| Home | Our Leadership | Our Economies | Our Wars | Our Perspectives | Our Culture | Links | About |
The political tone in our country is shifting dramatically. The 2008 presidential race welcomed old and young, black and white, and male and female candidates of all personal and political backgrounds. And, very soon we will welcome our first African-American president into office. With the many positive strides that our country is experiencing politically, the voice of women in politics is ever-present.
But it seems these days as though women in the political spotlight are more parody than power. Nationally, Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Sarah Palin are being spoofed regularly by popular media, namely NBC's Saturday Night Live. Gov. Palin has been portrayed by actress and director Tina Fey as an ignorant, inexperienced politician, while Sen. Clinton has been represented by SNL actress Amy Poehler as uptight and plain.
Locally, congressional candidate Darcy Burner made a mockery of herself in two of her recent debates when she falsely claimed to have a degree in economics from Harvard. Burner said she "loved economics so much (she) got a degree in it" when in reality, she earned a degree in computer science taking only five economics courses which is well below the requirements for an economics degree. With this negative publicity running rampant, positive strides by women in politics are refreshing.
Washington’s Governor Chris Gregoire, a shining star among female politicos, has a mission statement. It reads “Moving our state forward the Washington way, working across party lines, across the state, across the country and around the world to identify our common values and find common sense solutions for Washington families.” In the four short years that she has held the office of Governor, Gregoire has produced positive changes state wide.
As students entering the work force within the next four years, we should pay paricular attention to two of Gov. Gregoire’s agenda points. She has laid the foundation for a strong work force with a competitive minimum wage, and she supports the education of our youth as part of that foundation.
In an act that has come under scrutiny by her opposition, Gov. Gregoire raised Washington’s minimum wage in order to support hardworking families subsisting on obscenely low incomes. Gregoire’s opposition in the gubernatorial race would like to lower that wage by up to $1.50 only for teens because they aren’t supporting families.
Gov. Gregoire supports the positive direction of our youth from early learning to higher education. As an alumnus of University of Washington with a teaching degree, Gov. Gregoire has positively impacted our campus by capping tuition increases and raising faculty pay. She has also broadened the accessibility of college and universities and established the Washington College Bound Scholarships for in-state college freshmen.
Amid the political circus of brand names, shady agendas, ruthless opponents and an obvious need for change, Gov. Gregoire has risen above the propaganda and made positive strides in our state. In the tough political arena, she stands out as a beacon of hope for women in politics.