August 7, 2020 - Los Angeles Times Columnist Compares VP Selection to The Bachelor


In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, columnist Virginia Heffernan compares Biden’s selection of a presidential running mate – who he has promised will be a woman – to the ABC show The Bachelor. She writes, “It’s a little weird to watch an old man set out to choose a younger woman to take the ultimate fantasy suite, the White House.” In making this comparison, Heffernan contributes to the sexualization of the forthcoming VP nominee, as occurred with previous women vice presidential nominees Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin. She also diminishes the vice presidential selection process, and ultimately the woman chosen, by comparing it to a dating show instead of a serious vetting process based on qualifications and political capacity. In response to backlash to the column – and its headline in particular (“Its ‘The Bachelor : Campaign Trail.’ Which of Biden’s veep candidates deserves the rose?”), the Los Angeles Time editorial board responds: “Thank you to everyone who shared feedback on the original headline of this piece. We understand why it missed the mark, why it was sexist and how it misrepresented the message of the op-ed. It has been changed, and we thank you for pushing us to do so.”