This old clipping about the idea of a woman president shows how we’ve moved on
With Kamala Harris now the official vice-president-elect of the USA – the first woman and, in particular, the first woman of colour, to hold the office, it’s hardly surprising that this old newspaper cutting has showed up again.
From November 1963 Strib:
Would a woman be a good President? pic.twitter.com/V4ce2cquW8
— Nate Pentz (@natepentz) November 11, 2020
We’d have blocked those addresses but we’re reasonably convinced they’ll have moved on since 1963 – some more irreversibly than others.
The item revealed the entrenched misogyny of the period, which is clearly still a thing, if not quite as widespread.
Wow. Some real fire takes here. https://t.co/w3V8CuouUf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 11, 2020
One answer really stood out.
Vern’s answer 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/TY9TGqzpJq
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 11, 2020
It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it’s pretty good for 1963.
Based on the answers. Frank thinks women don’t have the right to change their mind or say no. Tom doesn’t trust any woman
The two Mrs. are literally defined by their husbands.
And lastly there was Vern who somehow didn’t internalize misogyny & had no faith in the men in power— Amy McQuaid-England (@AmyLEngland) November 11, 2020
Vern had the vision. https://t.co/MasBmjtje5
— Shaun Cassidy (@shaunpcassidy) November 12, 2020
good evening to Vern Hause only https://t.co/z81Vg6MDl6
— jodie (@jodieegrace) November 12, 2020
Oh, Vern.
The “fuck it, why not” kind of feminist… https://t.co/1nPGMAbJ23— Erica Hanna (@meeterica) November 12, 2020
But a lot of people were shocked at the women’s responses.
Wow, those responses from the two women. How embarrassing. 🥴 https://t.co/sJX9gA3aqr
— abigail spanberger stan (@notcapnamerica) November 12, 2020
I don’t care about Vern. I care about the two women punching themselves in the face. https://t.co/nXEmCOqWdV
— Chelle ala Endora (@ChelleTweets) November 11, 2020
Even the women were so conditioned to feel they were inferior. So. Damn. Sad.
— I'm wicked good (@DougzInBoston) November 11, 2020
Since he was the only one to come out of this looking in any way reasonable, Timothy Burke added a few details about Vern.
This goes viral every so often so I'll mention Vern here. The Strib presumably caught Vern while with his wife Maude visiting her family; she was from Minneapolis.
Vern was a railroad engineer for 48 yrs. He appears 700+ times in Wisconsin newspapers. He had an interesting life. https://t.co/8EI76hKaP3
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 11, 2020
Finally, this shows how much people respect Vern for not falling into step with the sexists of his time.
Vern Hause died in 1975. And simply because he chose not to voice the misogyny that was socially expected of him when asked about a woman president in 1963, five people have left flowers on his virtual grave today—45 years after his death: https://t.co/1sRSDn0Rjw https://t.co/2g3xWJHFG3
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) November 12, 2020
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This old ‘helpful’ tip in a magazine hasn’t aged well (and wasn’t exactly great back then)
Source Nate Pentz Image Nate Pentz
