Independent Women's Forum - Research Areas > Elections (In General) http://www.iwf.org/topics info@iwf.org http://www.pjdoland.com/chai/?v=0.1 A Great Idea That Will Never Happen... http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/20759.html <p>Indiana Ninth District Republican Party Chairman Larry Shickles has proposed a great idea, one that should be applied universally!&nbsp; In an upcoming debate among three Congressional candidates, a Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian, Shickles thinks the candidates should agree to debate while hooked up to polygraphs.&nbsp; After this week's boring Presidential debate, the idea of&nbsp;having candidates debate this way could be VERY interesting!&nbsp; <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5joHtxv3BnoM919g4otwIkVi9msLQD93MIGGO0">Click here</a> for the full article.</p> 20759@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:01:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Amy Watson) Janet Parshall's America: Is Sarah Palin a feminist? http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20724.html <p>IWF Vice President for Policy and Economics Carrie Lukas joined <em>Janet Parshall's America</em> for a discussion on feminism and politics.</p> 20724@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:03:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Carrie L. Lukas) Point of View with Carmen Pate: Feminism and Governor Palin http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20712.html <p>IWF's Allison Kasic joined <em>Point of View with Carmen Pate</em> to discuss feminism and Governor Palin.</p> 20712@http://www.iwf.org Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:51:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) Attention DC Residents: Films to Check Out http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/20699.html <p>The 2008 American Film Renaissance film festival is hitting the nation's capital on Oct. 1st.&nbsp; The event will include four fun days of liberty-loving feature films, documentaries, and shorts.&nbsp; Highlights of the festival are sure to include:<br />&nbsp;<br />-The world premiere of <em><a href="http://www.doasisaymovie.com/">Do As I Say</a></em> on Oct. 2nd<br />&nbsp;<br />-The world premiere of <em><a href="http://www.thempi.org/cgi-local/film.cgi?f=25">U.N. Me</a></em> on Oct. 4th<br />&nbsp;<br />More information and tickets available <a href="http://www.afrfilm.org/ticket.cfm">here.</a>&nbsp; If you're in the area, I recommend checking the festival out.&nbsp; Last year I went to a few films at the festival, including <em><a href="http://www.calloftheentrepreneur.com/">The Call of the Entrepreneur</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.indoctrinate-u.com/intro/">Indoctrinate U</a></em>, both of which were fabulous.</p> 20699@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:47:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) When Pigs Fly http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/20673.html <p>Sen. Obama is calling the request for an apology over the putative sexism of his "lipstick on a pig" comment a "made up controversy by the John McCain campaign".&nbsp; Both sides have it only partially right, and mostly wrong.</p> <p>To recap the bidding: Obama, when talking about Sen. McCain's economic plan, said "You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig."&nbsp; Media reports said his audience, however he may have intended it, responded with vigorous applause and rising to their feet, as they seem to have heard that as a reference to Gov. Palin, who described the difference between herself, as a hockey mom, and a pit bull, as "lipstick".</p> <p>The GOP and McCain camps called it disgraceful and demanded an apology; their surrogates went further, and called it sexism.&nbsp; Sen. Obama, in turn, said that he was referring to McCain's policies, not Palin, and refused to apologize.</p> <p>But the remark was neither entirely innocent and appropriate, nor was it sexist.</p> <p>Let us stipulate that using the phrase even two weeks ago, as so many have so often done, it would have been just the same colloquialism it has always been.&nbsp; But since Gov. Palin's speech, you have to have been stuck in a cave to not know the word "lipstick" now has taken on a whole new code, a reference for the now-famous hockey mom who wears it.</p> <p>In the new context, saying "lipstick on a pig" meant to many listeners that Gov. Palin isn't just a&nbsp; hockey mom that was wearing lipstick, but a pig.&nbsp; That's not about sexism, or an attack on women generally; that's about basic civility, and what certainly came across to many as a base insult specifically directed at her.</p> <p>Sen. Obama may well not have meant it as it was heard - certainly it's a common enough phrase used often in the past.&nbsp; But seeing his audience's reaction should have been a clue that it now has a whole new meaning.&nbsp; To pretend that it couldn't possibly be taken as it was heard is akin to a southerner using the term "boy" in that certain, contemptuous way and then saying he just meant "boy" and how could you possibly think otherwise?&nbsp; There are words that become freighted with meaning, and the polite and civil thing to drop them or be contextually sensitive in their use.&nbsp; And if you do inadvertently say something that could be reasonably construed as offensive, you say that that's not what you meant, apologize if offense was taken, and not use that construction again.</p> <p>Unfortunately Sen. Obama has refused to do, one fears precisely because he wants to exploit the phrase in the future, with all the in-your-face double-entendre he can now hide behind while animating those who despise Gov. Palin and all she represents.&nbsp; More fool he if he does, for it will only redound to Gov. Palin's sympathetic support, but only time will tell.</p> <p><em>Heather Higgins chairs the board of the Independent Women's Forum.</em></p> 20673@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:37:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Heather R. Higgins) The Q Word from Charlie Gibson to Sarah Palin: Are You Qualified? http://www.iwf.org/news/show/20672.html <p>There it was.&nbsp; Boom! &nbsp;First question out of the box from Charlie Gibson to Gov. Sarah Palin, using the "Q" word.&nbsp; THE word that every actual or aspiring professional woman constantly asks herself...am I qualified?</p> <p>Over my nearly forty year career, I have addressed this topic in countless speeches, panels, roundtables, seminars, presentations, and one-on-one counseling sessions with women of every age. Like all women, Sarah Palin knows this attitude exists and she took it in stride and nailed her response.