Deseret News | Reader comments: Loss bodes ill for women in politics, Wilson says

Reader comments
Loss bodes ill for women in politics, Wilson says

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Conejo | 12:33 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

The object is not to get a certain gender into office. Since the primary determined two men should run for mayor we should go ahead and do what the citizens want. Regardless of what the gender police have to say about it.

Anonymous | 1:59 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Mrs. Wilson seems like a nice lady. I didn't vote for her because of her family life. I voted against her based on her lame politics. Her sex or family life were not my major concerns...
LLC

Observer | 4:29 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

"Vote for me, I'm Ted's daughter" didn't work, so now it's gender bias? Gimme a break!

Comments continue below

jenny | 6:42 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Ms. Wilson should consider her loss in the election for what it represents. The public does not agree with her judgement, policies or perspective. I read more news coverage on Ms. Wilson simply because she was the daughter of a former mayor.

Jeff James | 7:02 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

What a pathetic cop-out by Jenny Wilson. She is making the classic political mistake of thinking her situation is broadly applicable. Actually, Jenny, all politics is local, and your defeat was based solely upon your lack of merit for public office.

In fact, you are the ONLY candidate who brought up your family. If you recall, it was your step-mother who opened the can of worms on her mullentown blog, and Rebecca Walsh who took the issue and ran with it in the Trib. And all this from private emails between your father and Rocky, that were never intended to be part of the public discussion. But you were excited to play victim. OH THE INDIGNITY! Then, as Ralph seized the momentum, and Rocky explained his comments, you saw another shot to play victim, and perhaps take back some of the female vote. Unfortunately, just like for your father against Bangerter, it was far too little, far too late.

So, go cry me a river on the Salt Lake City Council, an office you gained by beating a male ("Harmsen says his loss bodes poorly for men in politics" wasn't a headline, now was it?). Fact is, you've shown yourself to be an intellectual lightweight incapable of understanding the reason for your loss: It's not that you are a woman. It's that Ralph was more experienced with a better campaign, and Dave had a corner on the Republican vote. Rash generalizations about general darkness based on local cloud cover can hardly be taken seriously, and especially so in your case.

rj | 7:42 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

If you're a female or a minority, and you lose an election; it's always because of some supposed bias. Jenny, you simply didn't resonate with enough voters, accept the fact the city didn't want you (male or female) as its mayor, and stop blaming some boogeyman in the closet.

Ken Baguley | 7:58 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I'm hearing The Rock backed the big expensive loser, and put down the second place winner and suppressed women's ability to make headway...What kind of leadership do we need? Not what is leaving.

Craig | 8:03 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Loss bodes well for men in politics. I found this article hateful towards men.

tribune reader | 8:04 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

If she is concerned about these issues she should not run as "daddy's little girl". She should drop the Wilson last name an run on her own. She has a good education and experience. It is clear she has kept the Wilson last name for political reasons. And not many wanted "daddy's little girl in office"

Anonymous | 8:11 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Playing the gender card is simply silly.

I live in (crazy) Eagle Mountain. In the final election we will have three women running, one for mayor and two for city council. Of those three I will support only Donna Burnham. I will not vote for Heather Jackson or Linn Strouse.

And it's not BECAUSE they're women. It's because, in spite of the fact that they are women, I STILL think they are incompetent. I want the best citizens to serve here. I don't give a hoot about their gender.

I suspect that the good people of SLC feel similarly.

Mark | 8:24 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

rj is right. Rocky's comments were irrelevant.

And perhaps the reason that women are not running for public office really is that they have their hands full on the home front.

Anonymous | 8:24 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Couldn't possibly be that it is because she was the youngest, least experienced, candidate running primarily on her fathers name and good will? Poor little victim.

SLC Voter | 8:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

As I read each of these comments it only further confirmed everything Wilson just said.

JL | 8:31 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Iï¿½ve lost complete respect for Jenny Wilson over this and I was a contributor to her campaign.

She doesnï¿½t inspire leadership during the campaign; just look at how Rebecca Walsh and Pete Ashdown endorsed Ralph Becker.

For her to play the gender card is a true mark of insecurity after loosing a tight race.

JB | 8:31 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

After the Democrats smeered the good name and reputation of our "female" County Mayor, I am not surprised now that they resort to the gender bias defense. We should expect that I suppose from the liberal left who concentrate on Rights with no responsibility.

