Misstropolis

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Barbara Lee at the DNC

by Robin Hauck

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In an environment where women politicians are scrutinized more for how they dress (promising an interview with Michelle Obama on the campaign trail this month, Vogue focused only on her choice of a Gap dress) than how they lead, Cambridge based activist and fundraiser Barbara Lee continues to push the power of female political leadership to the fore.

Since 1999 Lee has been advancing her two primary causes - women in politics and women in the arts through the Barbara Lee Foundation. A key supporter of Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency, she brought the candidate to Boston for one of her first major fundraising events.

The outcome of Hillary’s run for office has enlightened and motivated her, Lee says. The media onslaught was “eye opening” for much of the country and it has mobilized many women. “Sexism smolders under the surface until something so outrageous happens that people have to take notice.” She says she is witnessing the growth of a new girls network and she’s determined to keep it going.

Last night at the DNC, delegates approved the Democratic Party’s platform, entitled “Renewing America’s Promise.” The platform, which articulates Obama’s policy ideas and holds the party to them, also recognizes many ideas from Hillary’s campaign. And thanks to the tireless efforts of many women’s groups, Obama agreed to concessions in the platform that include recognition of sexism during the primary battle.

Lee is in Denver this week with a singular mission – to support women in politics and make sure progress like that continues. And she is inspired by what she has found. “Women,” she says, “are on a roll.”

Included in Boston Magazine’s list of “The 100 People Who Run This Town,” and one of the 50 most powerful people in Boston (Boston Magazine, May 2008), Barbara Lee is part of the force of change that is happening in politics today as a result of the momentum generated by Clinton’s historic run for the presidency. Michelle Obama even mentioned the “18 million cracks in the glass ceiling” that refer to Clinton’s votes of support.

Lee spoke at the Unconventional Women symposium in Denver on Monday evening, which drew over 3,000 people. Along with Ellen Malcolm of Emily’s List she addressed a highly charged crowd about her area of expertise, getting women elected governor.

Other speakers at Unconventional Women included Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama, Senator Barbara Boxer, Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts and Hillary Clinton.

Lee’s goal is to be the political equivalent of a race car driver’s pit crew for female political candidates. She’s there for women even before they announce a candidacy, much as Danica Patrick’s pit crew is there lap after lap till the end of the race. And she has launched a staggering number of successful initiatives to promote women’s leadership. Emerge Massachusetts is a training program to train Democratic women in the state. She has made endowments at her alma mater Simmons College - the Barbara Lee Political Intern Fellowship Program and at at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government - The Oval Office Program.

There has been much success since 1999. Just in the past two years, Massachusetts has seen a series of individual gains for women in politics, most prominently Niki Tsongas’s election to Congress, Therese Murray’s to State Senate president, Martha Coakley’s to attorney general, and Maureen Feeney’s to Boston City Council president. And in New Hampshire, Governor Jeanne Shaheen is currently running for Senate against John Sununu. She would be 1st woman Senator from NH and the first woman governor to become a senator.

Misstropolis joins Barbara Lee in hoping that this transformational moment in political history will motivate more women to run for office. Support women candidates whenever you can, and recruit women who aspire toward political office but hesitate for one reason or another. According to Lee, we can dramatically increase the number of women who get elected if we can just convince them to run.

As she writes in the forward to her guidebook, Keys to the Governor’s Office “We must continue to advance the cause of women’s equality. In my case, that means helping to remove the last roadblocks to full and equal political power.”

That’s what she’s doing this week in Denver, and that’s what she’ll do when she returns to Boston. Women in MA too, are on a roll.