&nbsp;</p> <p>Women always want to know whether they should go to law school or business school, even though they already have advanced degrees.&nbsp; Too often, they aren't sure they are "qualified" to apply for or accept the position or run for the office, even though they may be head and shoulders more capable than any other candidate for the same job or position.</p> <p>It is not that we don't <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">want </em>to assure qualified people are the ones who get the jobs. It is only offensive for Charlie Gibson to ask that question of Sarah Palin because neither he nor his colleagues of the &lsquo;mainstream media' talking heads have <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">ever</em> posed that question to Barack Obama.&nbsp;</p> <p>While the liberal media demanded to know how on earth Sen. John McCain would select someone of Sarah Palin's &lsquo;qualifications' for the job that is &lsquo;one heartbeat away from the presidency', they never bothered to ask the same question of the person whose heart would actually be beating in the Oval Office on January 21, 2009.</p> <p>This is the very definition of sexism, according to the feminist mantra.&nbsp;</p> <p>Women always think that if they have &lsquo;one more piece of paper, or one more degree, or a few more years of this or that experience, then they will finally be &lsquo;qualified' for whatever next thing they are seeking.&nbsp; My advice has always been to forget the additional piece of paper or the few more years of whatever it is they think they need to meet some undefined and elusive definition of &lsquo;qualified'.&nbsp; Instead, I've said to look at their male competition and ask this question:&nbsp; Can I do a better job than <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">he </em>can?&nbsp; And if the answer is &lsquo;yes', then forget the paper and the extra titles and go for it.</p> <p>Anyone who has ever taught a Sunday School or pre-school or elementary school class is familiar with this scenario:&nbsp; as you are asking the question, "Boys and girls, can anyone tell me..." and before the question is finished, half a dozen little boy hands shoot into the air with no girls' hands, since they are waiting for the actual question.&nbsp;&nbsp; And how many times has it happened that when you call on one of those hurried little boys whose hand shot up, he looks puzzled and says, "Oh, I don't know..."&nbsp; Even girls who know the answers haven't raised their hands at all.&nbsp; It is an inherent male trait to <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">assume </em>he knows.</p> <p>I learned in my second term as a state legislator in 1979 that freshmen male legislators were not deferential to me, but were<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </em>deferential to my male colleagues elected the same day I was.&nbsp; And I realized that men grant to themselves and each other<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </em>a certain &lsquo;credibility' that women have to earn.&nbsp;</p> <p>Every new job, every new opportunity, every new challenge requires proof of a woman's credentials and merit. I decided decades ago not to be angry about this fact, but rather to tell myself and other women to accept the reality of this &lsquo;credibility' gap and to use it as a reason to try harder, work harder, and do more to prove ourselves worthy of our position.</p> <p>After eight years of liberal hysteria accusing Vice President Dick Cheney of running America's foreign policy from his second chair position, one would think the left-wingers would be cheered by a Republican ticket where a President McCain's VP isn't likely to be fodder for those same accusations.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>And it is more than a bit ironic that the Democrats have now nominated a ticket in which Senator Barack Obama's dearth of experience and qualifications, particularly in foreign affairs and national security, are bolstered by his choice for Cheney's successor, Sen. Joe Biden.&nbsp;</p> <p>Many of the questions posed by the liberal media to and about Sarah Palin are illegal in the American workplace to be asked of prospective female job candidates and would get a person asking these questions fired on the spot.&nbsp; "Who will take care of your children while you are working?" "Can you work here and be a good mother?" and "Isn't it a bit of hubris for you to think you are qualified for this job?"</p> <p>The Obama campaign was wrongly jubilant (at first) at the Palin nomination, believing that it would take off the table the question of Obama's &lsquo;qualifications' to be president.&nbsp; The opposite is true.&nbsp; Just as I've advised all those women, all these years, capable women should be &nbsp;compared to their <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">actual</em> male competitors, instead of some elusive ideal of what &lsquo;qualified' looks like. Now the nomination of Sarah Palin has put a face on that male competitor and turned the tables on the claims that Obama is qualified for the nation's highest office and the leader of the free world.&nbsp;</p> <p>And even if<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </em>Sarah Palin is as &lsquo;unqualified' as the left would have us believe (a claim &nbsp;most Americans have already rejected), then former Congresswoman Bella Abzug's (D-NY) lifelong goal has been achieved.&nbsp; She used to say that she was "working for the day when a mediocre woman could get as far as a mediocre man."&nbsp; So every time the Obama campaign slams Sarah Palin's &lsquo;qualifications' and &lsquo;experience', the residue of those attacks lands squarely back on their own candidate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Sarah Palin has raised the bar for Obama.&nbsp; Let's see if Charlie Gibson &amp; Co. will start asking him about <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">his </em>hubris at thinking he is qualified for the position as leader of the free world and review their collective failure to ask him that question before now.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Cleta Mitchell is a lawyer in Washington, DC and a former Oklahoma legislator.&nbsp; </em></p> 20672@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:11:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Cleta Mitchell) One News Now: NOW levels sexist remarks at Palin http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20670.html <p>The&nbsp;<a href="/" target="_blank" title="Independent Women's Forum">Independent Women's Forum</a>&nbsp;is disappointed that the National Organization for Women would engage in sexist attacks aimed at Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.