Placing gender and race at the center of the consideration of presidential campaign communications, this intriguing and timely study examines gendered representations of US Presidential candidates. Analysis of television commericials, speeches and debates reveals an eagerness among those standing to demonstrate an unquestionable normative identity that seek to overcome challenges to their masculinity, or what the author calls compensatory heterosexuality . Stretching from Eisenhower and the '50s right through to the 2016 election, and Clinton and Trump's diverse approaches to communicating their heternormativity, this is a highly readable and engaging look at the perceptions of gender and masculinity during election as well as how these discursive choices influence public policy.