Former TV news anchor Larry Mendte is not happy with media coverage of his wife, Dawn Stensland, and her possible run for office. And he's not letting the sexist remarks run amok anymore.
His blog on the topic almost sounds like a political ad.
Mendte, a former CBS3 anchor who was fired and convicted for cyber-spying on a co-anchor -- who was not his wife, published his blog entry on "Sexism Alive and Well in National and Local Politics" on The Mendte Report and Facebook Friday.
Citing two Washington Post articles by Anne Kornblut and Kathleen Parker on women running for office, he segues into his wife's potential run for office and how "just with the hint of her running, Dawn has been made aware of the hurdles she would have to jump as an attractive woman candidate."
That's when he slams Rutgers law professor Michael Livingston for writing this:
Dawn Stensland—Let me get this straight. She can’t keep her husband interested, and she wants to take on Pat Meehan in the 7th? Last year’s candidate (Craig Williams) didn’t win, but he always showed up with the same woman.
According to Mendte, "women candidates should not change the way they are to appease a sexist electorate and media."
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Instead, the electorate needs to change to respect female candidates and the media should lead the charge by treating both men and women candidates equally.
The blog entry wraps up with a few stats on how few women leaders there are in politics nationally and how "this country needs qualified women to run for office."
Like Dawn, perhaps?
I can tell you this. Dawn will never be intimidated from running by anyone. And I believe any group or organization Dawn joins, she will automatically make it better.