</p> <p align="left">The Independent Women's Forum notes that one of the stated goals of the National Organization for Women (NOW) is to eradicate sexism. NOW president Kim Gandy even stated that they will "monitor the media and call them out for their sexism directed at Palin. A woman slurred, regardless of her party or stances, is a woman slurred."<br />&nbsp;<br />However, a NOW spokeswoman has reportedly engaged in sexism towards Palin when she stated that the Alaska governor is "more a conservative man than she is a woman on women's issues. Very disappointing."<br />&nbsp;<br /><img src="http://www.onenewsnow.com/uploadedImages/Media/Images/Mugs/AllisonKasic.jpg" border="0" alt="Allison Kasic IWF" title="Allison Kasic IWF" hspace="3" vspace="3" align="right" />Allison Kasic is the director of the Silberman Center for Collegiate Studies at the Independent Women's Forum describes such comments as "silly...hurtful [and] needlessly divisive."<br />&nbsp;<br />"Because it shifts our focus away from the important things -- you know, from talking about the issues and talking about which candidate is going to have better judgment and their experience and all those sorts of things," remarks Kasic. "And it focuses it on nasty identity politics -- and I don't see anything positive coming out of those sorts of comments."<br />&nbsp;<br />Kasic says she would think that a lot of people in the feminist establishment would be excited about a woman running for vice president, even if they did disagree with her political stance.<br />&nbsp;<br />When John McCain announced Governor Palin as his running mate, NOW released a statement slamming that choice as "a cynical effort to appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton voters." In that statement, Gandy accused McCain of not understanding that women supported Senator Clinton "not just because she was a woman, but because she was a champion on their issues" -- something that Gandy claims Palin is not.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> 20670@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:43:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) The Andy Caldwell Show: Governor Palin and the media http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20714.html <p>Allison Kasic joined <em>The Andy Caldwell Show</em> to discuss the media's attention on Governor Sarah Palin.</p> 20714@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:17:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) The Andy Caldwell Show: The Republican National Convention http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20669.html <p>IWF Visiting Fellow Donna Wiesner joined <em>The Andy Caldwell Show</em> for a discussion on the RNC's polling bumps and Governor Sarah Palin's introduction as VP candidate.</p> 20669@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:50:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Donna Wiesner Keene) The Diane Rehm Show: Sarah Palin and the media http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20666.html <p>Some say Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin, has been subjected to unfair media attention. A look at presidential campaign coverage, allegations of bias, and charges of elitism in the media.</p> 20666@http://www.iwf.org Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:12:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Heather R. Higgins) Female Factor #4: An Erroneous Sex Education Debate http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20665.html <h3>The Female Factor</h3> <p><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A timely series of news bytes from the Independent Women's Forum&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p> <p><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The Female Factor #4</strong><br /><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">An Erroneous Sex Education Debate<br /></em><br />Opponents of abstinence education have attempted to use Bristol Palin's pregnancy to claim such an approach is a failure and push for comprehensive sex education curriculums.&nbsp; For example, National Organization for Women (NOW) President Kim Gandy wrote:&nbsp; "May I point out that this apparently unplanned pregnancy only highlights the right wing's foolish and dangerous abstinence-only education stance?"&nbsp; Yet this logic suggests that whoever taught Ms. Gandy educators should have taken a different tact when teaching mathematics and statistics.&nbsp;</p> <p>"One unplanned pregnancy tells us absolutely nothing about the relative effectiveness of one educational theory over another," said IWF vice president for policy and economics Carrie Lukas. &nbsp;"I don't know whether Bristol Palin was taught abstinence-only sex education or not.&nbsp; But regardless of her schooling, her pregnancy doesn't prove that abstinence education doesn't work just as it wouldn't prove that sex education emphasizing contraception doesn't work if that is indeed what she was taught."&nbsp;<br /><br />"This debate about the content of sex education is a perfect example of why we need greater school choice," added IWF's Allison Kasic. "Ms. Gandy should be free to enroll her children in a school that teaches in the way that she wants, and other parents should also be free to choose schools that reflects their values.&nbsp; There are no one-size-fits-all answers in education, which is why we need to encourage a diverse education marketplace."</p> <p>To interview IWF scholars, or to receive an e-mail version of "The Female Factor," contact <a href="mailto:femalefactor&#64;iwf.org">femalefactor&#64;iwf.org</a> or call Media Services at the Independent Women's Forum at (202) 349-5882.</p> <p>For more information on the Independent Women's Forum, please visit <a href="/">www.iwf.org</a>.</p> <p><strong>Recent Female Factors<br /><br /></strong>#1 <a href="/iwfmedia/show/20652.html">The Mommy Wars</a><br />#2 <a href="/iwfmedia/show/20656.html">Governor Sarah Palin and the Issues</a><br />#3 <a href="/news/show/20661.html">NOW Needs to Move Beyond Stereotyping</a><br />#5 <a href="/news/show/20694.html">Supporting Big Government Isn't Supporting Equal Pay</a></p> 20665@http://www.iwf.org Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:22:00 EDT New at IWF: Female Factor http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/20657.html <p>We have a new feature called The Female Factor.&nbsp; We'll be covering different issues in the FF leading up to the November election.