Stenar | 8:40 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Jenny needs to get over herself. This had nothing to do with her gender. I supported Enid Greene and Deedee Corradini back in the day. I also liked Janneke House for City Council (but didn't live in her district so couldn't vote for her). Wilson just had a lot of problems as a candidate, one of which was that she kept complaining that her critics were being sexist. I'll be voting for Hillary Clinton next year. Wilson's loss had nothing to do with her gender. She needs to look in the mirror and think what she could have done differently rather than blame sexism.

Henry Drummond | 8:41 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Is there any chance that voters preferred Dave Buhler and Ralph Becker because they have more experience and both have solid records of accomplishments?

I might buy her argument if she lost to the village idiot, but come on! Use your county council seat to actually accomplish something for the county and in the future voters will give you another look, not because of gender but because you have a record of success.

FemalePoliticos | 8:49 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

... should explore why the proportional representation electoral systems used in many other democracies around the world result in the election of a greater percentage of women, and how to change the current winner-take-all system that leads to the under-representation of women in the United States.

ew | 8:52 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Wrong Jenny. The loss only bodes poorly for you. How pathetic, she traded on her gender and her daddy's name and when everyone realized that those were the only positive things she had to offer, they moved on. That, and the fact that her arrogant, entitled, elitist personality had a chance to show itself.

Good riddance to this particular woman in politics. We'll judge the others just like we do the men -- individually.

???? | 9:02 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I think this was a case of Becker just plain beating everyone else. He ran a good campaign. Give him credit for it and support him.

slcer | 9:13 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

We all new Rocky was the most divisive mayor this city has ever seen, now he just opens up another can and becomes divisive about women in politics. The greatest day in Salt Lake City history will be the day Rocky Anderson leaves office. Rocky nice try on trying to explain your comments the next day. We're all smarter than that. You'd have to be a fool not to understand Rocky's intent when he made those comments about how hard being a mayor is on family life.

Douglas | 9:21 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I voted for Becker because of his strengths. I would have loved to have voted for a strong woman, and it saddened me that Wilson was not that candidate. I hope to eventually have a female mayor of Salt Lake and a female Governor of Utah. I hope to one day vote for Wilson when she has matured, so my message is this. Please, Ms. Wilson, learn and grow from this whole election and please don't blame Rocky Anderson; his silliness in the last week really didn't effect the results as much as your weaknesses.

plain lame | 9:46 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Wilson not only lost this campaign but she has set herself up to lose future races. I would be interested to find out how many women voted in the race. Ted Wilson is a nice guy and I am sure Jenny is a nice gal but nice doesn't translate into political victories. She obviously didn't connect with the voters over issues not because she is a "woman", that excuse is just plain lame.

I think SLC voters want to go in a different direction from the Rocky years. Wilson and her Washington DC background made it look like as she would be more of the same liberal rah rah stuff.

Mira | 9:53 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Initially I was torn between supporting Wilson or Becker. After considering the issues and listening to the debates, I felt strongly that Becker would be the best candidate so he got my vote. The main points I took away from Wilson's campaign were that her father was a popular former mayor and that she didn't have near as much experience as Becker. If she wanted my vote she should have worked harder to convince me there was more to her than that. I'm a liberal SLC woman so her gender played no role for how I cast my ballot.

Now that the race has concluded and Jenny has continued to whine about why she didn't win I'm convinced I made the right decision.

Erica | 9:54 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I think Jenny did really well in this election. Considering this was her first run for office and she doesn't have a lot of experience, I think third place is very respectable. I feel she has a lot of potential, and I hope she'll run again sometime.

Anonymous | 10:10 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I know a great many women who are in politics, even Mayors and Legislaturers who portray themselves in a professional and knowlegable manner. Ms. Wilson talked too much with her arms and hands and lost this election on her own. Sorry, that is why you don't see many women in politics because those who want to that go on the presumption that women are the weaker sex and they must be women "libers" to suceed need to know that poise and brains are the way to get there.

Chrissy | 10:11 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

People don't vote based on gender - they vote based on policies, beliefs, previous experience and record and who they think is going to do a good job. It's not a contest to see if we can get more girls than boys into office (sounds like a silly contest for first graders - "eww... cooties!")

If women (and men) don't want to run for office, why should they?

