ABSTRACT
Tzipi Livni was elected in September 2008 in the Kadima primaries to lead the ruling party. The leadership test was largely phrased in terms that were gender-blind. Textual analysis displayed that there was a discussion about the qualities required for a good and worthy leader to be Prime Minister. Among these central criteria were: strength—"Barak is a long-time strongman, Tzipi is a new strong woman, Bibi is the strongest in the world." The interest in Livni's hair and attire illustrated the power of these stereotypical images with regard to the candidacy of a woman politician for the post of Prime Minister, and established her as "first and foremost a woman." Barak's demeaning remarks about Tzipi Livni and the Likud's negative campaign "It's too big for her" attest to the fact that the political opponents and the campaign managers made assumptions elections with the backdrop of the economic crisis and the war.