<br />&nbsp;<br />Check out Female Factor #1 <a href="http://iwf.org/publications/show/20652.html">here.</a><br />&nbsp;<br />Check out Female Factor #2 <a href="http://iwf.org/news/show/20656.html">here.</a></p> 20657@http://www.iwf.org Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:23:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) Races to Watch http://www.iwf.org/inkwell/show/20655.html <p>Reid Wilson and Kyle Trygstad have compiled <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/top_25_competitive_congression.html">a list</a> over at Real Clear Politics of the 25 Congressional races that are expected to be the most competitive this fall.</p> 20655@http://www.iwf.org Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:50:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) The Female Factor #2: Governor Sarah Palin and the Issues http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20656.html <h2>The Female Factor<em></em></h2> <p><em>A timely series of news bytes from the Independent Women's Forum</em></p> <p><br />September 4, 2008<br /><br />The Female Factor #2<br />Governor Sarah Palin &amp; The Issues<br /><br />As she accepted the vice presidential nomination Governor Sarah Palin brought up many important issues facing Americans, including government spending and energy policy. Unfortunately, much of the media coverage surrounding Governor Palin hasn't focused on her take on those issues. Instead, we've seen personal attack after personal attack in a shameful display of partisanship on behalf of the mass and tabloid media.<br /><br />"This election should be decided on the issues of importance to Americans, not on political cheap shots," said IWF vice president for policy and economics Carrie Lukas. "From education to energy policy to the economy, there are simply too many important challenges facing our country to get caught up in the politics of personal destruction."<br /><br />"Whether you agree with her or not, Governor Palin deserves to be judged on merit, just like any other candidate," added IWF's Allison Kasic. "I hope that the media coverage leading up to the November election will give the American public an accurate view of Governor Palin's policy positions so that voters can make an informed choice. We need to move past the personal jabs that have dominated the news in the past few days."<br /><br />To interview IWF scholars, or to receive an e-mail version of "The Female Factor," contact <a href="mailto:femalefactor&#64;iwf.org">femalefactor&#64;iwf.org</a> or call Media Services at the Independent Women's Forum at (202) 349-5882.<br /><br /><br />For more information on the Independent Women's Forum, please visit <a href="/">www.iwf.org</a>.</p> <p><strong>Recent Female Factors<br /><br /></strong>#1 <a href="/iwfmedia/show/20652.html">The Mommy Wars</a><br />#3 <a href="/news/show/20661.html">NOW Needs to Move Beyond Stereotyping</a><br />#4 <a href="/iwfmedia/show/20665.html">An Erroneous Sex Education Debate</a><br />#5 <a href="/news/show/20694.html">Supporting Big Government Isn't Supporting Equal Pay</a></p> 20656@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:41:00 EDT The Female Factor #1: The Mommy Wars http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20652.html <p><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The Female Factor<br /></strong><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A timely series of news bytes from the Independent Women's Forum&nbsp;&nbsp;</em>&nbsp;</p> <p>September 4, 2008</p> <p><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The Female Factor #1</strong><br /><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Mommy Wars</em></p> <p>John McCain made a bold political statement last Friday by picking a very little known, dark horse candidate by the name of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.&nbsp; Unfortunately, since then, many individuals, in politics as well as in the media, have used this opportunity to focus on trivial issues and make personal attacks on Gov. Palin.</p> <p>"The media spectacle over Gov. Palin reeks of a return to the <a href="http://iwf.org/files/d89dcf31fc7e7c3ce47a2d777bdceee5.flv" target="_blank">mommy wars,</a>" said IWF president and CEO <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Michelle Bernard</strong>.&nbsp; "It is ridiculous to think that in 2008 with all the progress women have made in every facet of American life that some people have called into question whether a mother of five is capable of serving as vice president.&nbsp; Some mothers choose to stay at home while others choose to work.&nbsp; We should respect mothers regardless of what decision they make on behalf of their family."</p> <p>"The only thing that matters is if Palin would be a good vice president," added IWF's Allison Kasic.&nbsp; "This election should be about issues, not family matters.&nbsp; Gov. Palin's family should be given the same privacy and respect as the other candidates."</p> <p>To interview IWF scholars, or to receive an e-mail version of "The Female Factor," contact <a href="mailto:femalefactor&#64;iwf.org">femalefactor&#64;iwf.org</a> or call Media Services at the Independent Women's Forum at (202) 349-5882.<br /><br />For more information on the Independent Women's Forum, please visit <a href="/">www.iwf.org</a>.</p> 20652@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:19:00 EDT Sarah Palin: An Everywoman Qualified by What She's Done http://www.iwf.org/news/show/20647.html

Originally published on Townhall.com

<p>The 2008 primary was definitely a time of firsts. An African-American squared off against a woman in the race for the Democratic Party nomination, and a little known Republican woman nabs the vice-presidential slot shocking the establishment and energizing the conservative base.</p> <p>Just as the primary was a time for firsts, the general election will be history making as no other has been. Vote Democratic and America elects an African-American president. Vote Republican and the vice president will be a woman-who likely would end up running for the top job in four or eight years. It says something about America that we will make history irrespective of who we vote for. Political barriers continue to fall in what truly is the land of opportunity.</p> <p>The fact that Sarah Palin is a woman was an important factor in Senator John McCain's decision, but her story is far more compelling than her sex. Her accomplishments make her qualified. She has accumulated more interesting life experiences than have many politicians twice her age.