The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: The Glass Ceiling, Still Intact: Women and Power in Washington
Air Date: February 18, 2023
Host: Evan Osnos
Panelists: Susan Glasser & Jane Mayer

Episode Overview

In this episode, the panel reflects on the enduring barriers for women in American politics, prompted by Senator Dianne Feinstein’s retirement announcement, Nikki Haley’s presidential bid, and ongoing discussions about Vice President Kamala Harris’s political standing. The conversation examines what has—and hasn’t—changed for women in positions of power in Washington since the “Year of the Woman” in 1992, exploring legacies, double standards, and the complex intersection of gender, age, and political opportunity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Dianne Feinstein’s Legacy and Retirement

[04:06–12:34]

• Feinstein’s Trailblazing Career:
  • Recounted her rise after the assassination of Supervisor Harvey Milk and her historic senatorial win in 1992, when just two women sat in the U.S. Senate (Susan Glasser, [05:12]).
  • Accomplishments: Authored the 1994 assault weapons ban and led a landmark investigation into the CIA torture program, showing “backbone” and persistence (Jane Mayer, [07:37]).
• Changing Attitudes on Power and Age:
  • Feinstein’s late-career struggles became a “front page story,” illustrating reluctance to relinquish power among longtime politicians (Glasser, [10:24]).
  • Age and gender intersect: Questions over her abilities raised the issue of whether women are judged more harshly than older male colleagues (Jane Mayer, [11:42]).

“She was incredibly well-prepared… She got to the bottom of that [CIA] torture program—compiled a record that shows how far America came from its ideals.”
― Jane Mayer, [07:37]

B. The Enduring “Glass Ceiling” & Numbers on Women in Power

[05:12, 32:35]

• Despite gains since 1992, progress is slow: Women are only about a quarter of Senators and Representatives; just 12 state governors are women; and only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women (Glasser, [05:12]).
• There’s still only one female vice president in U.S. history.

“If I’d conjured my 1992 self…I would have thought we would have done a lot better.”
— Susan Glasser, [05:12]

C. Gender, Age, and Double Standards in Politics

[12:57–19:35]

• Nikki Haley’s Candidacy:
  • Haley’s campaign hinges on generational change, but media figures diminish her for supposed “age”—a double standard for women (Glasser, [12:57]; Don Lemon quoted at [13:34]).
  • The suggestion that women are “in their prime” in their 20s-40s is critiqued (Katie Drummond, [13:34]); men are seen as just entering their prime in their 50s+ (Jane Mayer, [14:19]).
• Haley Struggles with Policy Identity:
  • Fumbles on abortion and Trump comparisons—“She…just couldn’t find a comfortable spot. She needed to be better prepared… and she’s not.” (Jane Mayer, [15:29]).
  • Wall Street Journal’s “withering” assessment—no clear rationale for her candidacy (Osnos, [16:01]; Glasser, [16:24]).

“A woman might be judged old in her 50s. And a man might be judged as just reaching the prime of his.”
— Jane Mayer, [14:19]

D. The Hillary Clinton "Hangover"

[18:05–22:56]

• The 2016 loss was widely expected to break the “glass ceiling”—instead, it unleashed “visceral hatred” and PTSD-like reluctance among women to pursue higher office (Osnos, [18:05]; Glasser, [19:59]; Mayer, [21:13]).
• Clinton’s loss has lasting psychological and practical effects on political ambition for women.

“I am struck by the visceral hatred [Clinton] stirred. She was treated…as if she was Satan. There were literally pictures of her morphed with Satan... the poison that it unleashed, I think, was shocking.”
— Jane Mayer, [21:13]

E. Kamala Harris’s Struggles and the Vice Presidency Trap

[23:48–30:16]

• Harris faces skepticism both within and outside the party about her capacity to be Biden’s successor, some of it gendered and racialized (Mayer, [24:38]; Glasser, [25:37]).
• Uniquely tough job—vice presidency often lacks power, and Harris was assigned “no-win” portfolios (Osnos, [28:22]).
• Many Democratic insiders and former staff doubt Harris’s readiness for the presidency, even as public attacks echo prior gender/race bias.

“[Harris] is the highest-ranking woman…[but] a growing inability to marshal a sense of inevitability around her… a double whammy being a person of color and being female.”
— Jane Mayer, [24:38]

• Biden is politically boxed in regarding the 2024 ticket due to the optics and significance of Harris’s historic status (Glasser, [25:37]).

F. Why Progress Has Been So Slow

[30:16–34:25]

• Political parties seem to default to “safe” older white male candidates, despite broad public desire for something new (Glasser, [30:16]).
• The “year of the woman” momentum from 1992 has not brought parity—discussion persists on whether failures are individual or systemic (Osnos, [34:01]; Glasser & Mayer, [32:10–32:35]).

“If you’re not idealistic when you’re young…I was there in 1992…All those women on stage. It was a moment of promise…the idea of inevitability.”
— Susan Glasser, [32:35]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Documentation and Accountability:
  “I’m just gonna quote our former colleague Sy Hirsch, who used to always say to me, kid, get the documents.”
  — Jane Mayer, [02:38]
• On Relinquishing Power:
  “Once in power, people just don’t willingly relinquish it.”
  — Susan Glasser, [10:24]
• On Vice Presidency:
  “Vice president is one of the worst jobs in Washington—bucket of warm spit and all of that.”
  — Susan Glasser, [25:37]
• On Predictability and Progress:
  “Politics is the strange unpredictability. Tell your 1992 self that Donald Trump was gonna be president…anything is possible.”
  — Susan Glasser, [34:11]

Important Timestamps

• [03:12–04:06] – Dianne Feinstein's retirement and its context
• [05:12] – Susan Glasser on the stagnation of women’s advancement in power
• [07:37] – Jane Mayer discusses Feinstein’s achievements and setbacks
• [12:34–13:34] – Media double standards about age and gender (Nikki Haley, Don Lemon)
• [15:29–16:24] – Nikki Haley’s campaign launch stumbles
• [19:59–22:28] – Psychological aftermath of Hillary Clinton’s loss
• [24:38–25:37] – Jane Mayer and Susan Glasser on Kamala Harris’s predicament
• [28:22] – How the Biden-Harris dynamic mirrors and diverges from past White House relationships
• [32:10–32:35] – Panelists reflect on their own expectations from 1992
• [34:11] – Endnote on unpredictability of American politics

Closing Thoughts

The episode concludes with a sober assessment: while women’s representation in politics has grown, the “glass ceiling” remains. A persistent set of cultural, institutional, and psychological factors still limit women’s ascent—exemplified in political discourse, party strategies, and public perception. The stories of Dianne Feinstein, Nikki Haley, Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton represent both progress and the many remaining barriers. Yet, as always, the unpredictability of American politics leaves open the possibility for change—however belated.