Countdown to the Iowa Caucuses III -- Who's Woman Enough for the Job?

The growing hot competition among Democratic front runners Clinton and Obama is showering more attention on Iowa women than they have had in decades, in part because polls show Obama's new found lead is being driven by women.

Iowa is 51 percent female, and women were 54 percent of caucus voters in 2004. They are also 52 percent of the people who consider themselves "likely voters." You can see why, with only a few points dividing them Obama and Clinton are both competing for this powerful group.

"Who's woman enough for the job?" maybe the most amusing competition we've enjoyed in my lifetime.

Iowa has a quite a legacy when it comes to strong women on both sides of the aisle.

At least two women should have been governor. Roxanne Conlin who ran in 1982 and Bonnie Campbell, who ran in 1994 and went on to become the first Director of the Violence Against Women Office in the Department of Justice created during the Clinton administration.

Mary Louise Smith who chaired the Republican National Committee from 1974-77 was another rising star in Iowa politics. Mary Louise was a friend and colleague who gave me an early warning about the ascendancy of a new conservative right wing in her party. And she was naturally one of the first casualties of that growing faction who finally triumphed with Ronald Reagan. He booted the socially progressive Mary Louise Smith out of leadership on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Race is not Iowa's strong suit. The state is 93 percent Caucasian. When I lived there, I was working on both gender and race in the late 1980s the folks swore they weren't racist because they didn't even know anybody who wasn't white. Yikes.

But gender is another matter. I cut my teeth on gender politics in Iowa because there were women leaders, and the right-wing knows just where the soft spot for work is -- the role of women. So this focus on women voters is delicious.

Both Clinton and Obama are doing their job well. You can go on the web and view testimonials from women who plan to take their daughters to the caucuses to vote for Clinton. And as the founder of Take Our Daughters to Work, I can tell you there's nothing more irresistible as an incentive to fathers than seeing their daughters light up with new found aspiration and ambition.

But Oprah Winfrey also lights up a crowd. When former President Clinton tried to spark a race initiative during his presidency, he didn't get any traction. But Winfrey WAS the race initiative: she used her platform to get folks to read literature written by racially diverse authors. I never underestimate her power to sway the people.

Iowa also has a strong history with the peace movement, and the war in Iraq tops the Democratic agenda. Obama's early stance against the war gives him clout with women who are a part of that legacy. But for the last several years, our White House Project polling shows that voters would trust a women president at the same level or more than a man to deal with homeland security, foreign policy and the economy; a sea change in the last decade. They even trust a woman president more than a man on the important security predictor human rights.

Let's look at it this way: Aren't we lucky.

We have race and gender at the top of the ticket of a major party. As a feminist and child of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, I don't know if I could have imagined this scenario.

We have a black man saying he is the women's candidate, and a white woman who allies herself with a black leader, Al Sharpton, who always challenges our nation on race. Is this a race and gender bender election or what?

But stay tuned: the debate on Thursday should be a lulu. And turnout for the caucuses is key. I have lived through many an Iowa blizzard and a big snowstorm could end up trumping both race and gender in the end.

Comments

[Researchguy66]

Race and gender should be irrelevant, but they always weren't and they aren't now. A lot of Americans feel that a woman or black man, even as a nominee, say a lot about how far our society has come. I'm one of them, but I don't think it will trump bread and butter issues when Iowans head to the caucuses.

Women care more about good jobs for their husbands and themselves if they need to woor. They care about education to help their children get ahead in life. They care about healthcare. So do African-Americans. Not surprising, so do white men. The candidate that makes the most compelling argument that they can deliver on these promises will win, hands down.

[Chuckbutcher]

I really can't think of anything more stupid and prejudiced than making a vote based on gender or race. That would seem to be a move backwards, but then I'm a white male...

[FogBelter]

Ms Wilson, a fine piece to be sure, but I want a good, insightful, intelligent, passionate, visionary as President to try to undo the damage of the last 7 years.

I don't care about race or sex ... it's irrelevant.

[wndrwrthg]

If you want to vote race or gender, vote for those two. If you want to vote for the most qualified person for the job, vote for Bill Richardson.

[leftLibertarian]

Would you vote for Margaret Thatcher because she's a woman.

Will Oprah ever apologize for using her TV show as a propaganda tool for Bush's war?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqVtRJeXxXM

[Qbear]

Maybe it's because both the first Black man with a real chance of winning vs. the first woman with a real chance of winning, the excitement about either, gets cancelled out by half. I'm also a child of Civil Rights and I worked lobbying with feminists to pass safe abortions in MN before Roe vs, Wade.

When I imagined either the first woman or first Black president....I thought I'd be happier, than I am this year.
I don't support Hillary after Kyl/Lieberman, and I don't support Obama after Donnie McClurkin SPIT on me and every LGBT American.

what's behind curtain #3?

[JoAnnCr]

You forget the Iowa voters are also extremely committed to sifting through all the hubris about candidates. Unlike the media and Marie Wilson, the Iowans also know this is not a two person race.

You will be very surprised if you strike up a conversation like this in most of Iowa. You'd be about as well off if you personally insulted an Iowan to his/her face.