</p> <p>She is governor of Alaska today not because she sought a career in politics. Rather, she is governor because she wanted to change the state. And she has done so while sustaining a loving marriage and raising five children. In fact, what makes her achievements so unique is the fact that she is everywoman, an average homemaker who cared enough to get involved in local politics and deal with everyday problems affecting everyday people.</p> <p>True, it's not the same as meeting foreign dignitaries, but it's far more relevant to the lives of most Americans. In fact, we'd probably be a lot better off if more of our national politicians did more nuts and bolts political work at the local level.</p> <p>Still, Sarah Palin's vision did not stop with the town of Wasilla. She looked at her state government and didn't like what she saw. Rather than wait for someone else to act, she challenged the incumbent governor. Some dismiss her accomplishments because of Alaska's small population, but it often is most difficult to break into a small, insular, corrupt political system, like in Alaska.</p> <p>Yes, her time as governor has been short. But she has already made a difference by taking on the state's entrenched elites, battling corruption, and reducing the legislature's bloated capital appropriations. It is no wonder that the vast majority of Alaskans approve of her performance. It's a record that gives Americans a sense of her possibilities in Washington. As Lisa Schiffren put it, Palin "brings real reform credentials, authentic Reaganite conservatism, small-government values, and the pragmatic ethos of a middle-class mother of five."</p> <p>Obviously, many people don't like her positions on the issues. That's why we hold elections. But our debate should be on the issues, not on identity politics. The era of identity politics is now firmly behind us.</p> <p>Madeleine Kunin, former governor of Vermont, sneers about Alaska being so far "from the center of gravity of American politics" and approvingly quotes those who denounce Palin's nomination as an "insult to women." It brings to mind Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau's use of the term "Brown Sugar," which goes back to slave times, to refer to then National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. The unsubtle implication was that she had slept her way to the White House. The reference was outrageous and should have been vigorously denounced by feminists, but groups such as the National Organization for Women remained silent. Their assumption is that "real" women are liberals who believe in using government to transform society. Conservative women just aren't really women. Thus, professional gender activists are now attacking Governor Palin, but this personal destruction isn't likely to work.</p> <p>Sarah Palin might not win the votes of left-wing feminists, but she appeals to average women and men across the country. Like the rest of us, she wants to make a difference. Let's listen to, and debate her hopes and dreams for America.</p> <p>Americans should be proud of what both campaigns have delivered. On one side is an eloquent African-American preaching change, backed by a seasoned veteran of Capitol Hill. On the other, is an unconventional maverick veteran of Republican politics known for "straight talk," backed by a reformist understudy-who happens to be a woman. The choice is clear. Let's have an issues-oriented campaign in which all four candidates explain their vision for America, and how they hope to accomplish it.</p> 20647@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:10:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Michelle D. Bernard) IWF in the News: Palin's good for women- and not because she is one http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20636.html <p>By S.E. CUPP</p> <p>Friday, August 29th 2008, 1:06 PM</p> <p>In many ways, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Hillary+Clinton" title="Hillary Clinton">Hillary Clinton</a> and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michelle+Obama" title="Michelle Obama">Michelle Obama</a> made women the focal point of their speeches at the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Democratic+National+Convention" title="Democratic National Convention">Democratic National Convention</a>. Both discussed the importance of earning the right to vote, their roles as mothers and wives, and both called for more attention to "women's issues." To hear it, you'd think we were all still stuck in the kitchen, desperate for a lift up.</p> <p>But <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/John+McCain" title="John McCain">John McCain</a>'s selection of <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Sarah+Palin" title="Sarah Palin">Sarah Palin</a>, governor of <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Alaska" title="Alaska">Alaska</a>, as his vice presidential running mate is an even better story - and one that has very little, if anything, to do with making history.</p> <p>For the sake of this argument, let's pretend the attractive mother of five isn't a woman, and let's call her Sam.</p> <p><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Sam+Palin" title="Sam Palin">Sam Palin</a> has impeccable conservative credentials. He's a reformer, he's pro-life, he's for small and effective government and he's for drilling domestically, even if it's in his own state. He supports capital punishment and opposes same-sex marriage. He shocked eco-activists looking to put polar bears on the endangered species list by revealing that in his state, the population has actually risen. He's forceful with big oil companies, but, like McCain, wants to address climate change in serious ways.</p> <p>Furthermore, he's likable. He's a family man. Sam hunts. Sam fishes. He plays with his kids, one of whom has Down syndrome.</p> <p>And he was elected governor of Alaska as an antidote to government corruption and fiscal irresponsibility. He's found creative ways to bring money to his state (he sold a private jet belonging to the state on <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/eBay+Inc." title="eBay Inc.">eBay</a> for $2.7 million), and made $237 million in budget cuts.</p> <p>Though he's only been governor for two years, he served as a mayor and city councilman since 1992. And of the three candidates on these national tickets - McCain, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Barack+Obama" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a> and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Joseph+Biden" title="Joseph Biden">Joe Biden</a> - he's the only one to actually have run anything. Sam's been successful as a businessman, a mayor and a governor. He brings youth and an everyman appeal to the ticket, he softens McCain and he appeals to the conservative base.