Reading Hillary and Sarah: Contradictions of Feminism and Representation in 2008 Campaign Political Cartoons

Abstract

The 2008 presidential campaign was noteworthy for heightening the profile of women candidates, although neither Sarah Palin nor Hillary Clinton won her race. The authors study political cartoons as texts that sharply illuminate gendered aspects of political representation. However, the findings suggest that formulaic and stereotypical representations of Palin and Clinton are subsumed by both ideological and image differences between these two women and increased gender neutrality in their representations. The authors suggest that the study of political women in the media requires fresh approaches to accommodate ideologically nuanced symbolic women and a possible erosion of gender bias in the media.