Athletic life of the woman who would be president

Former Congresswoman and nearly presidential candidate Pat Schroeder said on All Things Considered today that she couldn't figure out the strength part of the image for a woman presidential contender (ssh - granted running off the stage crying is not it - nevermind). Image is so important, she said, and how a woman can acceptably convey strength through athleticism in this role is unchartered territory. It's an interesting question for Americans. Male presidents run, flyfish, hunt and clear brush in the public eye to ridiculous extremes, and these are all given the nod. Schroeder said it's difficult for a female to pull these things off without looking silly.

On the surface, this sounds like a perspective I'd dismiss, but this isn't about "real life." Instead, this is a finite problem within a definite, arbitrary structure - a marketing problem within the American presidential candidacy business - and therefore I consider this a solid quandry. A fun one when you're nowhere near it. So let's consider:

What might be acceptable and even beyond that, what could successfully convey strength, power and authority?

I'm throwing running out. In fact, all strictly aerobic activities. Nobody cares about a female doing these. Not only do they not convey strength for our presidential contender, they indicate weakness, because she's surely insecure about her appearance (weight) and prioritizing her vanity over other things.

Weightlifting? Hmm. Maybe, if there's a subdiscipline in there that isn't too peculiar; obviously, bodybuilding is out, because it involves a conspicuous subculture with enough peculiarities to make her look at best inscrutable and at worst terribly odd. General lifting/exercise won't do much; Condi Rice works out each morning, but without a specific discipline, it's too weak an identity to do anything for her generally. Olympic lifting - not so much, because people will think she's in the Olympics and leave it at that. Powerlifting might be a possibility; although it has its subculture, it isn't too visibly offbeat. Mostly it stays in the gym; that is, compared to say, bodybuilding, there's no set costume for a powerlifter on the street, and in the gym, the garb generally isn't skimpy. So she could pass. The exercises she does are generally respected across the board, by lifters and those who would recognize the lifts from vague imprints in their subconscious (TV, high school, etc.). And most of all, the word "power" would work for PR, naming the actual concept they're trying to create. But she can't compete now or recently, and of course she's not big or overly mannish, which are rules of thumb for her in any situation.

Combat sports. Probably not presently, and probably not ever professionally, but if she has some degree of closeted accomplishment which could be leaked, that could work. There's a mystique that goes with the ex-boxer, ex-kickboxer, ex-anything for that matter, that generally isn't blocked by gender barriers. So let's have either private boxing training (like the old president of L.L. Bean, was it? something like that) at 4:30 every morning, and/or give her some amateur championship, like a great record in ground-breaking co-ed high school wrestling. While the pop-Asian combat fitness pursuits like Taekwondo would be more easily accepted, they would also be more easily dismissed (see aerobics). Karate might just be on the line, but I think the accepted/dismissed split would be along the lines of audience gender. Risk would outweigh potential benefit.

Ball sports? Can't do softball, she'll be labelled a dike for sure, and while America is willing to talk about the possibility of a female presidential candidate now, it's sure not ready for talk about a gay one. Most ball sports are either going to be seen as too much a men's world or simply as recreation, and we need to convey serious stuff here. Besides, unless she's a celebrity, in which case she'd never be a contender, it's very difficult to prove herself outstanding in ball/team sports. Soccer wouldn't convey what we need in this country, though she might be a hit with the European press. Hockey? Nah. I think it has to be individual or individual in the form of combat.

Skateboarding? No way.

Roller derby? That'd be awesome, but couldn't win any election.

Climbing? Now THAT's a great possibility. Keep that one on the table.

Marathoner or triathelete? She can't do it anymore or even recently, but if she had a few of these under her belt, that'd fare well.

Skiing? Curling? Tobaggoning? In order: too recreational (but would be good for vacations); too strange to register; too Olympic.

Yoga/tai chi/Pilates? Forget it. She doesn't have time for these trivial things now. Those are for the stay-at-home moms. And generally, nothing trendy, and nothing with a special "group fitness class" uniform, especially snug or revealing.

Nothing typically thought of as feminine - volleyball, gymnastics, ice skating.

Hunting of any kind (this includes fishing)? Going to be seen as a stunt and the opposition will tear it apart.

The Iditarod? That's be awesome, too. It might work if it was maybe ten years back in her past.

Rowing? No one would care but rowers.

Rodeo sports? No. Demolition derby? Huh-uh.

So, the shakedown from my initial brainstorming leaves these finalists for the female who needs to look strong through being physical in order to run for president right now:

• in public - 1st choice climbing; 2nd powerlifting
• in private - boxing or a combat sport that crosses for fitness pursuit today
• in her past - lots more leeway. Marathons, triatholons, amateur combat sports

Hey, I'm not making the rules or the public opinion. I'm just a pragmatist with a sense of humor.

You know what would be really cool? If she had once worked as a welder or coalminer. Those always poll well. In fact, it'll be much easier for her to stage the strength role in her past work life than her past or present athletic life. Thank WWII for that, and Rosie.

Rosie the Riveter painting by Norman Rockwell