(U-WIRE) GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As we approach the outset of the next wave of political campaigns, it looks as if some of the most serious contenders in the national spotlight will be women.

Prominent females loom as possible office-holders for both Democrats and Republicans, and the message from all camps transcends the usual political division: Offer a woman for a high-ranking position, and we will vote for her.

With our congressional system in dire need of simple common sense, our political climate has become one that offers a prime opportunity to candidates who traditionally play the underdog role, and two women in particular have stepped up to capitalize on this potential.

Unfortunately, the public is overlooking the fact that none of the potential female candidates have done more than raise an eyebrow at the possibility of their candidacies, and the only issues we hear about are the hype-driven ones created by think tanks and supporters.

At the head of the pack for the GOP is Elizabeth Dole, who is almost guaranteed to run for president in 2000. Carrying the torch for the Democrats is Hillary Rodham Clinton.

As the hype builds around these developments, we risk entering a situation where the tail wags the dog. At the core of the fallibility of these campaigns is one oft-overlooked truth: much of what has been said by either prospective candidate is nothing more than a trial balloon – a statement “floated” through the press to gauge the public’s reaction.

Surveys at the end of the 1960s showed slightly more than half the people polled were willing to vote for a female presidential candidate. By the time 1988 rolled around, that figure had jumped to 85 percent.

Neither Dole nor Clinton has any formidable political experience, and a high level of voter dissatisfaction could leave the next election open to a backlash of reactionary voting.

Whatever the situation, we cannot be swept up in the hype surrounding these women. Neither has demonstrated they are ready to assume the respective positions for which they might vie. As a public, we are ready to embrace a female candidate, but we must not do so for superficial reasons.

-Staff editorial of the University of Florida’s Independent Florida Alligator.