Behar Discusses Possibilities With Teta
The latest episode of The View took a revealing turn this week as longtime co-host Joy Behar floated an idea that, while surprising to some, may hold a mirror up to America’s political reality: a conservative woman might break the presidential glass ceiling before a liberal one.
Speaking on the show’s behind-the-scenes podcast with co-host Sunny Hostin and executive producer Brian Teta, Behar reflected on a discussion from earlier in the week about the persistent question of whether the United States is ready for a female president.
While Hostin expressed doubt that she’d see it in her lifetime, Behar offered a contrasting take — not just on if, but who. “It’s possible that somebody like a Liz Cheney could win,” Behar said, though she acknowledged Cheney’s current rift with the GOP. “I think maybe a conservative woman would win faster than a liberal.”
Her comment sparked immediate agreement from Teta, who noted that “a lot of people think” a conservative woman could reach the Oval Office first. Hostin added a sharper lens to the observation, emphasizing that the candidate would likely need to be “a White conservative woman,” attributing the broader hesitancy to deep-rooted misogyny and racism in American culture.
This exchange highlights a long-running tension in American politics: the idea that ideological alignment can override even historic barriers. While the Democratic Party has positioned itself as the party of diversity and inclusion, its most high-profile female candidates — Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris — have faced withering scrutiny and polarizing public responses.
Alyssa Farah Griffin echoed that sentiment, suggesting that Clinton and Harris’s failures were not just about America’s readiness, but also the candidates’ own weaknesses. “They were flawed candidates,” she said, while acknowledging that sexism was still a factor.
Behar challenged that framing, pointing to countries like Mexico that have elected women presidents, declaring, “We’re the only country,” in reference to America’s conspicuous absence from the list of nations that have had a female leader.
Hostin, meanwhile, delivered one of the most sobering assessments of the segment, connecting her lived experience as an Afro-Latina to the historical forces she says still shape the political landscape.
“This is a country based on racism and slavery,” she said, stressing that systemic inequality continues to define who gets to lead.