"Someday we will launch a woman" From Hillary's concession speech

Dear Meenakshi,

please include:

Angela Merkel

Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany. .):)

Thx,

Albert

i am for that, I tend to gravitate towards women. I find that most men I talk with are not soulful enough…hate to use those words but it pretty much true. I have been teaching Reiki for 10 years to over 400 students and can count on my hand the amount of men who took the classes.

This country needs someone with a caring attitude who thinks from the heart vs fear.

I will vote for Obama….but he was always my second choice.

Hopefully, the USA will move into the future and elect Obama.  It's time to retitre all those rich old white guys who think war is a game to be won or lost.  Time to return diplomacy as an actual activity, time to talk to everyone - especially our enemies.  Time to have a literate person leading the country.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank you for this wonderful list! I plan to copy and send it on. I wonder, how did you compose it? It is something I've wantded to do, but didn't make the time.

Power to the people and the women who birth them and nurse them and rasie them to be kind, compassionate people…

May all the living women leaders be guided by the light of love and economic justice.

Thanks again (for that moving speech too)!

Mary

PS. I was watching the concession speech when my boss made a surprize appearance to our site. it was neat that I didnt feel any need to hide what I was doing and we shared a few moments watching it together and discussing the empowerment of women! Way cool!

I look forward to the day when gender, race, disability, etc. aren't a “big thing.”  Whether it's an “rich old white guy” (to quote mimi),  or a woman or a person of colour - someone, somewhere will have difficulty with it, and that pushes aside what really counts - policy, issues, etc.  Until we can put the focus on what is truly important, then the candidate's gender and race will preoccupy a disproportionate amount of attention. 

¡Don’t forget Michele Bachelet, President of Chile and Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina!
Like Otter, I wish race and gender did not matter in these situations, just ideas, ability, commitment and integrity.

This really is fantastic; I really didn't know it was this long a list.

My country has never had a female leader, only a deputy, who really was quite 'manly'… yes, let your imagination wander… and I can definitely see the results of so many years of toughness - apparently the viewed need over time.

I think that balance is much more important than the trappings [race, gender, 'experience'], so: virtuous human characteristics like resolve, discernment, consistency, sensitivity and vision… all of which are available to any of the species, gender irrespective.

Thanks! sherri

45.  Hugs and peace to you Meenakshi, 
I can see it now, Meenakshi for President
start here  or go to the next one
http://kathysmith.gaia.com/blog/2008/6/china_update_-_thanks_for_donations_given#comments

thank you,
samme

Hi ho, on the hug trail I go!
Dropping by to give a
biig hug!

very moving and smart speech and it is encouraging to see a growing list.

i whole-heartedly agree with Sherri that we should try not to get stuck on the trappings of gender race age etc and transcend these to become trappings-free in our thinking, doing and voting. To add another example of female toughness that we may all recall or have heard of is Margaret Thatcher, who has put across very anti-social and mysogynous views. What a relief when she decided to step down! Just because you come from one place (+gender +race +age) doesn't make you a better or worse person, than who you are and what you stand for. That said, i am waiting for the day that Japan has a female prime minister…it might take a while!

The Philippines has its incumbent Prsdient Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which is not in the list.

Thanks for speaking out, Meenaskshi. I couldn't agree more. Even the term 'minority' is so often bandied about, and it's clearly indicative of imbalance. Frankly to keep distinguishing people from those terms is really unfortunately sad, as each categorisations brings divisions and this causes confusion for one and all. I peacefully refuse to be categorised… God only sees the heart.

Thanks, Meenaskshi. I tend to believe that what we turn to associate with “womanhood” gentleness, compassion and all the subtler feelings often get lost in the process as women climb the political or business ladder.  The case in point is Margaret Thatcher, she is masculine as any head of state so the fact that we have a woman does not necessarily give us what we instinctively would associate with a woman leader. Look to the enlightened leader for that. Leaders like the Mahatma are more feminine.

Another thing that I will like to draw attention to is the fact that most of the time, it appears Americans are insulated from the world. Iff it did not happen in the US than it hasn't happened. And the list of women leaders on your blog actually shows that it is actually very common to have women leaders. So why is America so late in having one?

lol… given that Barak has an african father and an american mother, he may actually be one of the few “african americans” alive!  In truth, although I suppose I'm supposed to keep such feelings “in house,” it's a silly term, to me, a relic of the past.  I've heard plenty of africans express confusion and or dislike of people who have no direct connection anymore to africa calling themselves african.  I prefer to think of myself as a human being with African, European and Asiatic ancestry… asiatic through native american peoples who don't seem to have their own catagory, sadly. 

What separated Barak and Hillary, to me, regarding identity, was Barak never once framed his campaign around being 'the first,' and clinton did.  There was another 'african american' who had framed his campaign around being 'the first,' jesse jackson, and like clinton, he ended up being 'the first' to have a legitamate shot at the candidacy, only to fall short.  Ultimately, I think the first female US president will be the one who runs purely as a human being… if such elections continue, that is.  ; -) 

But as you all have pointed out… there have been plenty of female heads-of-state… I'd like to see global equality of leadership more than feeling a need to have any given country elect a leader with any specific demographic trait next.  Frankly, we've chosen enough leaders based on circumstances of birth.  Ultimately, I'd like it removed completely from political platforms, and as one human to another I am proud of mr. Obama for not at all going there.

I understand the idea of “global equality of leadership” to mean that we are becoming aware of the necessity to transcend the categories of age, of race, of gender, (dare we add of party and of class?). This enables us then to elect individuals who have the objective characteristics that will make the the best leaders among a given pool of presidential candidates. 

If this is a fair summary of what we have been discussing so far, then the obvious question becomes: Is there an electoral guide that lists who makes the best president among a pool of presidential candidates?

Is there a checklist of qualities, a formula  that determines a successful presidential candidate? I am here thinking of Malcolm Gladwell's New Yorker article The formula that claims some people have come up with the recipe to write hit movie scripts. Because once we say that race, and age, and gender, and obviously party and class do not matter then the corollary question is “What then matters in selecting the president?”

Kwami and friends, a leader is someone who others choose to follow, so it still comes down to [appealing] human characteristics regardless. Perhaps at other times particular characteristics were important to the people who voted these leaders in. Today, some other characteristics are necessary, clearly.

In my country, [Barbados in the Caribbean] in response to the Global Mindshift Conversation Week earlier this year, I hosted a conversation about this topic and this was the result:

http://sherrilene.gaia.com/blog/2008/4/a_new_brand_of_leadership_-_the_humanitarian

The findings were consistent with other conversations I have had since then with people from around the world. Times are changing, and anyone choosing the role of leader will have to change with them. Insularity, short-sightedness, disrespect of the intelligence of the people you lead  will have to go  ultimately… sooner, better than later.

I'm moving to the place where this is already the case in point. Indeed, it would appear our new prime minister fits the profile all right [so far]. Of course he has my blessings and my full support that he will keep strong and not buckle to old expectations from the still dominant system.