| There was a time when American women yearned | | | | Mondale's running mate in 1984, shows they are |
| for the opportunity to see a female candidate stand | | | | actually ambivalent about playing the gender card. |
| for election in a presidential campaign. Now, with no | | | | "What kind of personal and professional development |
| legal barriers to speak of, even women seem | | | | is this now calling for in women?" asks Thomsen. |
| ambivalent about putting an experienced one in the | | | | If it's anything like the Equal Rights Amendment, |
| White House. "Women once advocated it was time | | | | which has been awaiting ratification by Congress |
| for them to stand for elections and in turn have a | | | | since 1923, the real worry centers around the use of |
| voice in legislative issues that affect their lives, but | | | | power. This same argument might apply to the 1981 |
| do they have the qualities and skills needed to do | | | | Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of |
| that?" asks Natasha Thomsen, author of Global | | | | Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which also |
| Issues: Women's Rights (Facts on File, 2007). | | | | awaits U.S. ratification. In short, the American |
| Admittedly, three major superpowers-France, the | | | | Government-presumably composed of men and |
| United Kingdom, and the United States-are all holding | | | | women-are concerned about the use and abuse of |
| presidential elections in 2007 and 2008 without | | | | powerful words, more than the issues that gave rise |
| incumbent candidates, a scenario that would challenge | | | | to these political instruments in the first place. |
| any candidate, male or female. Many even say our | | | | So is this country ready for a female president? |
| country is behind the times all ready, but when the | | | | Probably as much as Germany was ready for Ms. |
| Group of Eight summit met in June 2007, hostess | | | | Merkel, England for Margaret Thatcher, or India for |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel was pretty much | | | | Prime Minister Indira Ghandi or the more recent |
| on her own. Ségolène Royal had just been | | | | Pratibha Patil, its first woman president. The question |
| tested in the French elections and lost to her | | | | is if there a woman candidate who has the qualities, |
| opponent Nicolas Sarkozy. This begs the questions: | | | | energy, and leadership skills that Americans-men and |
| what will it take to put a female president in the | | | | women-will appreciate and that can guide this country |
| White House and do American voters really want | | | | through the shark-infested waters of terrorism, war, |
| one there? | | | | and environmental casualties. |
| Women don't seem so concerned now about gender | | | | Future articles at Thomsen's web site ( and blog ( will |
| but about the kind of person they might empower. | | | | focus on what qualities voters are seeking in a |
| Many women openly professed their disdain for | | | | president of the United States and how this might |
| Royal's uppity manner and Hillary Clinton's popularity is | | | | impact gender choice. (What exactly is the role of |
| out-weighed by her calculating manner and husband's | | | | the role models of the 21st century? What do |
| razzle-dazzle (despite public disapproval of his adultery | | | | women have to do to not let politics put them into a |
| record). Nancy Pelosi is often characterized as being | | | | power-steering mode?) How dress and age might |
| on a power trip. | | | | also impact pubic opinion will also be discussed. Other |
| Women today seem pretty bent on empowering a | | | | articles will address women's consciousness and how |
| candidate who stands for what they believe in, or | | | | this is impacting their awareness about women's |
| not vote at all. The fact that previous generations of | | | | status in society-physically, professionally, personally, |
| women didn't throw their weight behind a candidate | | | | and spiritually. |
| such as Geraldine Ferraro, when she ran as Walter | | | | |