Gretchen's Take: Is Rubio's bootghazi a cultural shift?

Will both male and female candidates this time around be fair game for criticism about their appearance?

Much has been said about Senator Marco Rubio’s boots. The boots, also known as, “bootghazi”, were even mentioned on Jimmy Fallon, where he said his boots may be in an undisclosed location.

I do think there's more to this story than just a well-heeled man.

Female politicians have been characterized for their fashion or lack thereof. Pantsuits anyone? They are also characterized for their looks, jewelry, weight, and lip-gloss. Instead of the focus being on inner beauty, smarts, policies, or ability to lead, females in the public eye are gone over with a fine tooth comb on the exterior. So is this a cultural shift, now that we’re seeing it more for the male candidates too?

There is a lot of talk about Donald Trump’s hair and now Marco Rubio’s boots!

So are both male and female candidates fair game for criticism about their appearance? Senator Rubio, welcome to the club.