If Brown Beats Coakley, No Whining About Glass Ceilings

By John A. Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

When reviewing Anne Kornblut's book about the glass ceiling for women in U.S. politics last week, I put my own two cents in.

Part of the fault for the lack of female presidential timber in this country, I argued, lies with women themselves. If women candidates don't run for president, they won't get elected.

I generally skipped the question of female voters, especially many younger ones, who don't see things through the same feminist prism as previous generations. But now we have a Massachusetts Senate race where the women's vote could determine not just the outcome of the contest, but the partisan makeup of the U.S. Senate and the fate of the Democratic healthcare reform plan. Let's visit the issue.

Much has been written and shouted and said about the healthcare bill. Put it all aside. This much is bankably true: It will benefit no one as much as it helps moms and kids. Especially single moms, working to raise a family in tough economic times, who may live the hardest lives in our society.

Forget all other "women's issues." If Martha Coakley loses the Senate seat, the healthcare bill probably dies. And according to the pollsters, the turnout and support of female voters is critical to Coakley's chances.

And so we have a great test case for American women. A female candidate is running for the U.S. Senate, where her vote could bring relief to thousands of struggling working moms, and their children, across the land.

For the women of Massachusetts--and America--it is time to put up or shut up. If you don't send money, work the phones, and get to the polls to vote, you deserve what you get. And then don't whine to me about glass ceilings.

• Check out this month's best political cartoons.
• Become a political insider: Subscribe to U.S. News Weekly, our digital magazine.
• Follow the Thomas Jefferson Street blog on Twitter.

Reader Comments Read all comments (28)

Add Your Thoughts

Comment Name State Select One AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.