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The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,734 posts) Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:27 PM Nov 2014

Here's a list of women heads of state/government since 1917. And not a single American on it.

http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Female_Leaders.htm

It's depressing. This observation should not be construed as an endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president - I'm not that crazy about her for ideological and political reasons - but why, if countries like India, Portugal, Bolivia, etc., who elected women as heads of state decades ago, is the U.S. so backward in that regard?

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Here's a list of women heads of state/government since 1917. And not a single American on it. (Original Post) The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2014 OP

because we hang on to false narratives... VanillaRhapsody Nov 2014 #1

Irrespective of Hillary Clinton - there should have been other women candidates years ago The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2014 #2

Geraldine Ferraro was a candidate for Vice President in 1984 hfojvt Nov 2014 #4

Yes Geraldine Ferrara and Shirley Chisholm VanillaRhapsody Nov 2014 #5

Margaret Thatcher was a conservative. The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2014 #9

but she is not running for President.... VanillaRhapsody Nov 2014 #12

Exactly shenmue Nov 2014 #3

Canada has had a female head of state for decades. AngryAmish Nov 2014 #6

Queen Elizabeth doesn't count; she wasn't elected. The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2014 #10

Then depose her. AngryAmish Nov 2014 #11

Well, that's not up to me. They seem to like her well enough in the UK. The Velveteen Ocelot Nov 2014 #13

If Secretary Clinton runs, that will change in 2016. NaturalHigh Nov 2014 #7

Because women are always attacked. William769 Nov 2014 #8

Thatcher was a female. U4ikLefty Nov 2014 #14

There have been MUSLIM countries that have had women leaders over 40 years ago! Odin2005 Nov 2014 #15

The truth is, it has a lot to do, more than anything else..... AverageJoe90 Nov 2014 #16

VanillaRhapsody

(21,115 posts)

1. because we hang on to false narratives...

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:31 PM

Nov 2014

about our candidates.....like the old one that women were too emotional....or the new one that Hillary Clinton is a Conservative Democrat...just for examples...

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,734 posts)

2. Irrespective of Hillary Clinton - there should have been other women candidates years ago

Reply to VanillaRhapsody (Reply #1)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:37 PM

Nov 2014

who actually were taken seriously, not just vanity candidates like Michele Bachmann (for example). Yes, there was (shudder) Sarah Palin, a candidate for vice-president, but she was chosen as a woman for all the wrong reasons - because she was thought to be "hot." Clinton IS a conservative Democrat, but that's not the point of this post. It's not about her. It's about why other countries (almost all of them but the US) have been electing women since 1917. If there's a vigorous primary and Clinton wins it, fine. I wish some other women were running as well.

hfojvt

(37,573 posts)

4. Geraldine Ferraro was a candidate for Vice President in 1984

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #2)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:48 PM

Nov 2014

and she may have hurt the ticket. Maybe not though, since Dukakis/Bentsen also got shellacked.

But you have to start with the states and the Senate. Other than General Ike, most of the Presidents or candidates for president have been former Governors and/or former/current Senators.

Myself, I worry more about policies than gender. I'd rather have Joe Biden than Michelle Bachmann, or John Kerry than Condaleeza Rice, or Jimmy Carter than Margaret Thatcher.

VanillaRhapsody

(21,115 posts)

5. Yes Geraldine Ferrara and Shirley Chisholm

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #2)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:53 PM

Nov 2014

but we were told they were too emotional because they are women....

now the new one is "she is a Conservative"....

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,734 posts)

9. Margaret Thatcher was a conservative.

Reply to VanillaRhapsody (Reply #5)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 07:08 PM

Nov 2014

Didn't stop her. She was awful, but...

VanillaRhapsody

(21,115 posts)

12. but she is not running for President....

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #9)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 08:39 PM

Nov 2014

and she WAS a conservative...you seemed to have missed the point of that....

shenmue

(38,506 posts)

3. Exactly

Reply to VanillaRhapsody (Reply #1)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:38 PM

Nov 2014

Glad you spotted that.

AngryAmish

(25,704 posts)

6. Canada has had a female head of state for decades.

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:54 PM

Nov 2014

Not on the list.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,734 posts)

10. Queen Elizabeth doesn't count; she wasn't elected.

Reply to AngryAmish (Reply #6)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 07:09 PM

Nov 2014

AngryAmish

(25,704 posts)

11. Then depose her.

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #10)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 08:10 PM

Nov 2014

I would do worse. Tell the Canadians to get off their knees.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,734 posts)

13. Well, that's not up to me. They seem to like her well enough in the UK.

Reply to AngryAmish (Reply #11)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 11:13 PM

Nov 2014

Their country, their queen.

NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)

7. If Secretary Clinton runs, that will change in 2016.

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:54 PM

Nov 2014

William769

(55,147 posts)

8. Because women are always attacked.

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 04:59 PM

Nov 2014

I give the OP and many posts on the front page of General Discussion as proof.

Everyone tells me how much they hate Hillary by attacking her. I'd like to see those same people walk a mile in her shoes. Just saying.

There are more women in America than men. Use that power in the voting booth, otherwise...

U4ikLefty

(4,012 posts)

14. Thatcher was a female.

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 11:15 PM

Nov 2014

...and I'm not voting for Hillary.

Odin2005

(53,521 posts)

15. There have been MUSLIM countries that have had women leaders over 40 years ago!

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Sun Nov 16, 2014, 11:54 PM

Nov 2014

AverageJoe90

(10,745 posts)

16. The truth is, it has a lot to do, more than anything else.....

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Original post)

Mon Nov 17, 2014, 12:03 AM

Nov 2014

with the dark side of American exceptionalism. Yes, I hate to admit this myself, but it's true. Though for some countries like India, or Bangladesh? They realized that they were behind on the curve and sought to remedy that. And the rest of the situation is *way* too complex for me to explain well.....so I'll let others do that, if they wish.

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