Ways Hillary Can Use Sexism To Her Advantage

We all knew this was coming, and now here it is: Hillary Clinton is officially making another run at the Democratic nomination — one she's projected to win. Which means it's time for everyone to collectively forget how to discuss anything in a non-sexist manner.

The unfortunate truth is that whether or not you agree with Hillary Clinton on the issues or think she'd make a good commander-in-chief, this campaign is sadly going to be about more than that. As we have seen time and time again, women who run for office just don't get treated the same way that men do. From being asked incessantly about their families to having their outfits get an inordinate amount of attention, the media is incredibly sexist in their coverage of female candidates.

But then, that might be why Hillary Clinton is the perfect candidate to pioneer this territory. After more than 20 years in the political spotlight, she's seen it all, from the wardrobe coverage to that bizarre TIME cover of her stepping on men. And she knows how to work it. After all, this is the woman who once said, "If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle."

So in that spirit, here are five other ways that Hillary Clinton can use the media's sexism to her advantage in her upcoming campaign.

1. Print Campaign Talking Points On Her Clothes

The press loves to talk about what women are wearing, and not just on the red carpet. But she can solve this by actually making her clothes relevant to the issues, forcing the press to actually talk about things that matter when they bring up her outfits.

2. Issue an Update About Her Diet and Exercise Plan Literally Any Time A Republican Says Anything

When it comes to women, people like to know that we're keeping "healthy" — by which they mean thin. So just like Hillary Clinton can knock stories off the front page with nothing but a trip to the hair salon, she can also mess up any of her challengers' news cycles by issuing updates on her diet and exercise regimen.

3. Include Democratic Imagery In All Photos Of Her Grandchild

Female candidates get asked about their families a lot because obviously family is way more important to women than to men. So since the press will probably be perpetually asking for photos of Hillary's new granddaughter, Charlotte, she and her daughter Chelsea can make sure that such photos are more than just distractions by filling them with campaign paraphernalia. In fact, maybe they fill them with so much campaign paraphernalia that actually they are just photos of campaign paraphernalia, leaving reporters trying to make out a child who was never in the photo to begin with.

4. Teach Her Grandchild to Say "Ready for Hillary"

Hey, if the kid is going to be a Clinton, it's best she learn how to stay on message early.

5. Have Bill Repeat Everything She Says

For some reason, people seem to take things more seriously when men say them. It's stupid, but it's true. But luckily for Hillary Clinton she has a very convenient potential male mouthpiece handy: her husband. So she can just have him repeat after her at all her press conferences to make sure that the world get the message. Plus it will solve the problem of people wanting to talk to Bill rather than Hillary, even though she's the candidate. If he's just saying everything she's already said, you might as well talk to her.

...Or we could just stop being collectively sexist. But hey, until then you play the cards you're dealt, right?

Images: Getty (5)