Is Barack Obama a woman?

A post from the blog "Read, Write, Now" discusses a Scripps-Howard article that presents the idea that no matter which democrat won the primaries, we would still get a female president (as long as the dems. won)."

"Clinton’s female supporters who are watching Obama’s movement coalesce, solidify
and take over should console themselves there will be a woman Democrat in the
White House either way if the Democrats win the general election. The nominee
will either be a woman with double-X chromosomes, or one with XY chromosomes who votes more like a woman than most with XX."

The article makes a good point about the advancement of women's rights and women's issues - it does not necessarily take a woman to make things more equal. For example, had John McCain won the election and died in term, Sarah Palin would have become President of the US, and women's issues would have taken a couple of long strides backwards. So then we have to ask ourselves, which is better for feminism: To have a female president, or to have continuing advances in the realm of women's issues? This is an answer that is subjective to each person, but I can confidently say I would rather have a feminist male president than just a female president. Once again I agree with this article when it comes down to it, chromosomes aren't the most important factor.

The blog post says:

"The gender weirdness of this campaign continues to demonstrate that Americans
have a keenly developed, if not completely sick, sense of the politics of
sexuality and gender. Obama is suspicious because he is too much of a woman, and
Clinton is unappealing because she is too much of a man."

I am hoping that both of these individuals will help to change gender roles and stereotypes so that a woman with a short haircut and a pantsuit like Hillary can still be as much of a woman as a lady wearing high heels and a miniskirt. I hope the same would apply to men, that he can be thin and well-dressed or in overalls with a beer and both would be considered men. This election proved more than anything that it really isn't the way one dresses or walks or even necessarily their chromosomes that defines their gender, it is their actions and values.

One more thing - what does it mean when I search "Barack Obama crossdress," and "Barack Obama in a dress" and get no images, whereas the first image in "Hillary Clinton man" shows this?: