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A review by betiana
When Women Win: EMILY’s List and the Rise of Women in American Politics by Ellen Malcolm
3.0
The introduction moved me to tears. Not because it was particularly well written or because it revealed a heart-breaking event, but because it was written with the hope and near certainty many of us had that we'd have a woman serving as President by the time it went into bookstores.
The book itself has no surprises for those who have been following women in politics for the last 20 years. It does have lots of information about what to do to support women who are running for office. It also shows how to "follow the money" by getting money early.
What is most disappointing about the book is its self-serving nature. Malcolm calls Biden's actions during the Thomas-Hill hearings "not his finest moment." Indeed! Also, perhaps cynically, I saw the turn-around EMILY's List made with Carol Mosley Brown as an attempt to conceal its initial lukewarm support for women of color. I felt that the latter comparison of Ms. Mosley Brown to the Tea Party supports my assumption. I hope I'm wrong, but I've learned to notice certain attitudes hidden in pretty words over the years.
Perhaps I'm nitpicking. And yet, when a champion of women in politics makes the decision to refer to a female senator by her given name (Patty, referring to Sen. Murray) and to a male senator by his last name (Ryan, as in Sen. Paul Ryan) in the same sentence, ("Patty and Paul focused on common ground") my heart sinks. We have a long way to go.
Then again, thanks to Malcolm and her organization, we've come a long way. There were less than 5% of members of Congress, of either party, who were women the year I was born. Women now make 20% of Congress. I hope we can get to 50% in my lifetime. And I certainly hope there can be a reprint of this book when we elect the first female President of the United States. Let's hope I don't have to wait another 40 years for that.
The book itself has no surprises for those who have been following women in politics for the last 20 years. It does have lots of information about what to do to support women who are running for office. It also shows how to "follow the money" by getting money early.
What is most disappointing about the book is its self-serving nature. Malcolm calls Biden's actions during the Thomas-Hill hearings "not his finest moment." Indeed! Also, perhaps cynically, I saw the turn-around EMILY's List made with Carol Mosley Brown as an attempt to conceal its initial lukewarm support for women of color. I felt that the latter comparison of Ms. Mosley Brown to the Tea Party supports my assumption. I hope I'm wrong, but I've learned to notice certain attitudes hidden in pretty words over the years.
Perhaps I'm nitpicking. And yet, when a champion of women in politics makes the decision to refer to a female senator by her given name (Patty, referring to Sen. Murray) and to a male senator by his last name (Ryan, as in Sen. Paul Ryan) in the same sentence, ("Patty and Paul focused on common ground") my heart sinks. We have a long way to go.
Then again, thanks to Malcolm and her organization, we've come a long way. There were less than 5% of members of Congress, of either party, who were women the year I was born. Women now make 20% of Congress. I hope we can get to 50% in my lifetime. And I certainly hope there can be a reprint of this book when we elect the first female President of the United States. Let's hope I don't have to wait another 40 years for that.