James Buchanan, the USA's first and only bachelor President
Posted on 01/27/2006 9:19:20 AM PST by pissant
Last week there was a virtual coup in the realm of global women's leadership. Chile elected its first female president, Michelle Bachelet. Liberia swore in its first female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who, incidentally, is also the African continent's first female president. Meanwhile, here in the United States, Geena Davis, the United States' first female president on television, won a Golden Globe for her role as President McKenzie Allen on ABC's "Commander in Chief."
Female heads of state are not a 21st-century invention. For years, we have seen some women -- Margaret Thatcher in England, Indira Gandhi in India, Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan and Angela Merkel in Germany -- ascend through political dynasties, monarchies or the parliamentary system. These women have broken barriers and often have been inspirational leaders, but they are among an extremely small and elite group.
Only 11 of the 193 nations, including Liberia and Chile now, have a woman in the top position. The glaring omission from this list is the United States, indisputably the world's leading democracy.
The recent elections of Bachelet, Johnson-Sirleaf and Merkel serve as a wake-up call to the United States and may hold the most important lessons for us about when and why a woman may be president here soon.
These women, with no political coattails on which to ride, have broken through the ultimate glass ceiling and are deemed effective leaders by demonstrating toughness and competence without losing their appeal -- the traditional barrier to women's political leadership at the highest levels. Bachelet and Johnson-Sirleaf endured painful experiences, such as imprisonment and exile, and transformed them into a passion to unify and bring their countries to a new era of peace and prosperity.
Johnson-Sirleaf, a former World Bank economist, known as the "Iron Lady" from her years opposing the policies of Charles Taylor and two periods of imprisonment, overcame 22 candidates and conquered what many considered to be her main opponent, a male-dominated culture. In her inaugural address, she promised her country "far-reaching reforms -- constitutional reform, land reform, judicial reform, civil-service reform, devolution of power," which is no small feat for a country deeply divided after 14 years of civil war.
Bachelet, a 54-year-old physician and single mother, won 53 percent of the vote in ultra-conservative Chile. She was tortured and imprisoned by Chile's former military junta. She is the first woman to be elected president of a major Latin American country who did not come to power because of marital ties. "Who would have said, 10, 15 years ago that a woman would be elected president," she said as she laid out her agenda to address a range of social issues, including poverty, public heath, housing and education.
Merkel, born behind the Iron Curtain in communist East Germany, has been in office less than four months and already has shown her toughness and authority by saying that Germany will not be intimidated by Iran's refusal to disarm their nuclear program and calling on President Bush to close Guantanamo Bay.
According to a Roper Public Affairs poll, nearly 80 percent of Americans are ready for a female commander in chief. The poll also revealed an interesting shift in the public's perception of women in non-traditional roles. More than half thought a woman would do as well as a man in foreign policy, homeland security and the economy. This last new mark of acceptance probably owes a great deal to the visible female national security leaders of the Clinton and Bush administrations, with both Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright serving as secretaries of state.
Perhaps we stand on the brink of a turning point here at home. First lady Laura Bush has called on Rice to run, and there is a widespread expectation that Sen. Hillary Clinton will, as well. We may soon have an opportunity to see what happens when two women -- who have proved their ability and authority -- compete for the presidency. Their simultaneous candidacies would begin to normalize females in the race and would allow us to choose a leader based strictly on her ability, not gender.
Unfortunately, the closest we have come to seeing a female commander in chief is on television. Yet the possibility is far from fiction. If the elections of Bachelet, Johnson-Sirleaf and Merkel serve as real examples, the international acceptance of women leaders winning national races is clearly gaining momentum.
The question is whether the United States will continue to lag behind, watching the rest of the world define 21st-century leadership, or we will finally live up to the true spirit and meaning of democracy.
Nah, couldn't be. ;o)
Not I, but I do like her.
LOL. That's funny.
I've got your Thatcherite here. ;-o
LOL. I can't say I admire much about Graham. But I would not care if the guy is single.
It comes as no surprise that the prospect has the Seattle P-I drooling because they think the female head of the US would be HitLIARy. I don't have any objection to a female president - as long as it's Condi.
I suspect the P-I hasn't fed that equation into their calculator.
James Buchanan, the USA's first and only bachelor President
We will never elect a female president during a time of war.
She does mention Condi in the article.
I hope not.
I was one of Graham's biggest supporters...until he became a "maverick" and tossed his principles for political convenience and media spotlight
LOL
YES, there's "some hidden agenda".....Clinton is in the Northwest doing fundraising now......
I think he's in love with McCain.
Elizabeth Dole, Jeanne Kirkpatrick to name a few.
No way on Liddy. Or for that matter, her husband. ;o)
If I can't have the Iron Lady, I don't want any of these little schoolgirls.
Never in 200 hundred years, maybe never.
A margaret Thatcher, now that's a different story.
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