America not ready for a female president?

OPINION:

Former first lady Michelle Obama says America is not ready for a female president. In a series of recent interviews promoting her new book, Mrs. Obama points to the election losses of Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton as evidence of what she regards as sexism.

Recall that similar things were once said about John F. Kennedy — that America was not ready for a Catholic president. More recently, some said America wasn’t ready for a Black president. Yet in 2008, 43% of White voters voted for Barack Obama. In 2012, it was 39%.

Mrs. Obama’s comments continue the focus on identity politics rather than the substance of one’s ideas and policies. What difference does it make (to quote Mrs. Clinton in a different context) about one’s race or gender? Ms. Harris lost not because she is a woman but because some thought she could not articulate her beliefs in a language they could understand. Mrs. Clinton lost because some found her “unlikable.”

Mrs. Obama is from a middle-class background that anyone might find admirable, even enviable. She grew up in a two-parent home. A Google search notes: “After excelling in public schools, she earned a sociology and African-American studies degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She then became a lawyer in Chicago, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama, before dedicating her career to public service in roles at Chicago City Hall and the University of Chicago.”

One might think that with such a resume, she would be praising a nation that gave her the opportunity to rise to such a high level. Instead, recall her comment as her husband campaigned for president: “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction.”

How sad that is — for Mrs. Obama, not for her country. She seems to have chips on both shoulders. She is always criticizing someone or something, but to what end?

Women hold more political offices in America than ever before. Some are strong and competent conservatives. Others are drowning in the sewer of identity politics. A Wall Street Journal editorial quotes Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson: “I will appoint a Cabinet of exceptional leaders whose lived experiences reflect the diversity of Seattle’s Black, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latinx/Hispanic, and People of Color communities as well as that of women, immigrants and refugees, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, people of all faith traditions, and residents from every socioeconomic background.”

Notice the absence of any reference to capabilities or policies. This is the dead end of identity politics.

Japan recently elected the country’s first female prime minister, who seems popular and competent. Being female, though, does not mean women are necessarily better at leading nations than men. The female former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has been sentenced to death in absentia (she fled to India after her ouster) by a special court for her role in the killings of 1,400 protesters who participated in nationwide demonstrations last year.

This isn’t really about gender and race. When a Black or female Republican is running for office against a woman who is White, female and a Democrat (I give you the recent election for governor in Virginia), liberal, Black and female Democrats mostly vote for the White woman.

A New York Post letter writer said this about Ms. Harris: “We are not ready to vote for a candidate who did not win one presidential primary. We are not ready to vote for an individual who was selected for the vice presidency based on identity, not qualifications. We are not ready to vote for a candidate appointed by former President Joe Biden.”

A female presidential candidate with the policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher would likely get support from most conservative Republicans. I would be among them.

• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (Humanix Books).