</p> <p>While <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Mitt+Romney" title="Mitt Romney">Mitt Romney</a>, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Eric+Cantor" title="Eric Cantor">Eric Cantor</a> and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Tim+Pawlenty" title="Tim Pawlenty">Tim Pawlenty</a> would have made decent choices for McCain, Sam's resume and qualifications make it difficult to imagine anyone else as well-suited to run with John McCain.</p> <p>If Palin were in fact a man, the choice would have been obvious, quietly applauded and generally supported by right-leaning voters.</p> <p>But Sarah has something the other three don't - and it isn't anatomical. She is a direct response to the false promises of the Obama campaign thus far. She is a direct response to the cloying pageantry of the Democratic National Convention. And she is a direct response to the empty platitudes of "hope and change," an example of real hope and change for Americans, not because she's a woman but because she's a committed conservative.</p> <p>She is a throwback to the cowboy individualism of <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Barry+Goldwater" title="Barry Goldwater">Barry Goldwater</a>, a nod to the fiscal policies of <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Ronald+Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> and a flag-bearer for the common-sense pragmatism of ordinary working parents everywhere. Selling a plane on eBay is just one example of the kind of problem-solving intuition she'll bring to <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Washington" title="Washington">Washington</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Carrie+Lukas" title="Carrie Lukas"><strong>Carrie Lukas</strong></a><strong>, head of the Independent Women's Forum, has rightly said that all issues are women's issues. What makes an "administration good for women is advancing the conservative agenda of limiting government and returning power to the people."</strong></p> <p><strong>She says the Reagan administration has been the only one to significantly advance the rights of women, not because of pet projects designed specifically for them, but because he cut taxes and reduced regulations. And as a result, she says, "Women have greatly prospered in the modern economy."</strong></p> <p>To listen to Michelle and Hillary, though, the past 50 years have been disastrous for women, and the next President needs to pick up where <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Gloria+Steinem" title="Gloria Steinem">Gloria Steinem</a> left off. To the contrary, the selection of Sarah Palin by John McCain for running mate signals a real and very significant promise of change in Washington - not because she's a woman, but because she's a real conservative.</p> <p><em>Cupp is author of "Why You're Wrong About the Right," with <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Brett+Joshpe" title="Brett Joshpe">Brett Joshpe</a>. She lives and works in <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+York+City" title="New York City">New York City</a>.</em></p> 20636@http://www.iwf.org Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:54:00 EDT The Shattered Glass Ceiling: Women Voters after Hillary Clinton's Run http://www.iwf.org/news/show/20634.html

Originally published on Townhall.com

<p>The Democratic National Convention is upon us, and much of the press commentary revolves around "her." Hillary Clinton, that is, and whether she and her supporters will unite behind Barack Obama. Both campaigns are now developing strategies to attract the votes of women. The best way to do this is not to play gender politics, but to craft sensible solutions to the problems that affect women, men, families, and children.</p> <p>The Democratic race was unusually hard-fought, and the antagonism of women of a certain era to Senator Obama remains strong. Disgruntled Clinton supporters have created a "Just Say No Deal" coalition including 250 internet groups to oppose his nomination. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 21 percent of Democrats plan to vote for Senator McCain. That is likely to change by November 4th, but even a small number of Democratic defectors could cost Senator Obama victory in a tight race.</p> <p>Senator Clinton's supporters are rightly proud of her candidacy. Set aside the controversies of her husband's presidency, she has become one of her party's most important figures. In the presidential race she vanquished several distinguished opponents, including Senator Joe Biden, who is now Senator Obama's running mate. And Clinton lost the nomination by the narrowest of margins.</p> <p>Rather than blame Senator Obama, the media, or misogynists for her loss, Clinton supporters should celebrate her accomplishments. The glass ceiling doesn't just have 18 million cracks, as she has said. It has been shattered. The next woman to run for president, in either party, will be doing nothing out of the ordinary.</p> <p>How then should Senators Obama and McCain appeal to former Clinton supporters and women voters in general? The answer is not, and never was, to put a woman on the ticket. The candidates need to talk to women about issues. And not just "women's issues"-whatever that means. As we say at the Independent Women's Forum, all issues are women's issues. Women are affected by questions of war and peace, economic turmoil, education, and more. Indeed, that's why Senator Obama carried a majority of the votes of Democratic women in more than a dozen states. Most women want the best candidate, not the best female candidate.</p> <p>When the fall campaign begins in earnest in September, both candidates need to explain what they will do to encourage economic growth, reduce consumer uncertainty, and revive confidence in the financial system. Should government get out of the way or play a bigger role? What financial institutions, if any, should be bailed out by government? What, if anything, should be done about the housing market?</p> <p>Thankfully energy prices have begun to dip. But the burden on families, especially those of modest means, remains enormous. How do we increase the supply of energy? And how do we do that while protecting the environment?</p> <p>What of America's defense? We still have troops in Iraq, the fighting in Afghanistan is getting worse, al-Qaeda has been weakened but not destroyed, and the Russian bear has woken. These issues matter for women as citizens as well as for women as mothers, daughters, and wives. What kind of judgment and experience would the candidates bring to the presidency?