What is the Difference between a Hockey Mom and a Pit Bull? Presentations of Palin and Gender Stereotypes in the 2008 Presidential Election

Abstract

Scholars have documented the ways in which gender stereotypes harm the electoral prospects of female candidates. We know less about the factors that might mitigate the expression of these stereotypes. This question took on new and timely significance during the 2008 presidential election. As a virtual unknown, Sarah Palin leapt onto the national stage as the Republican vice-presidential nominee and there was a wide array of media coverage surrounding her candidacy. The literature suggests that a republican woman would not have the same handicaps as a democratic one, since partisan stereotypes might counteract gender stereotypes. In this study we explore what effect different media frames have on voters’ perception of Sarah Palin’s ideology and candidate traits. To explore these questions, we conducted an on-line experiment with a random sample of registered voters in LA County during the 2008 presidential election. Participants were assigned to a control group or a treatment group which read a short paragraph describing Sarah Palin as a mother, a social conservative, an executive, or on the attack against Barack Obama. We expect that descriptions that highlight more stereotypically feminine attributes, such as being a mother, will heighten gender trait and belief based stereotypes, while those that highlight more masculine attributes, such as being on the attack, will diminish them.