Must be at least 35 years-old. Must be born an American citizen. Must be…postmenopausal?
This is the crazy notion put forth by Dr. Julie Holland in a recent Time Magazine article. How anyone didn’t pick up on this comedic piece of copy earlier I don’t understand.
According to Holland, women who survive “ the change” are ideal candidates for leadership. And, if Clinton were to win her bid for the White House, she’d be doing so at a time when she’d “have all the experience and self-assurance of a postmenopausal woman”.
I happen to think Dr. Holland’s logic is chronologically challenged. This country would fair much better with countries like Iran, Russia, and North Korea if we had a female President who was one hormonal surge away from a hot flash conniption.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
At 67, Hillary Clinton is now a “woman of a certain age.” So much emphasis and worry are put on physical aging in women that the emotional maturity and freedom that can come at this time are given short shrift. That robs everyone of a great natural resource. For women of a certain age, it is our time to lead. The new standard for aging women should be about vitality, strength and assertiveness.
…
The long phase of perimenopause is marked by seismic spikes and troughs of estrogen levels, which can last for more than a decade in many women. But afterward, there is a hormonal ebbing that creates a moment of great possibility. As a psychiatrist, I will tell you the most interesting thing about menopause is what happens after. A woman emerging from the transition of perimenopause blossoms.