</p> <p>Education is another critical issue. Our children are not being prepared morally to preserve our democratic republic. Nor are they learning the skills necessary to compete in a global economy. How do we fix schools which are failing our children-and, equally important, transform schools to meet the changing needs of the future?</p> <p>There is so much more. We are the wealthiest nation in the world, but there are still poor among us. How do we help them become self-supporting and full participants in our abundant civic life? Our health care system provides extraordinary medical treatment to many but leaves others behind. And on it goes.</p> <p>There is no women's position on any of these issues. My bias is towards the private sector and away from heavy-handed government programs. Other women will disagree with me. But all of us want to hear the candidates talk about the important issues.</p> <p>I disagree with Senator Clinton on many issues, but nevertheless admire her intelligence and her tenacious fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. The best way to honor her, however, is not for the candidates to make special appeals to women. Instead, they should appeal to the American people, more than half of whom happen to be women.</p> 20634@http://www.iwf.org Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:08:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Michelle D. Bernard) The Andy Caldwell Show: Female Voters Heed Character Issue in Candidates http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20610.html <p>IWF Visiting Fellow Donna Wiesner discusses the importance of a candidate's character to female voters with Andy Caldwell.</p> 20610@http://www.iwf.org Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:14:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Donna Wiesner Keene) IWF in the News: Female voters heed character issue http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20581.html

The Washington Times

<p>Hard to believe that nearly a year ago readers of Ladies' Home Journal ranked former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, as the happiest of all the couples on the 2008 campaign trail.</p> <p>In light of Mr. Edwards' clumsy admission to an extramarital affair with a campaign worker, the magazine's editors have re-released the survey from October. It shows that 35 percent of female respondents, regardless of party affiliation, said their opinion of the happiness of a presidential candidate's marriage will influence their vote.</p> <p>Women tend to look "not just at [the candidate's] policies but at what kind of person they seem to be," said Robbie Caploe, executive editor of Ladies' Home Journal. But "perceptions are not always reality."</p> <p>Among those answering the survey, "the largest percentage of women feel that Elizabeth and John Edwards (67 percent) and Michelle and Barack Obama (66 percent) have a happy marriage. About one-half mentioned Cindy and John McCain (52 percent)."</p> <p>Only 33 percent felt that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton have a happy marriage.</p> <p>The Ladies' Home Journal survey is just one window into how important a candidate's character is to female voters, who comprise the largest voting bloc in the country.</p> <p>However, the matrimonial state of the presumptive presidential nominees, Republican John McCain and Democrat Mr. Obama, is hardly the most influential factor at this juncture.</p> <p><strong>Michelle Bernard, president and chief executive officer of the Independent Women's Forum, said women's concerns have shifted from national security and the war in the past two years.</strong></p> <p><strong>"They are overwhelmingly concerned about pocketbook issues," she said of the 2008 presidential election, which she predicts will be decided by centrists and independent voters.</strong></p> <p>Billie - the owner of a women's boutique in a seaside resort in North Carolina - fits the demographic profile that presidential candidates covet: a white, middle-age, middle-class, independent voter.</p> <p>She hasn't made up her mind about who will get her vote in the fall. She said she is tuning out politics, like some of her customers, because of the partisan bickering. She views most politicians as caring more about themselves and advancing their parties than about their constituents.</p> <p>"Women are multifaceted and care about domestic and foreign issues like trade," said Billie, who asked that her last name not be used. That includes "the stay-at-home mom, who cares about lead in her child's toys that come from foreign countries, to the small-business owner, like me, who cares that the dollar is so devalued in foreign markets that it affects your bottom line."</p> <p>ABC News reported that a poll released in July by the liberal Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund showed that "single, divorced, separated and widowed women voters in 14 battleground states favor" Mr. Obama over Mr. McCain, 61 percent to 29 percent.</p> <p>In addition, an ABC poll in July showed that Mr. Obama held a 52 percent to 43 percent lead among married women - "one of the most moveable swing voter groups, which could bode well for McCain."</p> <p>Last week, Lifetime Television for Women released the results of a national poll of female likely voters as part of its "Every Woman Counts" campaign, a nonpartisan effort to engage women in politics.</p> <p>Conducted by Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, the survey indicates that "economic worries continue to dominate the issues driving women to the polls; and shows that putting a woman on the ticket matters little to women voters."</p> <p>According to the survey, neither Mr. Obama nor Mr. McCain "has secured a clear majority of women, who have decided every presidential election since 1968." Forty-nine percent of respondents favored Mr. Obama and 38 percent favored Mr. McCain, with 6 percent saying they were leaning toward a candidate.</p> <p>"With 90 days to go until Election Day, 10 percent of women are firmly undecided, indicating either candidate has a shot at becoming the next president," the pollsters said in their summary of the survey's results.</p> <p>Female voters, like others, are going to vote for the candidate whose agenda is more reflective of the policies that best serve their interests as they juggle the varied personal and professional responsibilities in their daily lives.</p> <p>Yet as Ms. Caploe said, "it's fascinating to see how snapshots of a one-time thing can turn on a dime."