Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up: Debate Edition. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:

The January Democratic Debate In 6 Charts

Likhitha Butchireddygari, Laura Bronner and Anna Wiederkehr, FiveThirtyEight

Before we dive into the debate recaps from last night, it’s important to note the strong performance of the women on the stage. Women grabbed the mic this debate, with Warren and then Klobuchar speaking the most. It’s no surprise that voters warmed up to Klobuchar, who saw a spike in favorability polls. Voters who prioritized winning in November thought Warren performed the best — perhaps a sign that her pitch for why a woman can win the presidency resonated with viewers.

You can read the full article here.

Biggest Takeaways from the January Democratic Debate

TIME Staff, TIME

Tuesday’s debate finally showcased two key issues to voters: national security and childcare. Recent tensions with Iran have pushed national security to the primary stage after its absence in recent debates. It’s a difficult issue for women candidates, but research shows women can still showcase their credentials on security despite gendered stereotypes. And previously, just 5.6% of questions in the debates were about women’s issues. Tuesday’s questions dived into the soaring costs of childcare. Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden both shared personal stories when asked about the issue, indicating its importance to all families.

You can read the full article here.

The Big Risk Warren Took on the Question of a Woman President

Alisha Haridasani Gupta, New York Times

Elizabeth Warren confronted sexism head on, saying “The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women.” The idea that women are unelectable is a sexist myth, which women candidates and research have disproved. Still, focus group participants consistently react negatively to anything from women that can even be perceived as whining or complaining. Warren kept a light tone, showed confidence, and was clearly prepared with facts. Those are all tactics for winning over voters – on and off the debate stage.

You can read the full article here.

The Word Female Presidential Candidates Have Been Hearing Over and Over

Maggie Astor, New York Times

Much of the conversation surrounding Elizabeth Warren is not about whether she should be elected, but whether she can be. Women often have to run dual campaigns: a campaign of belief to convince donors and elites they can win, in addition to the main campaign. That is the challenge Senator Warren is facing now, the constant drumbeat of doubts and questions regarding her electability.

You can read the full article here.

Warren vs. Sanders totally misses the point about sexism in politics

Monica Hesse, Washington Post

When is someone acknowledging sexism, and when is someone just being sexist? Columnist Monica Hesse say that’s actually the conversation that should have happened on the debate stage. Not two candidates trying to convince the country that it isn’t sexist, but them talking frankly about sexism and our fears surrounding it when it comes to a woman president. Note this quotable line: “The only sexism we have to fear is the fear of sexism itself.”

You can read the full article here.

 

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