Sunday, November 23, 2008
Editorial: In need of a political makeover
Here's hoping that the Farm Team will grow a healthy field of able women who want to run for office in Virginia.
From the RoundTable blog
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Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have galvanized women's interest in politics this year, yet it is hard to imagine two more different views of a feminist agenda: Clinton's "it takes a village" liberalism is anathema to Palin's "government is the problem" conservatism, and vice versa.
And on the most contentious women's issue of the day, abortion, Republican Palin's pro-life stance is as far as it can get from Democrat Clinton's support for a woman's right to choose.
Yet the rarity of two women playing such high-profile -- though ultimately unsuccessful -- roles in this year's presidential race brings renewed attention to the gender gap in elected offices, from local boards to seats in Congress. In the latter instance, Virginia stands out:
While Democrats took control of the state's congressional delegation in a year of political realignment, no women will be among the fresh faces the Old Dominion will send to Washington in January -- or among returning veterans, for that matter. The delegation's only woman, Republican Rep. Thelma Drake, lost in November to a Democratic challenger.
So, asks longtime political observer Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, "Where are the Democratic women nominees? To elect three new congressmen -- all of them white males -- is not exactly a badge of honor."
Indeed. But then, the Democrats nominated three women in U.S. House races in Virginia this year. All lost to Republican male incumbents.
Which lends an air of necessity to a nascent political organization called the Farm Team, organized in September by former state attorney general and Democratic Party stalwart Mary Sue Terry with the idea of finding, recruiting and grooming women for political leadership. Women candidates must be ready when opportunity knocks -- like a chance to run for an open seat.
Terry has kept a low profile since she lost a bid for governor 15 years ago and withdrew to the family farm in Patrick County. While she's not looking to make a political comeback, the Farm Team is a welcome re-emergence nevertheless.
If successful, Terry and team can move Virginia government in a progressive direction, making it more truly representative of the people and their interests.
For, while Clinton and Palin vividly illustrate that there is no single "women's view" of how best to govern, women across the political spectrum often do share common priorities for themselves and their families, and perhaps even a more collaborative governing style.
It's past time they hone their leadership skills and take up politics, not simply as spectators and voters, but as policymakers. From the grass roots, one day a woman governor of Virginia will grow. Perhaps even in Terry's lifetime. The audacity of hope is contagious.