</p> 20581@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:34:00 EDT Obama Has Yet to Truly Move Beyond Race http://www.iwf.org/news/show/20433.html <p><em>First appeared in <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26987" target="_blank">Human Events</a>.</em></p> <p>Currently up for numerous Tony awards is a splendid revival of the 1949 Rogers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific."&nbsp; It's worth remembering that its theme, examining racial and cultural prejudice, was highly controversial; indeed, there was a legislative challenge to its decency in Georgia.&nbsp; Key to the show is the song "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," which the authors insisted would stay in even if it meant the show's failure.</p> <p>In that song, a young American lieutenant, unexpectedly in love with a Tonkinese girl, realizes he can't marry her and bring her home to a country that would be appalled by an interracial union and a family that would be dismayed by a wife below his social class.&nbsp; The lyrics resonate far beyond marriage per se to prejudice and racism generally:</p> <p><em>You've got to be taught to be afraid,</em></p> <p><em>Of people whose eyes are oddly made,</em></p> <p><em>And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,</em></p> <p><em>You've got to be carefully taught.</em></p> <p><em>You've got to be taught before it's too late,</em></p> <p><em>Before you are six or seven or eight,</em></p> <p><em>To hate all the people your relatives hate,</em></p> <p><em>You've got to be carefully taught.</em></p> <p>Cut to 2008.&nbsp; The encouraging news is that among young people particularly, race and ethnicity almost doesn't register.&nbsp; Focus groups and polls suggest most people are clearly "over" race.&nbsp; They say what matters are someone's attributes, skills, and character.&nbsp; Most believe that any preferences should be based on need, not ethnicity.</p> <p>Yet this progress, apparently, hasn't touched Trinity United Church of Christ, the church Barack Obama -- now the Democrats' nominee for U.S. President -- attended for over 20 years.&nbsp; There the "black liberation theology" of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright prevailed, reiterated for us all this past week in Father Michael Pfleger's racist rant about whites generally and Hillary Clinton in particular.</p> <p>It is this that makes Barack and Michelle Obama's decision to be part of the life of this church for so long so disturbing.&nbsp; It isn't simply the content of the sermons -- lots of us have endured sermons with which we disagree. It isn't Wright's radical views -- by all reports, he is charismatic and personally well liked, and his more controversial sermons contain legitimate grievance mixed with factually mistaken history and wacky conspiracy theories.&nbsp; Most of us know someone like that and just try to steer clear of those issues and be polite.&nbsp; Moreover, we understand that politicians particularly have to smile and make common cause where they can, and that endorsing and being endorsed are not equivalent.</p> <p>No, what's disturbing is that the Obamas have children.&nbsp; And presumably they know other people in that congregation have children.&nbsp; People take children to church precisely to help inculcate them with the church's values.&nbsp; We now have some vivid examples of the received wisdom, what directly or indirectly gets drummed into each dear little ear from year to year at Trinity United, how they are told to be afraid of people whose skin is a different shade, how they are taught before they are six or seven or eight (or older) to hate all the people their fellow congregants hate.&nbsp;</p> <p>This is a long way from Obama's "what unites us" message -- if anything, it is an old and toxic wine in a new bottle.&nbsp; Some assert that blacks can't be racist, as though black racism is so justified that it ceases to be racism.&nbsp; But anyone familiar with the occasional stigma in this country towards those darker than a paper bag by lighter-skinned African-Americans knows that racism and prejudice can infect any soul of any shade.</p> <p>Obama has been adept at recognizing when his far-left base conflicts with the larger, all-embracing image he wants to present.&nbsp; Perhaps that is why he finally resigned from Trinity United.&nbsp; One can only hope that, given his speech on race in Philadelphia, combined with his repeated problems of long-time associates who surprise him with their views, that he will lead the effort to take a bolder step.&nbsp; Much as Lyndon Johnson's need to change how he was perceived on race issues moved him to endorse the Civil Rights Act, Obama could urge the nation to move beyond race-consciousness to the race-transcendence Martin Luther King advocated, but which was bypassed in our well-intended attempts at rapid atonement.&nbsp;&nbsp; One can only hope.</p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" class="printable_bottom_byline " width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="100%">Heather Higgins chairs the board of the Independent Women's Forum.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> 20433@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:32:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Heather R. Higgins) The Lynn Woolley Show: Gender Parity in Politics http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20470.html <p>IWF's Allison Kasic joined <em>The Lynn Woolley Show</em> to take on the issue of gender parity in politics.</p> 20470@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:34:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) The McLaughlin Group: Election Coverage http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20417.html <p>IWF President and CEO joined the discussion group on <em>The McLauglin Group</em>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> 20417@http://www.iwf.org Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:27:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Michelle D. Bernard) IWF Podcast: Gender Parity in Politics http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20407.html <p>Allison Kasic and Carrie Lukas discuss gender parity in politics.&nbsp; Should we be concerned that the majority of elected officials are male?</p> 20407@http://www.iwf.org Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Allison Kasic) info@iwf.org (Carrie L. Lukas) NPR's All Things Considered: Hillary Clinton's Slow Retreat http://www.iwf.org/iwfmedia/show/20406.html <p>Carrie Lukas joined NPR's <em>All Things Considered</em> to discuss Clinton's campaign and reverse sexism at play.&nbsp;</p> 20406@http://www.iwf.org Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:13:00 EDTinfo@iwf.org (Carrie L. Lukas)