Titus makes feminist appeal

LAS VEGAS - In a speech today before the Clark County Democratic Women's Club, 3rd Congressional District candidate Dina Titus used the historic candidacy of N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton to appeal to women to overcome remaining obstacles for women in politics.

"We have come a long way," said Titus. "But don't be mistaken, we have a long way to go."

Titus said that women still have to work harder and for longer hours to get equal rewards than men and that this exists for female candidates in the form of a media bias against women.

"When they talk to women candidates they tend to focus on family, fashion and fertility," said Titus. "They're not as likely to ask a woman candidate about tax policy or nuclear waste or what's happening in Iran. They're going to ask her about the Family Leave Act or ‘what do you think about social welfare spending.' Those kinds of softer issues."

Titus said she had encountered this during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign when Molly Ball of the Las Vegas Review-Journal described her at an event wearing her "usual shapeless skirt suit."

"I thought that suit looked pretty good," said Titus. "I bought it in every color. They never said a word about his tacky ties."

Referring to a new class of female state legislative candidates, Titus said that more women legislators are needed because women have different managerial and leadership styles than men.

"Men tend to be more coercive, they tend to be more involved in authoritarian decision making and imposing sanctions," said Titus. "Women tend to be more cooperative, looking for consensus, bringing everybody to the table and rewarding those who participate."

According to Titus, the candidacy of presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama has brought "Sex and the City girls" into the Democratic fold, joining "soccer moms," Norma Raes" and "Granny Goose types."

 "More and more, we're on the radar of political candidates," Titus said.