Since its all Weiner all the time, let’s get to the real issue everyone’s avoiding. When will woman get their day in the spotlight?

A recent study by Dr. Helen Fisher, an Anthropologist at Rutgers University, has some encouraging news. Dr. Fisher’s survey showed that married women under 40 are as likely to commit adultery as men. So there is hope. But in order for a woman politician to have a sex scandal, we’re going to need more of them in office; however those numbers are not encouraging.

The New York Times reports that out of 100 big city Mayors only 8 are women. There are only six female Governors and of the 535 members of the House of Representatives women make up a total of 16%. Considering more women than men usually turn out to vote, at first the numbers don’t add up.  

It boils down to how our Republic functions. Yes America is not a democracy, it’s a republic, and for a republic to function people have to run for office which women seem hesitant to do.

Why women decline to run for office can be the personal scrutiny that men seem to escape. In each election cycle candidates for office face more personal questions, and when does it ever look good when your personal life is in print. At the pace things are going, we are a year or two away from asking female candidates for office if they’ve ever had an abortion. Will being pro choice involve the choice to decline to answer?

The impact will be predictable. Abortion rights activist will condemn the candidates for dodging the issue, right to lifers will take a “no comment” as a yes, and the end result is that even less women will run for office. And that’s not a good thing. Not for the voters or the republic.

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John O’Hara is an attorney.  He lives in Brooklyn.