Women and Politics

This post was submitted by Jamie Bence, one of WCF’s Summer 2009 Fellows.

I have been wanting to write a blog post about Michelle Obama for a very, very long time. Sure, we all know her as the First Lady, but she also has a resume that (until recently), many say out shined her husband’s. I could hardly wait to write about her.

But when I sat down to begin my research, I realized that I was learning a lot about Michelle Obama’s toned arms, her dresses and her hair styles, but not very much about her policy initiatives. I was distraught. Was this remarkably gifted and accomplished woman taking a back seat in the White House?

As it turns out, she isn’t. Not at all. Although the media may be more interested in Mrs. Obama’s designer running shoes than her commitment to alleviating poverty in the DC area, she has actually committed to tackling a lofty and challenging array of issues since taking residence on Pennsylvania Avenue.

To be sure, Michelle Obama has enough experience from her pre-Washington work to spearhead just about any initiative she sees fit. In brief, she was raised on a tough neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, but quickly headed east, attending Princeton University and then Harvard Law School.

Mrs. Obama returned to Chicago to work for one of the oldest law firms in the world, but quickly turned to more political pursuits, working for Mayor Daley and eventually administering the University of Chicago Medical Center, and served as an associate Dean in the University. Oh, and she is also mother to Malia and Sasha, and campaigned tirelessly for her husband, culminating in the keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

But that’s all in the past, and Michelle Obama is all about moving forward.  Today, the First Lady is focusing on a few important issues where she can have maximum impact.  The First Lady was vocal in explaining how the recent stimulus bill would impact urban laborers and government workers.  Her nationwide volunteer initiative, launched in May, brings her past success to the White House (she oversaw a 500% increase in volunteers while at the University of Chicago Medical Center).

Since being hired in March, the First Lady’s Chief of Staff, Susan Sherr, has set the East Wing ablaze with new ideas and a more vocal approach to policy. Sherr, along with the First Lady and Desiree Rogers, have aimed for a “seamless” relationship with the West Wing.  Mrs. Obama has utilized her close ties with Valerie Jarrett to ensure that her husband’s message is in line with her own.  Mrs. Obama has also made an effort to popularize organic gardening, which she says is a viable alternative for healthy food without paying exorbiant prices.

Most recently, the First Lady has entered the health care debate, weighing in on the difficult choices facing lawmakers.  She has taken a refreshing approach, candidly admitting that no option will be easy or without its shortcomings, but expressing the imperative of fixing our current system nonetheless.  I hope to hear more from Michelle Obama in the months and years to come- as her varied life experiences, extensive career accomplishments, and unique position of power inform her perspective on politics.

It seems the buzz around women in leadership roles is increasing lately. And one glass ceiling-breaking lady who has been leading the pack for years is Dee Dee Myers - the first female White House press secretary. She proclaims the need for more women in power in her book, Why Women Should Rule the World. She tells Detroit Free Press:

“It’s not about empowering one woman because it makes everybody feel good and it’s politically correct. It’s about making changes that will benefit their families, their communities and the world.”

She discussed how Michelle Obama has effectively built a positive image around her and their family, and hopes that will set the groundwork for her to dig into the issues she cares about. Myers is also optimistic about the picture of women’s power across the board:

“I do think if you look around, it’s increasingly unremarkable that there are women (in certain jobs). I was the first woman as White House press secretary. And then Dana Perino was the second. I think the next time we have one, it will hardly be an issue that she’s a woman.”

Myers also champions the confirmation of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for HHS Secretary. Not only is Sebelius qualified, but, as Myers says, she’s also a girl - which effects how she makes decisions. Myers thinks all women have something special to bring to the table:

“Women tend to be better communicators, better listeners, better at forming consensus,” Myers argues. In a highly competitive and increasingly fractious world, women possess the kind of critical problem-solving skills that are urgently needed to break down barriers, build understanding, and create the best conditions for peace.”

Walking from Invesco Field, I see Tony waiting among her friends to be picked up to return to her hotel. She was still carrying the signs and that special ticket draped around her neck. She was still excited about the night. Here is what Tony had to say:

Sometimes I’m surprised at the thoughts that spring into my head when I’m not expecting them, especially the political ones.

Last weekend brought some much needed R&R from parenting as one of my stepdaughters took over the reigns, bringing down my mental anxiety a notch on a variety of fronts.

As I was pondering why there is still so much coverage of the so-called reluctance of “older” Hillary Clinton supporters to become enthusiastic about Barack Obama, I had one of those light-bulb, Oprah AHA! moments.

When some women look at what Obama has achieved, they see the younger, sometimes not-quite-as-qualified, man in their office who was promoted before them.

The one who got a raise that they should have gotten. The one who got the corner office with the window while they still sat in the cubicle.

They remember how that felt and how, if they wanted to keep their jobs and benefits, they couldn’t really raise a stink about it, even though it was unfair.

They remember what happened to them when they did raise it and were shot down.

There are plenty of us who have been in that work situation. I have.

As a young news reporter just starting out in television in the 1980s, I was told up front that I would not be getting paid as much as some of the guys. There are always plenty of “reasons” — they’re married and have kids to support, you’re married and have a husband who’s contributing, you’re married and have another income and the single guys don’t.

And that was always just the start. I saw men who were younger and less qualified get promoted over me at a large government agency because they knew what I liked to call the “secret handshake” — that intangible ‘guy’ thing that often seems to help push them up the ladder a bit ahead of their female counterparts, even when we were working harder and longer hours (and weren’t working on separate business ventures on government time).

While this is clearly not the perfect analogy for comparing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and how their supporters feel, I suspect that there is a subliminal lingering sense of resentment of that all-too-common workplace phenomenon that has something to do with the reported numbers of Hillary supporters who claim they will not vote for Obama.

My experiences of not always being treated fairly or equally in the workplace are not going to prevent me from voting for Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. But I have to wonder whether the persistent sense of experienced women coming up short in the workplace and having to take the helper’s role to the younger man in the office is something that will unconsciously tip more than a few mid-life women into the John McCain or ‘other’ column.

For better or worse, the sum of our life experiences color and inform our election decisions and judgments. If Barack Obama wants to start wooing back some of the women who claim they are leaning toward McCain, he needs to find some empathy about their life experiences. It won’t be enough to send Michelle out to the speaker’s platform to do that.

(Cross-posted from PunditMom. )