(CNN) -- Yes, it has already begun: The comparisons between Rep. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin--one declared as a presidential candidate at this point, the other in a prolonged state of suspension. Their hair. Their jackets. The fashion face-off .
Of course, Palin doesn't even have to be running for president for this sloppy sexism to get under way. But should she decide to run, make no mistake, we are headed for some long, hot months of "Which woman gets it more wrong?"
Just as the 2008 Democratic primaries offered us a chance to examine the way the media and others in the popular culture frame a race between a woman and an African-American, the Republican primary season is giving us an unprecedented opportunity to watch what happens when two attractive women with brown hair are sharing the spotlight during a campaign.