High Heels in the White House

The long, tall shadow hovering over the other three candidates in the presidential, yes, I said presidential race, has an unfamiliar shape to it; it is distinctly feminine.

That's highly unusual in the land of cowboy and Indians (male figures come first to mind), the land of the free (but women have had the right to vote for less than 100 years) and the home of the brave (women make up 54% of the voting public and hold a disgracefully low percentage of political power positions). But change is in the air.

Maybe Sarah will be on the winning ticket and maybe she will not. It doesn't really matter. Hillary made a historic run for president, and Sarah continues the fight to break through the gender blockade to the White House.

It may take a woman like Sarah to be the first woman Vice President of the United States. She's smart, tough and gets the job done, yet she also reveres motherhood, family and life. Not to mention she's a babe with a beauty queen past. Consequently, men (and conservative women) find her less threatening than a woman who advocate the right to choose and other more liberal viewpoints. White males are more comfortable with conservative women. Conservative women are more comfortable with a woman who shares their point of view. The silent majority ( and that would be the 54% of eligible voters) is tired of being represented by an overwhelmingly male voice. Her time of arrival is spot on.

She is one of us. She's juggled a family and a career. She is a small town American girl, and there are lots of women who share her story and are ready to see her make history. I don't agree with all her views, and I certainly don't agree with all of the views of the man who selected her as his running mate.

I do applaud him for his very brave choice.

In 2008 it's a shame a woman (or a black) on the ticket is so very newsworthy.