Why Play the #WomanCard When the #ManCard Is So Much Better?

This week, Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for president of the United States, suggested that the only reason people are voting for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for president, is because she's a woman.

"She is a woman, she is playing the woman card left and right," Trump said on CNN. "Frankly, if she didn’t, she would do very poorly."

Hold on a minute. If Hillary wanted to use a gender card to get ahead, she certainly wouldn't use a woman card. No, if she's as scheming and ruthless as her detractors make her out to be, she would have figured out a way to get her hands on a man card long ago. Just think of what a gal could do with one of those up her sleeve.

Let's break it down.

Playing the #ManCard means you can imply that a respected journalist is a "bimbo" because you are mad at her for doing her job, and legions of your supporters will hurl gendered insults at her for you. You will not apologize. In fact, you will claim you can do more for those carrying a #WomanCard than a woman herself could.

Playing the #ManCard means you can call a woman who has been a lawyer, a senator, and the secretary of state of the United States unqualified for a position that you, a senator with less experience, are also running for, without compunction.

More generally, playing the #ManCard means you don't have to worry about a lot of the things facing #WomanCard holders on their climb up the career ladder. You definitely earned that promotion. You didn’t sleep with the boss. You didn't get the job just because you're attractive. And your dad had nothing to do with it.

Play the #ManCard and you'll have, on average, $500,000 more in salary alone at the end of your career than a #WomanCard player who did the exact same work as you. What's more, play your #ManCard and you'll get an additional pay bump when you have kids, while your wife will see her wages decline 4% for each child.

Playing the #ManCard means you can talk more in meetings and still believe that a woman took up too much of the discussion time.

Speaking of time, playing the #ManCard gives you 80 extra minutes a day to spend as you wish while someone with a #WomanCard is taking care of children and doing household chores.

Play the #ManCard and never have anyone question whether you can "do it all." Or if you can be funny. Or if you can write serious literature. Or if your gender precludes you from achieving just about anything, including the presidency.

Better yet, lay down that #ManCard and no one will say that your gender is the only reason that people are voting for you—even though #ManCard holders have won every presidential contest for the past 240 years.

So, if anything, Donald Trump should thank Hillary Clinton for playing the #WomanCard. History tells us that’s a losing hand.