Fast forward to November 2008.

News lead: “Hillary Clinton accepted the presidential nomination in a televised speech tonight while wearing…”

For women in positions of power, news about their appearance usually trump news about their accomplishments. Over the course of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign over the next year or so, the media undoubtedly will scrutinize her look.

She’s unfortunately not the first woman to be overshadowed by her outfit. When Katie Couric took over as the first female anchor of the CBS Evening News earlier this year most coverage of the event included criticisms not only of her news deliverance but also of her outfit. It’s hard to imagine critiques of Dan Rather’s suits ever being seen as relevant when discussing his career.

Condoleeza Rice, another female politician, has received plenty of attention for her wardrobe during her tenure as former National Security Advisor and as current Secretary of State. The Washington Post ran an entire article on the outfit that Rice wore during a visit to the Wiesbaden Army Airfield in February 2006. Rice sported a black knee-length skirt, long black coat and leather knee-high boots. The article mentioned nothing of the context of the visit or the message Rice delivered to the troops but focused entirely on her outfit and the image it projected of “sex and power.”

When Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the house in January she also received attention for her sense of style. The New York Times ran an article applauding Pelosi’s powerful yet feminine sense of style, namedropping her preference for Armani and her departure from the boring and asexual suits popular with many females on the Hill.

Another article in the Washington Post about the Armani suit worn by Pelosi to a press conference after becoming Speaker of the House had a photo caption that read, “Pelosi in an Armani pantsuit at yesterday’s news conference: Clothes for playing with the boys without pretending to be one.”

Imagine a caption reading, “Dick Cheney, in an Armani suit, at yesterday’s news conference.” It would be both bizarre and irrelevant.

Males have received some attention for their fashion choices as well. The entire country knows that our current president tends to favor cowboy attire and he has received his fair share of flack for that fashion statement. However, I can’t imagine the nation would take seriously a female politician who favored cowboy boots and hats.

There is more pressure on women in power to reflect their power in their personal appearance and wardrobe. Women have to fight against stereotypes that label them as the “weaker sex.” To fight this they must project images of power and confidence in every aspect of their lives — including their wardrobe.

Hillary Clinton has faced intense criticism as a powerful woman in the public eye. In the time leading up to the election Clinton will no doubt have a team of advisers helping her choose her outfits. Even though it’s an unfair double standard. it’s clearly what gets attention in the press. Hopefully, as more women ascend to positions of power, the need to emphasize a woman’s clothes more than her abilities or accomplishments will fade. Let’s hope kind of gender based scrutiny is not carried so far that it overrides the political issues at stake.

One of the editor’s of the National Review caught and criticized Hillary for showing a hint of cleavage on the floor of the Senate in 2006. Can the world handle a president with boobs? Or will boobs overshadow politics?