What was an historic moment; the only two women ever to run as Vice-Presidential candidates, appearing together on national television for the first time; and what could have been a proud moment for women on both sides of the fence, is now more a commentary on women of the 20th century and a moment wasted.
Could it really be for all the glass ceilings broken, good old boy networks fragmented and strides made, that women in the end are their own worst enemies? Apparently yes, for those of the 20th century. From 1971 to today, study after study showed women were more likely to sabotage other women in the workplace and especially in law firms, where more often than not, women sabotaged their female colleagues under the acceptance and assumption that only one woman could prevail, thus as competition, any other needed to go.
Never was this more blatantly displayed than by Ms. Ferraro for whom ungenerous takes a back seat to all out bullying, and the prevailing mandate that assumed two accomplished women could not share the stage or screen and therefore, she needed to do everything short of physically shoving her counterpart to feel secure. It was shameless, painful and I was embarrassed for her and every little girl who might have believed in order to run with the big dogs, she needed to act like a bitch. In deference to Ms. Ferraro, she did rise through the ranks as a lawyer.
Mercifully, the 21st century equivalent was a bit more redeeming to women as Sarah Palin handled the situation better than any hardened litigator or experienced combatant and thus provided me with not only an opportunity, but a mandate to sing Ms. Palin's praises and forced me to consider for the first time, if the skills learned in rearing a large family and prevailing in a close-knit community are not the skills and tools needed at the end of the day. Blatant was the disparity.
I wasn't old enough to support Congresswoman Ferraro, and now I am far too mature to line up behind her.