Dave | 10:15 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Douglas,

...Um, do the names Deedee Corradini or Olene Walker ring a bell...?

tlw | 10:35 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Having worked with politicians my entire career, I believe there are higher expectations and bigger challenges for women balancing family and office. But it can and has been done successfully by many women in our state at all levels. These women have inspired me and Utah has benefitted from their leadership. I supported Becker because I know him personally to be a great leader, yet many friends were surprised that I wasn't supporting Wilson. Although I am an active Democrat and a woman, I always encourage people to cast their vote based on the candidate's experience, vision, and integrity--not on gender or party. While I'm always dismayed when a candidate's gender becomes an issue, I don't think that it was the nail in the coffin here. Like others, I was disappointed at the lack of depth in her campaign; her gender and her father were mentioned as frequently by her as by the media. At the end of the day, it seemed like a classic tortoise and hare race: Jenny sprinted out early (fund raising, advertising, etc) but it was Ralph's steady plodding (figuratively and literally--as in door to door), his experience, and the consistency of his positions to his lifestyle, particularly on issues like the environment and education, that ultimately made a difference. I think it's what will also carry him through the general election (that and the fact that SLC hasn't elected a Repub mayor in decades!)

Carl | 10:51 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Now it is evident why she lost..she is acting like an imbecile. Her grace in losing an election is a cry for help. Will someone please come forward and cradle her head for a few minutes while she acts like a crybaby?

Jay Eff | 11:07 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

She drives 2 big SUV's, but... Gore's monthly electricity consumption is more than my yearly consumption, but... "Environmentalist" Robert Redford has developed a mountain, but...

Typical liberal hypocracy.

KDT | 11:18 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

This article is exactly why I did not vote for Jenny. I signed on to her campaign early and had a lawn sign in yard, she was walking in the neighborhood and walked right by my house on the other side of the street, like she had my vote and didn't need to mess with the little people. Ralph Becker came to my house personally 3 times to chat and check in on my perspective, even though there was a Jenny sign in my yard. In the end I just could not vote for her... she had not earned my vote she just expected it.

Anonymous | 11:19 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

In my District City Council race, three married men with young children ran against an experienced woman with no young children. I voted for the woman.

Anonymous | 11:21 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I met Jenny Wilson and she seemed nice enough, but I think Dave Buhler will do the best job for the city.

Voter | 11:44 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I think the real revelation that came out in the days before the primary was the fact that Jenny owned two SUV's and sent her kids to private school. I am sure those two little gems cost her a whole lot more votes than Rocky attacking her for having young children.

I saw Jenny standing on corners on 400 South twice for "honk and waves". She looked about as confident as Brittney Spears did performing at the MTV Awards. She looked bored and disinterested, like she was there because she knew it was what she should be doing but her heart was not in it.

In my opinion, Rocky's attack probably helped her. I don't think Jenny would have complained one bit if the exit polls revealed that people had voted for her because she was the only woman in the race.

KH | 12:10 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

When I read the headline for this article my first thought was, "Why do we have to make this a sexist issue". After reading the article I had to agree it made some good points:

- Rocky's op-ed was definatly a slap in the face for female cadidates.

- I agree (or at least hope) that if women ran in the same numbers as men they would be elected in the same numbers as men.

Since only 1 of the 8 candidates was a woman I think it would be a bad leap of logic to insinuate sexist motives just because Wilson didn't make the final 2. I don't see how her loss would necesarily discourage other women from running. I do see how Rocky's comments would be discouraging to them.

Linda | 12:56 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Jenny, in case you have forgotten, the voters of Salt Lake County did elect you to their County Council. Maybe the voters expected you to fulfill that commitment before seeking another office. As others have stated, you also used the "Wilson" name ad nauseum. No candidate is assured an election because of their family connections--ask Scott Matheson Jr. Your loss of this election was not gender-induced. Two experienced, competent people were chosen by the voters to run for this position. Give us a little credit, please.

Al R | 12:58 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

If a woman chooses to stay home and care for her children instead of run for public office it doesn't make her weak and disinterested.
Some women have different priorities in their life. Liberals need to focus on issues instead of creating excuses as to why they don't win and why people don't seem to agree with them. obviously Becker led the way with a great majority. Support your party and move on.

Cris Coleman, former SLC'er | 2:38 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Having read all the above comments, I find a great deal of intelligence and but a little whining. That is encouraging. Of the latter, the one that caught my eye was by SLC Voter: "As I read each of these comments it only further confirmed everything Wilson just said."

Why is it when Democratic candidates lose an election, it's always because they were victimized? When a Republican candidate loses an election, it was because the better man or woman won?

