web1_TTL041116PensGame3.jpg

Jake Guentzel hungry to build on success at Pittsburgh’s development camp

web1_AnnieMosesBand.jpg

Greater Hazleton Concert Series kicks off in September with Big Bag Voodoo Daddy

<p>Raising the issue of whether the White House has room for two powerful women, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell recently stated the obvious.</p><p>Some voters in a presidential election won&#8217;t support an all-female ticket.</p><p>Either out of gender bias or 240 years of conditioning, certain Americans apparently want a Y chromosome somewhere in the Executive Office mix. Rendell alluded to that mindset as a drawback to a potential Hillary Clinton-Elizabeth Warren pairing as the Democratic Party&#8217;s No. 1 and No. 2 in this year&#8217;s race. &#8220;Does it make a difference? I don&#8217;t think so, but some people might,&#8221; he told an MSNBC interviewer Monday.</p><p>A few commentators pounced on Rendell&#8217;s statement, and one earlier in the month by U.S. Sen Jon Tester of Montana, suggesting these Democratic men were sabotaging their party&#8217;s presidential front-runner. In a recorded interview, Tester had asked rhetorically: &#8220;Is the country ready for two women? I don&#8217;t know.&#8221;</p><p>Tester later backtracked, issuing a statement that read: &#8220;I shouldn&#8217;t have said that, and it doesn&#8217;t reflect my values. I have always believed that we need more women in leadership positions, not fewer.&#8221;</p><p>For much of the summer, at least until Clinton&#8217;s vice-presidential choice is announced, power brokers in the Democratic Party might find themselves tiptoeing around this sensitive topic.</p><p>We, on the other hand, aren&#8217;t under any political or diplomatic constraints. So we&#8217;ll just ask the question at the root of the matter: Why is it still expected that the nation&#8217;s top elected duo wear neckties and pants?</p><p>For the record, this isn&#8217;t an endorsement of any contender, merely an observation about &#8211; or maybe a rebuke of &#8211; unchanging attitudes.</p><p>Since the nation&#8217;s founding, 47 people have held the office of vice president. Make that, 47 men. From John Adams to Joe Biden, voting majorities have opened the vice-presidential door to most every Tom (Jefferson, Hendricks and Marshall), Dick (Cheney, Nixon and Johnson) and Harry (Truman).</p><p>Consequently, the nation has been guided at various times by George and Dan, Jimmy and Walter, Benjamin and Levi, and even John and John.</p><p>But never by a woman, much less two.</p><p>Are we to believe women lack the necessary communication skills? Judgment? Temperament? Leadership ability?</p><p>Or is something else at play?</p><p>Interestingly, young women vying for another coveted national title &#8211; Miss Teen USA &#8211; learned this week of a change to that contest. The pageant has dropped its swimsuit portion, meaning teens will not be judged based on how they look in bikinis, but rather in athletic wear. (A win for feminism?)</p><p>Presumably these beautiful and sporty role models will inspire young American girls to realize they, too, can do anything to which they aspire, including run for the highest office in the land &#8211; as long as they do so with a man.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_WomenOnTicket.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_WomenOnTicket.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

Our Opinion: Two women can appear atop a political party’s ticket in this day and age; can’t they?