The XX Factor: What women really think.

The Feminist Son

In the New York Times on Sunday, Susan Faludi reworks her American gender narrative for Obama-McCain, and argues that Obama is challenging the norm of candidate as avenging rescuer by refusing to go through the gladiator motions. I went back and read Meghan's piece on Faludi's book to remind myself why I find her approach a bit tired. And call me an unimaginative literalist, but the idea she's shopping now that Obama is the first woman president, because he's not out there posing in a flak jacket (note to campaign: plenty of time left), just seems silly.

 But Faludi also rightly points that Obama is surrounded by strong women—mother, wife, sister, daughters—and that he seems proud of that, and of them, without indulging in any insecure flapping around. This reminded me of a great e-mail I got from reader Trena Klohe last week:

I'm Gen X feminist with a 4 year-old son and a 2 year-old daughter.  I fret fairly often about how to raise them to be strong, confident, egalitarian-minded people.... So here's what gets me.  Even if Barack Obama seems too much like the breezy new upstart, to some, isn't he also a shining example of the feminist son both generations hope is possible?  Evidence that the revolution at a personal-is-political level is succeeding?  A credit to Ann Dunham [Obama's mother] and the entire sisterhood of courageous, trailblazing women on whose shoulders we stand? In this light, isn't Obama's success just as much an affirmation of "second-wave" feminism as Hillary's would have been?

 A different sort of role model for our sons, that's for sure. Though probably better not to point it out to them.