The Minneapolis Star Tribune had asked its readers to respond to the question in 1963 and subsequently published them.
Kamala Harris might have become the first woman of color to become the Vice-President-elect, the highest position a woman has occupied in the government to date, but America still has a long way to go to wrest power from the tight grasps of old white men. One only needs to look at the 2020 Presidential race to realize America has a long way to go to be more inclusive. Joe Biden, 77, beat Donald Trump, 74, to become the President-elect in the election earlier this month. Some people, primarily conservatives, voted against Hillary Clinton in 2006, citing her being a woman as an impediment to being president. It just showed how little progress America has made since 1963 when the question "Would a woman be a good president?" was posed to readers of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
From November 1963 Strib:
β Nate Pentz (@natepentz) November 11, 2020
Would a woman be a good President? pic.twitter.com/V4ce2cquW8
Twitter user @natepentz shared the image of the responses to the question. Of the five respondents, four of them said a firm no, each providing different excuses for their sexism. "No. Today their mind is one way and the next day, it changes," said Frank Kampa, pushing the age-old stereotype that women have too many mood swings to take strong decisions. I would love for them to time-travel and try to make sense of Donald Trump's rants and decisions. Maureen Mellum wrote, "No. A man is more responsible. Women have enough problems without being president," said Maureen Mellum. Again, I would love for Maureen to meet the current president. However, what stood out in the responses was one from a certain Vern Hause, who replied, "She couldn't do any worse than some we've had." The response went viral with many praising him for being a feminist while a few others felt he was just being nihilistic, showing no faith in either government or women. People appreciated Hause's reply, with 87 of them leaving virtual flowers at his grave since the tweet was posted as a tribute.
The responses from Mr. and Mrs. Romanowski also raised eyebrows. "No. I don't have much faith in women to let them run the country," said Romanowski, as his wife probably stood by waiting to give her opinion to the question. Mrs. Romanowski concurred with her husband's assessment and went one step further to dismiss the idea of a woman President and even hint at trouble in their marriage. "No. A woman is too likely to give in. They might not stand their ground when they should," Mrs. Romanowski. Many believed little had changed in the past 60 years, apart from newspapers not posing the question such questions to its readers anymore.
I want to know more about Vern. As a young woman in 1963, I donβt know how I would have responded. By mid 1970βs however, I had developed into someone who was pushing for opportunities for women & minorities at every opportunity. I was warned too aggressive, but I persisted.
β Tricia S.π (@29Sinclair) November 11, 2020
It's not all gloom though. With the induction of the new Congresspersons, the House will be the most diverse, said the LGBTQ Victory Fund, reported The Hill. LGBTQ Victory Fund is a group that works to increase the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials in government. The group said nine LGBTQ candidates running in House races secured victories in the recently concluded elections. Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres, two openly gay Black men won their election to Congress, becoming the first to do so. The group stated that there are now currently seven openly LGBTQ members in the House and two in the Senate.
Sad, this is the MOST supportive statement of the lot. pic.twitter.com/7vQ5ZYHHsp
β Logical Liberal (@LogicalLIberal5) November 11, 2020
Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, said in a statement that the next session of Congress "will have the largest and most diverse group of LGBTQ leaders in history and with increased representation comes increased political power." "These LGBTQ members of Congress will influence how their constituents and colleagues view our community and ensure issues of equality remain a priority," she continued. The group also said that 25 openly LGBTQ+ candidates won Democratic or Republican congressional primaries this year, a new record.
From 2016 and 2020 election results, I see not much has changed. If a woman supposedly wouldn't make a good President, then don't ask nor expect us to support a man in any endeavors he pursues. Don't ask me to help you rise if I'm not good enough to stand alone. Such hypocrisy.
β Political Vixen (@PoliticalVixen1) November 11, 2020