If past is prologue, this year’s presidential debates could be another all-male affair. Even leaving aside the men running for office, a female journalist has not been tapped as a solo moderator of a presidential debate in twenty years—despite all the other strides that women continue to make in politics and media. That might be about to change.A new campaign calling for “a woman moderator” for the presidential debates has drawn over 115,000 supporters online, through the social action websiteChange.org, and the Commission on Presidential Debates is taking notice. Janet Brown, the commission’s executive director, told The Nation she knew of the petition’s popularity and her colleagues “welcome” the input “regarding moderator selection.”The petition, which was started by three high school students in New Jersey, Emma Axelrod, Sammi Siegeland and Elena Tsemberis, casts the paucity of female moderators as an issue of equality. “We were shocked to find out that it has been twenty years since a woman last moderated a presidential debate,” the petition notes, in reference to the 1992 debate led by ABC News’s Carole Simpson. The students started the effort in conjunction with their civics class, and it is now “the largest elections-related petition” on Change.org, according to Michael Jones, the site’s deputy campaign director. A related effort on UltraViolet.org, a new organizing platform for women’s rights, has drawn another 50,000 supporters.
this is so inspiring, "and a little child shall lead them"
http://bible.cc/isaiah/11-6.htm
It is certainly true that women journalists have been involved in this process. In the 2008 vice presidential debate, for example, 70 million people watched a female candidate face questions from a female moderator. (PBS's Gwen Ifill, who moderated that debate, declined to comment for this article.)
and is a proud Black Woman. breaking through to equality right needs to recognize and some on the left as well that Women are in the house and are looking for all access.
