Little Steps Make Big Changes

Friday, November 10, 2006

Forgive me. I know I said I don't do politics very often, and that's still true. Just with elections this week, and Rumsfeld's resignation, and so forth and so on, it's been a politically saturated week in America. I've got one more political post up my sleeve, so let me get it out of the way, and then I'm back to sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Whatever that means.

I'm so happy that for the first time ever, a woman is sitting in the second seat in the line of succession for President of the United States. Nancy Pelosi, newest speaker of the House, is now one of the most powerful female politicians this country has ever seen.

While I am, like I said, very happy, I'm also very worried. Ms. Pelosi, above all else, is a politician. The very attributes that make her such a good politician also make her a wonderful target as a woman. Her passion could easily be misconstrued by critics as "hysteria," her determination as "bitchiness," etc. I mean you needn't look any further than this post by one of my favorite bloggers, Certifiable Princess, to see that women are commonly seen as predatory "vipers" even by other women. Dubya has already started on the sexist bullying saying, "In my first act of bipartisan outreach since the election, I shared with her the names of some Republican interior decorators who can help her pick out the new drapes for her new offices," on Wednesday.

Ms. Pelosi's success has started a new chapter in American history. Hopefully she keeps the door open for younger women to start in politics and break up the country's greatest sausuge-fest.