At the dawn of the 2008 presidential race, the possibility of the next commander-in-chief of the United States of America being a woman was a strong one. Political insiders and media pundits were sure that Senator Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee. None of them could forsee that Senator Barack Obama from Illinois would be the wrench that would deter the former First Lady’s presidential aspirations.
Expectations were high back in 2004, when The Women’s Mosaic hosted “Politics Schmolitics,” a panel that featured an eclectic group of women shared their experiences in the tumultuous political arena in all levels of government, and lived to tell their tales. Four years later, I cannot help but wonder: What do they think about Clinton’s loss to Obama for the Democratic nomination for president? What are their thoughts about the “maverick soccer mom” from Alaska as the Republican vice-presidential nominee? Their voices are sorely missed during this election. Their input would be far more interesting than what we have now: our current political players making bold promises and tearing each other apart, all in hopes of winning the highest office in the land.
The five panelists who participated in the “Politics Schmolitics!” event were a diverse group, representing different political, cultural, racial, social, and economic backgrounds. The Women’s Mosiacs’ panel moderator was Sandra Endo, who was then a political reporter for NY1 News (she is currently a national correspondent for CNN Newsource), set the tone for the discussion by sharing her personal reasons for covering the politics. As an Asian American woman, Endo told the audience that while she cannot shape policy and ideas, she had the ability to “to challenge politicians and policy makers on views that are afterthoughts in their minds,” such as those that effect minorities like her. Each panelist framed their political inclinations around their personal stories, which made discussing and thinking about politics a much less intimidating experience.
Four of the five panelists were Democrats. The lone Republican woman was Yonkers native Carmen Goldberg, a Hispanic American businesswoman who was actively involved in former Governor Pataki’s campaign, among other political projects. She said that politics was in her blood, even though she was not encouraged to be involved when she was growing up. “We [women] are born politicians because we are born caretakers of the family,” she said to the enthusiastic crowd. Goldberg shared her rough experiences on various campaigns, none of which have dissuaded her from being active in politics. Even her son’s deployment to Iraq did not crush her spirit. “As long as I’m standing, I will carry the women’s message,” said Goldberg. “We all need to get involved … it’s our voices, our votes, and our choices.”
Valerie Kennedy, an attorney, lobbyist, political consultant, and legislative counsel for Congressman Tim Valentine from North Carolina, made the greatest impact on me during the event when she said that it was “the lack of mentoring and promoting women that is the greatest challenge in politics.” She shared with the audience how her involvement in Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign changed the course of her life completely. “Politics is something I have made a lifetime commitment to,” Kennedy said after discussing the sacrifices she made to pursue her political dreams. “If I can come from a small town with three stoplights and end up on Washington D.C., then what can’t you do in New York?”
Even though her mother was actively involved in the Republican party as a child, Joanne Simon never thought of herself as political. She has a Masters of Education for the Deaf, as well as a law degree, and she worked for some time on Wall Street, but it was through her grass roots community work dealing with disability rights in Western Brooklyn that got her interested in politics. Simon used her diverse background to show that people of all disciplines can contribute to all levels of government. “Politics needs people from all areas,” she stressed to the audience. At the time of the event in 2004, Simon had just begun her term as a Democratic district leader in Brooklyn. While she told us she was still learning on the job, Simon seemed excited knowing more about engineering, tunnel technology, and a variety of other fields that she needed to know something about to serve the citizens she represents.
