This President's Day: Are We Believing in Madam President or Not?

The idea that we are ‘getting closer’ to a woman in the White House forces those of us who have written about women and the US presidency to consider the obstacles that may face women as presidential candidates. Why haven’t more seemingly qualified women candidates run for President of the United States? It would seem that in a world without gender bias, more women would be top contenders for the presidency. Many possible presidential contenders spring to mind and they are women who have never run: Barbara Mikulski, Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Kassebaum, Kathleen Sebelius, Christine Gregoire, Linda Lingle, Dianne Feinstein and Olympia Snowe, to name but a few.

The question of whether or not young women believe that a woman will be president is a pertinent one. Presumably it is college educated women who will seek elected office and one of them will attain the Oval Office. For years, scholars of women and leadership have contended that the mere presence of women leaders will create a more positive environment for future leaders. "Seeing a group of women in leadership roles help remove a psychological barrier," says Laura Liswood, secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders. So has the 2008 election, one that saw two women in leadership positions, made young women believe that elected the first woman president will happen in her lifetime?

A poll, "Believing or Not Believing in Madam President", surveyed college women to learn whether or not they were encouraged by the presidential and vice presidential bids of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin to believe that a woman would be president in their lifetime.

"Believing or Not Believing in Madam President" has been administered to college women, age 18-25 and after 500 surveys have been returned, there is evidence to show that more young women were encouraged by the presidential race of Hillary Clinton than by the vice-presidential bid of Sarah Palin and that the effort of both women were more encouraging than discouraging to their belief that there would be a woman president in their lifetimes. The poll asked young women to reflect about whether or not the campaigns of these national female politicians made them believe that there would be a woman president in her lifetime.

Out of 518 surveys, some women said "yes" that the presidential bid of Hillary Clinton encouraged her to believe that a woman would be president in her lifetime. One hundred twenty were encouraged by the vice-presidential bid of Sarah Palin while fifty-seven respondents were not encouraged by either woman and fifty women thought that both women’s efforts turned them into believers.

Some comments about Hillary Clinton from respondents include: "She was one of the first women who looked like she could win" and "She made me believe that a woman will be a strong candidate." Another respondent said, "I knew she wouldn’t win". As for Palin, students wrote: "She made women sound stupid" and "The media focused too much on her personal life and not enough on her politics." Another respondent said Palin made her a believer in a woman president in her lifetime because "As soon as Obama won many people were already campaigning for Palin in 2012." Some respondents were encouraged by both Clinton and Palin. One wrote: "Both Clinton and Palin are evidence that women are beginning to climb the ladder in education, work and politics. It is still a struggle, for many reasons, but it is much better than it was."

Since their presidential bids media reports suggest that Sarah Palin’s credibility has suffered, while Hillary Clinton’s has risen. Nonetheless, this poll indicates that young women have noticed the efforts of Clinton and Palin and for the most part more young women are encouraged by their efforts than turned off by them. And, by a considerable margin, the bid of Hillary Clinton was even more encouraging than that of Sarah Palin’s.

News and Issues, Issues, Politics, Government, Women of Note, Senior Women Web, Articles, Authors, Nichola Gutgold

This President's Day: Are We Believing in Madam President or Not?

More Articles