The United States is not ready for a female president.

Until 2008, the presidency was reserved for white male Christians, almost always of upper class birth.

When President Barack Obama broke the trend, people heralded it as a sign times were changing.

Recent comments from politicians and television show hosts depict an America that is not ready to break from the status quo.

“I think there was a cachet about having an African-American president because of guilt,” U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann said in an interview with syndicated columnist Cal Thomas. “People don’t hold guilt for a woman.”

Fox News host Bill O’Reilly expressed this same sentiment on his show last week.

O’Reilly invited two female guests to discuss the potential downsides of having a female president.

The segment was not a debate. O’Reilly was looking to justify a belief held by him and many of his viewers.

If the United States elects a female president, the accomplishment will be overshadowed by controversy.

Americans have already shown they can get angry over a commercial that features languages other than English or a Miss America who is not white.

Just imagine how angry these people would be if the status quo is disrupted by a female president.

The controversy will be so extreme, the president will not be able to get anything done.

During election season a female candidate will have to face far more scrutiny than a male candidate.

When Michele Bachmann ran for president in 2012, The Huffington Post ran a whole article about how much makeup she put on before a debate and even included a slideshow.

No male presidential candidate received this type of superficial coverage.

When Bachmann appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s late night show, the band played the intro to a song called “Lyin’ Ass Bitch.”

The band is known for playing borderline inappropriate songs to introduce guests. When the band introduced a anti-immigration news anchor they played “Illegal Alien.”

The difference is when the band introduced Bachmann it specifically targeted her gender.

Hillary Clinton does not fare better when her opponents target her.

One attack book, “The Truth About Hillary” by Edward Klein, focused on Clinton’s frigidity, leading the author to speculate whether Clinton ever had any interest in sex with a man, according to the Guardian.

The same book also stated that Clinton walked like a lesbian, talked like a lesbian and looked like a lesbian.

These attacks and insinuations are ridiculous. People should pay attention to the candidates’ policies instead of wondering how much make up they wear or if they look like a lesbian.

They show us we are not ready for a female president. No matter how qualified the candidate is, voters will focus on superficial factors that have no impact on the candidate’s ability.