British stateswoman and politician

[GoodTaste]

At the first glance, the phrase "stateswoman and politician" appears to be redundant because "stateswoman" means "a politician (with rich experience)."

What do you feel about the phrase? Isn't "stateswoman" alone sufficient?

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The Iron Lady is a 2011 British-French biographical drama film based on the life and career of Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013), a British stateswoman and politician who was the first ever female and longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th century.

Source: [h=2]The Iron Lady (film) - Wikipedia[/h]

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

That's an interesting question. You're right that they mean almost the same thing. And as you say, a statesperson has a good deal of experience, respect, and visibility.

Politician implies something else, though: that she operates effectively in the more mundane, less visible parts of the political world. She knows how to move things through pParliament. She knows how to bargain, negotiate, and trade favors. (In the US it's called horse-trading).

So the line would be fine without politician, but the word does describe another facet of her abilities.

 

[emsr2d2]

The difference between a statesman (or stateswoman, of course) and a politician

 

[GoesStation]

Statespeople may or may not be politicians. Diplomats are often career civil servants who can't be described as politicians but could be states(wo)men. I like Merriam-Webster's definitions:

1: one versed in the principles or art of government especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government or in shaping its policies

2: a wise, skillful, and respected political leader

 

[Tdol]

Margaret Thatcher didn't much like the word stateswoman. She preferred to talk of statecraft, which she used in the title of a book she wrote.