Newsweek: "Even if 2008 doesn't come down to a Hillary-Condi showdown..." [View All]

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'The Time is Right'
Marie Wilson discusses America's changing attitudes toward women in politics—and the effect of shows like 'Commander in Chief'.

WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Bao Ong
Newsweek
Updated: 6:45 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2005



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9546507/site/newsweek/

Sept. 30, 2005 - Is the United States finally ready for a woman president? ABC’s new drama, the much-hyped “Commander in Chief” has already cast Geena Davis in that role. And inside the real Beltway, Hillary Clinton undoubtedly is a leading contender for the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2008. Plus, the New York senator may find herself competing against another woman if Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice decides to throw her own hat into the ring.

Even if the 2008 race does not come down to a Hillary-Condi showdown, women undoubtedly have made enormous political strides since Geraldine Ferraro made it onto a White House ticket. One example: the perhaps-surprising number of female leaders—from the governor of Louisiana to the mayor of Galveston—who became familiar faces in television coverage of the hurricane-ravaged Gulf coast. That makes these gratifying times for Marie Wilson, 65. As president of The White House Project, a non-partisan organization helping advance women’s leadership, Wilson has been the inspiration for such initiatives as the “President Barbie” doll and Take Our Daughters to Work day. Now, she believes, the United States is at a tipping point—and that shows like “Commander in Chief” are reflections, not vanguards, of the current zeitgeist. She spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Bao Ong about what’s changed. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: What’s keeping voters from electing more women as governors or, indeed, as president?

WILSON: Pipelines. Incumbency. There are a lot of unchallenged people (running for office). Women don’t always run unless they’re invited. We need more women coming up from the pipeline of state government into the governorships. There’s this whole issue of toughness. Women have to face toughness without losing appeal.