Meghan McCain: Harsh Treatment Discourages Female Politicians

In a column on The Daily Beast, Meghan McCain argues that the steep price women pay for being in politics is a disincentive for trying to break barriers.

"It's a dilemma that I and every woman of my generation face," McCain writes. "We want to be involved in politics -- perhaps even run for office -- but it's a steep price to pay. One day there will be a woman president, we are all told as little girls. You too can be a congresswoman or senator. But the reality of today is that to do so, you have to give up so much, in a way that is never asked of a man, and I believe running for office has become less and less appealing for women."

She notes that the names of the most prominent women in national politics, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, have become bywords in the public discourse, and wonders why any self-respecting woman would want to submit themselves to the "brutal" experience of running for national office.

"[H]aving seen female candidates attacked on the right and the left, why would any woman my age ever feel inspired to run for office? What kind of example has the media set for my generation of women? I struggle with this. I don't have ambitions to run for office -- I have already done enough campaigning for one lifetime -- but I already have a pretty good idea of what it would feel like."