticket seriously because they thought the woman wasn’t qualified to assist in leading the country. Women thought that it was a great idea for a woman to be up for any type of leadership position. The country wasn’t yet ready for a female to be second in command. Thinking about gender roles, traditionally men are considered to have more leadership skills than women because they are traditionally more aggressive, more knowledgeable about the economy, strong negotiators and good problem solvers. All of these qualities lead to making quick and efficient decisions about any issue. Stereotypically, women are considered to be less aggressive and more emotional. On the other hand, they are diplomatic, open-minded and good communicators, which would allow them to be able to create compromises with other rulers. Surprisingly, my parents agreed that Hillary Clinton was a positive candidate for presidency. When Hillary Clinton ran for the democratic nomination, my mom was openly very excited and supportive of her candidacy. This example shows that gender roles are changing and that people are now more accepting of a female candidate than 25 years ago when Geraldine Ferraro first ran. Still, though, the country wasn’t ready for a female president. Use a story in this. All you're doing is talking about how different genders have different roles-Brian Continue expanding because this is a major idea and there are many different aspects of why no women have been president, less have run. - Jen I like how in the beginning you said the different jobs that have changed. I think you should expand more about on what you think about having a women president and your opinion on Hillary Clinton running for the democratic candidate. ~ Maddie D.

I like how you focused your topic to one very important "job". I also like how you used stereotypes of men and women as reasons that there hasn't been a female president. I would try to find out more about what your family thinks to have a more personal anecdote where you show more and tell less. -Matt Solnick

I like how you expanded mostly on one idea. try expanding more and try adding more of your own opinion to it. - Jackie B.