Two Female Options for Prez
Current FLOTUS for the next POTUS, anyone?
By Lindsey Davis, Iowa State University
Hey, did you know that Donald Trump won the presidential ticket last Tuesday?
Did you know that on Friday, January 20 he will be inaugurated? If not—wait, I’m not even going to go there. My goal here is to remind you that Hillary Clinton lost the election, therefore the United States has still not seen a female in the Oval Office.
You’re welcome for telling you something you already knew.
Not everyone (yes, women included) felt that Clinton should have been the one to make history and win the presidential ticket, while others are still recovering from her stunning loss. So, for those of you who believe it’s long overdue to see some female power rock the United States political sphere, and with the landmark feat still up for grabs, who should ultimately be the one to “shatter that highest and hardest glass ceiling”?
Michelle Obama
If you’re anything like me, knowing that the dynamic Obama duo has only two months left to grace the White House is heartbreaking. I’ve loved the couple from the beginning, and I’m even more upset that Barack Obama and his sidekick Joe Biden have just a little more time to run the country together. Can someone at least promise me that the memes will not cease to exist?
Regardless, one would be hard pressed to find a more charismatic, genuine, intelligent, graceful and passionate woman than Michelle Obama. People have already taken to the Internet to persuade—well, more like beg—the First Lady to run for president in 2020. Although she told South by Southwest festival-goers way back in March that there was no chance she would run for commander-in-chief, people are still holding onto the hope that she’ll change her mind in the next couple years.
As a soon-to-be former First Lady, Michelle has lived and breathed in the political spotlight for the past eight years. She’s no stranger to the West Wing and has raised two beautiful, smart young girls in the midst of her own activist endeavors. Michelle is a powerhouse, and I know if I met her in person I’d be much more in awe of her than I already am.
Did I mention Michelle graduated from Princeton University and then Harvard Law School? And that she started two education initiatives, Reach Higher and Let Girls Learn? You also may remember that she implemented the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act back in 2010, aka when all the junk food was removed from your middle school cafeteria. Those were really hard times for my ninth grade Poptart-eating self, and I feel your pain, but in hindsight what Michelle enacted sparked a fight against childhood obesity and started educating young people on the importance of nutrition.
Now, you know how much I love Michelle Obama, but I truly believe she is educated and qualified enough to run the United States. I’ll look forward to the next couple years to see whether or not she changes her mind on going after the Democratic bid. Maybe she could even ask Joe Biden to be part of her team.
Elizabeth Warren
I don’t have concrete evidence why, but I was always leery of Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, until I watched her rip the Wells Fargo CEO to shreds after the bank’s scandal a few months ago. The girl crushed it and totally put John Stumpf in the dirt. If you haven’t yet seen the video, you’ll bear witness to a feisty politician and American citizen stand up for the morals of her country and protect the helpless. It’s incredible.
Furthermore, Warren is more than qualified to hold presidential office. Warren is a graduate of the University of Houston and Rutgers School of Law. She taught law for over 30 years and became senator in 2012.
Her Twitter account is fantastic to follow—unless you’re a die-hard Trump fan who is sick of critics. As I’m writing this (Tuesday, Nov. 15) Warren has directed eight tweets at president-elect Donald Trump calling him out for an unclear platform and disappointing transition team choices.
She declared, “Keeping these lobbyists & insiders on your team sends a clear message, @realDonaldTrump: your campaign was a giant con.”
And after the Trump team announced that Steven Bannon, executive chairman of Breitbart News, which is a politically conservative outlet (to put it kindly), Warren tweeted out this:
“The President of the United States should condemn bigots, @realDonaldTrump. Not give them a West Wing office to decide our country’s future.”
In a world of sub-tweeters and passive aggressive haters, Warren goes straight for the gut. She’s not afraid to call it like it is, which makes for a fascinating rhetoric brawl between the senator and the president-elect. As for running the United States, I believe she would stand up for those who often get trampled by the elite and would act from both her head (political savviness) and her heart (admirable morals).
Don’t let this article fool you into thinking I’m biased. I know both Michelle Obama and Elizabeth Warren identify with the Democratic party, but that does not mean I don’t think any Republican women have the qualifications, stamina, wit and intelligence to hold the highest American office.
2020 can’t get here soon enough—and to my fellow American women, I hope that highest glass ceiling finally gets shattered.