It seems the Democratic party has devolved into a party of victimologyï¿½win or lose. If a black man loses a race, it's because of race. If a woman loses a race, it's because of the gender (i.e., sexist) issue.

The Democrats all across the nation slur Republican candidates without reserve, based on truth or not. On the other hand, if the Republican candidates bring up anything about the Democrats' actual voting record or actual experiences, they are being smeared.

(I'm neither Democrat nor Republican, by the way, so I have no bias in that regard.)

The Democrats seem to run on the great issue of "feelings", irrespective of politics. Whatever happened to "facts"? Whatever happened to truth in politicking?

The apparent Jenny Wilson debacle only proves my point. From the comments I've read, Wilson got what she deserved. If you have nothing to offer the voting public, other than rhetoric, you deserve to lose. That she finished third out of eight was amazing to me, that there should be so many people vote for her, just because of either her gender or her party, because it's pretty evident she didn't have much else to offer.

Congratulations on SLC voters for their rare insight.

Stop the Whining | 2:50 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

As long as Wilson whines, she'll never learn the real reasons she lost

Wilson is Lame | 3:11 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

What a load of garbage. I am from the State of Washington and it has been proven ther that the Men vs Women running for office means little to nothing. Of couse women are scrutinized more for certain things, but on the other hand men are more scrutinized for others.

Washington has two US Senators and Govenor who are all females. This is not because of who they are or their Gender, it is because ran good campaigns and met more of what the people wanted than their opponents.

The only thing that will set women back in running for and winning office here in Utah is with more women copping out like; Wilson.

I don't think this will happen though. More women will and should run. I am a father of two girls and perhaps someday they will run, but I'm confident that when things go wrong, they won't start blaming things on their sex. They have been taught that in most of life's pursuits the biggest and most important determining factor is the effort you put in, what you stand for and fight for. Mrs. Wilson your kids are listening, as many of us would say; Shut up and take it like a WoMan.

Allen | 3:29 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Liberals always make good victims--it is, perhaps, the only thing they do well.

Somebody call a Waaahhhmbulance | 4:11 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

It's always nice to have a man to blame things on, isn't it Jenny?

Amazed | 4:59 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I am not surprised by this. It futher reinforces my view of Jenny Wilson. In the early days of the election, Jenny was considered the favorite by the polls and by all of the insiders (republican and democrat). Most are still shocked that she didn't make it out of the primary. The bottom line is that Ralph Becker and Dave Buler ran amazing campaigns. Especially in light of the fact that they were both polling 3rd and 4th at various points.

Jenny, you banked on your name, and you were the front runner. You just got beat because the others got their messages to the people in a more effective manner.

Accept it and move on | 5:56 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

It's too bad that when a candidate loses they have to blame someone for their loss. The reason that Wilson lost was because she received less votes than two other candidates, it's as simple as that. I don't see any of the other losing candidates complaining that they lost and blaming circumstances out of their control. I would rather have a candidate accept their losses, congratulate the winner and then keep on working to serve the public in other ways - a candidate who could do that is a _true_ public servant.

Vanessa | 6:01 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

It's always easier to blame others when you lose then take responsibility yourself. Wilson needs to cool off, and re-evaluate what about her campaign, and not her gender, caused her to lose this race.

Billy Bones | 9:17 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Women in politics:

Enid Greene: Crook
Nancy Workman: Crook
DeeDee Coridini: Crook
Jenny Wilson: "my daddy was mayor."

If we are burned out on women its for good reason.

Voter | 9:53 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Hmmm. Last time I checked, Workman was found not guilty. No, not by the media. But by a jury. In a courtroom. Guess that doesn't mean a lot to Billy B.

Also, Enid's ex went to jail. For fraud. He defrauded lots of people. Like his immediate family members. Enid didn't go to jail. Paid a lot of fines though. For stuff Joe did.

Hmmm.

Hillary | 11:49 p.m. Sept. 14, 2007

Women can win elections - just watch me.

Sincerely,

Former Co-President Clinton

Marilyn Miller | 7:24 p.m. Oct. 6, 2007

Gender issues are complex and writing off what Ms. Wilson said as merely whining is an unfortuately simplistic reaction. Women need to run for office, but it is tough. Discrimination is easy to pinpoint of you only look at wages and employment opportunities. Women over 65 because they have stayed home to care for children and then older parents are poorer than their male counterparts. This is an important issue to deconstruct and looking at the issue from another's perspective important to understand.
We need more women to run and win.

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