So these 'extremely bright women who worked very hard' were 'Usually...of average or below-average looks' because nobody (men in positions of power?) could conceive of a 'pretty' female being smart?
'Only makes sense' how? What is it about the 'far right' that should (obviously) make this the case?
Yes, Jambo, that's what I said.
And yes, take a look at the female freedom fighters of days gone by. Susan B. Anthony. Eleanor Roosevelt.
Can you think of a single one who is as pretty as Georgia's new foreign minister?
I can't.
From time immemorial, beautiful women have been under more pressure to "fall in line" with the status quo. The prettier a woman was, the more likely she was to be married off to a rich man. Pretty women really didn't have as much oppression to fight against, at least in their own minds, because they were held in higher esteem socially than ugly "spinsters" were.
This is not something I'm making up. It's a rather obvious example of the ways in which female gender norms have changed.
The reason why it makes sense for far right countries to put prettier females in positions of power is because in far right, conservative countries, many people are very threatened by a woman who is perceived to be "too much like a man": intellectually inclined, not worried about her looks, not worried about having children right away, not in the kitchen. These women are shut out of politic discourse at alarming rates in favor of more palatable "fourth wave" Sarah Palin-esque "feminists."
If you don't believe me, read Paglia's rather disgusting pantings on the subject.