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Madeleine May Kunin served as Governor of Vermont, 1985-1991, as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, 1993-1996, and Ambassador to Switzerland, 1996-1999. She is the founder of the Institute for Sustainable Communities, is a Marsh professor at the University of Vermont, and a commentator on Vermont public radio. She also served three terms as a state representative and two terms as Lt. Governor. Now she blogs for The Lattice Group. And what an honor it is! Inevitably, with a woman running for President, gender has become a hot topic for political pundits and lattice bloggers alike. With long experience looking at the role of women in politics, Kunin gives her perspective on the endless race that the US primary election has become, and the role of Hillary Clinton as the first real female contendor for the role of Commander-in-Chief. The Lattice Group remains non-partisan and invites all sides to join the discussion. Hillary Clinton: Staying In Should she or shouldn’t she? Get out. That’s the question that Hillary Clinton and her supporters are being asked as the primary campaign winds down. Her massive win in West Virginia, garnering 67% of the vote proved that she could attract working class votes on a grand scale. But is West Virginia enough? As I watched her victory speech after the West Virginia primary I found myself with conflicted emotions. She looked as if she never had missed a moment’s sleep. Confident and dazzling in the cloak of victory. How does she do it?, I asked myself as I shared in her joy. How does she remain so strong, so awake, so determined? This is one resilient woman, ready to bounce back again and agin. It was a great night for her and for Hillary Clinton supporters. And yet, I could not dislodge the shadow that crept across the screen, a shadow cast by the talking heads who dismissed her achievement and continued to say with routine monotony that there was no way she could pull it off, despite West Virginia and an expected triumph in Kentucky next Tuesday. They may be right. But like Hillary, I am not ready to call it quits. I will not walk out on Hillary Clinton unless and until she bows out on her own terms. Yes, it’s an uphill fight and, yes, the chances are slim that she can prevail. But I am filled with admiration for her fighting spirit, for her strength, and for her ability to achieve what no woman in American history has yet done— demonstrate that a qualified woman candidate for President is a tough, resilient, and serious contender who will fight for the democratic nomination until the last primary votes are counted. She has the right to bring her message to every voter, to continue to give Americans a choice, until the nominee is chosen. I have supported Hillary Clinton from the start because I have gotten to know her over the years. First, when she was a governor’s spouse and I was Governor of Vermont during Bill Clinton’s tenure as governor of Arkansas. Then I saw her in action in the White House while I was Deputy Secretary of Education and later Ambassador to Switzerland. I was wowed by her brilliance, impressed by her ability to make a come back after the failure of her health care plan. I got to know a Hillary Clinton who is far different from the card board cut out figure portrayed in the media. She is warm and funny, and most importantly, she cares about the future of our country. That is why it is hard to let go, not now, not yet.
- Madeleine Kunin is the author of the recently published book, "Pearls, Politics and Power, how women can win and lead," Chelsea Green Press, White River Jct. Vermont 2008 and She she is the author of a political memoir, "Living a Political Life," Knopf, 1994. photo by Paul Boisvert
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