McDonnell and gender

If you haven’t followed the Bob McDonnell case– now federally indicted former governor of Virginia– catch up.  It’s good stuff.  Actually, though, Dahlia Lithwick hits the high points with some excellent points on the inherent sexism in much of the coverage:

This morning’s Times features a piece by Trip Gabriel titled “When a Political Spouse Helps Cause a Downfall” that purports to be about Maureen McDonnell’s assistance in creating the widespread greed and corruption problems for which she and her husband were indicted earlier this week. But of course the piece itself goes on to lay out all the ways in which the avaricious former cheerleader was in fact more Lady Macbeth than co-conspirator, asserting that according to the 43-page federal indictment, she was “the person whose desires for luxury items led the couple to use the governor’s office to promote a contributor’s dietary supplement business.” …

The implication that it was the former NFL cheerleader and her quest for designer shoes and gowns that brought the McDonnells down is kind of a journalistic chip shot. Cue the citations to Calista Gingrich and Sarah Palin and all the countless silly women who shop their families into political ruin. If you reside chiefly in reality TV land, such accusations fit the stereotypes perfectly. But the truth is that McDonnell was just as profligate and greedy as his wife, and the indictment proves it. So why is his own fondness for racking up exorbitant golf expenses relegated to the last disembodied paragraph of the Times piece? Is it because in the hierarchy of political greed, golfing, and private jets rank as legitimate expenses whereas couture dresses and shoes are foolish? Remember: When men are extravagant it’s manly. When women do it, it’s tacky.  [emphasis mine]

Yep.  Pretty spot-on.  And I fell right for this subtle bias in the coverage until Lithwick pointed it out to me.