EI lecturer Anne Kornblut discusses book, women in politics
By Ciara O’Connor, Contributing Writer
Anne Kornblut
On Sept. 21, the Eisenhower Institute welcomed Anne Kornblut, the deputy political editor at The Washington Post, for their annual Constitution Day Lecture.
The event was organized by Senior Eisenhower Institute fellows Alexandra Papada and Katelyn Stauffer.
Kornblut has been covering presidential elections since 2000 and wrote “Notes from the Cracked Ceiling” after the 2008 campaign. The book focuses on the role of gender in American politics, specifically why the United States has never elected a female president.
“The Women’s Vote: Will the Female Vote Determine the Next Presidential Victor?” continued the discussion of gender in American politics.
Korblut started covering Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2006 as a reporter for The New York Times. She explained 2008 was declared “The Year of the Woman” because of both Clinton’s run and John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin.
Kornblut was skeptical of this title because Clinton lost the democratic nomination to now-President Barack Obama and Palin actually brought the Republican ticket down.
Although Kornblut was apprehensive to declare any recent or upcoming year “The Year of the Woman” in terms of women being elected to powerful offices, she did see this year’s election cycle as extremely focused on women’s issues and the importance of female voters.
Women make up 51 percent of the electorate, and both parties are trying to appeal more to women. This is especially true for the Democratic Party who is dependent on the “gender gap” to win elections.
Kornblut emphasized the importance not only of archetypal “women’s issues” (abortion, health care, access to birth control) but also the economy, which she cited as the biggest women’s issue.
She concluded the lecture by fielding questions about Condoleeza Rice, Sarah Palin and her personal experiences as a female in a male dominated field.
“The Women’s Vote: Will the Next Female Vote Determine the Next Presidential Victor?” is the first of a series of panels about the 2012 Presidential election. The Eisenhower Institute will host 15 student-designed panels throughout the year.
