The woven gender: made for a woman, but stronger for a man

Abstract

This paper will analyze the construction of gender in the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election for the two primary candidates—Ann Richards and George W. Bush. This analysis invites two conclusions: The gender identities constructed for both Ann Richards and George W. Bush entailed a combination of traditionally masculine and feminine images and themes, as well as an articulation of particularly “feminist” issues. The result was the construction of a woven gender both rhetorically useful and increasingly utilized by both sexes in mediated politics.