When reporters talk about the candidate's clothing or hairdo or size, they are focusing on their appearance, which dilutes the candidate's message. You don't hear any of them talking about the cut and color of a suit a man is wearing, or his height, or if he is wearing a hairpiece, do you?
The best way for a female candidate to combat this is to make an effort to get to personally know the political writers that will be covering her candidacy. Pay particular attention to their writing styles, their biases and their pet concerns and issues.
Become familiar with the various public affairs programs, the talk show hosts, the radio station formats. This will give you a good list of people to call when you want to bring an issue to the public.
Be sure you read about media operations and develop an understanding of the basics. This understanding can prevent a disaster.
One of the most important things to remember, however, is to never, never, never expect a reporter to be a confidant or even a friend . . .
The bottom line for them is a big story. They have to be very competitive. It is not beyond them to turn on you for that story.
One thing to remember is that condescending and inane questions take the focus off your campaign. So my best advice is to be prepared for them by having a strategy — a well-defined plan of what you will say in these cases.
Here is one that is asked of female candidates a lot: "Has your husband given you permission to run?" It makes you cringe, doesn't it? Well, that is some of the mentality out there. One way you could respond would be, "My husband supports me now, just as he has the entire 13 years we have been married." They may also ask this one: "Who is at home taking care of your husband and children?" If you were a female candidate for public office, how would you respond to that one?
