Nevada's First Lady Implies There Will Never Be A Woman Governor

Says Governor's Spouse Must Stand At Side Of Governor Only

by Johnny Gunn

In a rare interview recently, Dema Guinn, wife of Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn, seemed to indicate that the spouse of the governor should not have any outside activity other than as first lady; in other words, a return to the 19th Century when a woman's only duty was to the kitchen, the children, the husband. This of course would preclude a woman being elected governor of Nevada since her husband, if she were married, would not be able to hold a job outside the mansion.

In her interview she also seems to give the impression that a single person would never be able to hold the office of governor since there would not be a spouse to do the frivolous little "first lady" things like host a tea or visit a town meeting.

Women today have come a long way, baby, and this kind of thinking probably wouldn't have created much controversy in 1890. Few women existed outside the kitchen or the bedroom in 1890. Senator Dina Titus would be precluded from being governor if Ms Guinn had her way, since there wouldn't be a woman available to be "first lady." I can almost picture Senator Titus in outrageous fits of laughter at the thought.

Again, using this stunted thinking, if Jim Gibbons is elected governor, his wife, former assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons would not be allowed to serve in Congress. Ms Gibbons is a strong force in today's Republican Party; she has served in the assembly, and more importantly, has been a successful small business owner. To give up that kind of potential leadership for a return to 1890s male domination of the world is not something one would expect to hear from a governor's wife.

But of course, this is Governor Kenny Guinn's wife. Governor Guinn has a more than strong dislike for the Gibbons's and will do anything to keep Jim Gibbons out of the governor's mansion. He tried to coerce Reno's mayor to run against him. He all but made the announcement for Jim Rogers to run against Gibbons. All that failed. So he did the next best thing and that was to support Secretary of State Dean Heller in his bid for the 2d Congressional District Seat.

Dawn Gibbons said that Heller's suggestion that if he wins he will move his family to Washington and not live in Nevada is not a good thing for Nevada. Oh, Oh. What will Guinn do now? Dawn Gibbons is leading in the polls for congress and Jim Gibbons is leading in the polls for governor.

"I know," says the guv, "let's get the 'first lady' to challenge the right of a governor's wife to have a role in life." Small minds often offer small suggestions, and this has to be the lamest excuse for politics that has come down the Silver Roads for years and years.

Women today hold some of the strongest positions in government, local, state, national, and in the business world, women are at the head of banks, manufacturing, transportation, and tourism companies and corporations.

For the last eight years there has been a question of whether or not Kenny Guinn really is a republican, and now the question must be broadened to ask whether or not he might be more at home in 1890 than 2005.

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