Earlier this month, Townhall columnist Joy Overbeck wrote "Why No Self-Respecting Woman Can Vote for Hillary." Overbeck suggests that Hillary’s moral compass is improperly calibrated—or even worse, completely broken. While both candidates in this cycle have exhibited questionable behavior, one thing is certain: Hillary Clinton is not a hero or role model for women, and she certainly doesn’t deserve the title of first female president. But here are some women that do.
Condoleezza Rice, Former U.S. Secretary of State
Rice has quite an impressive resume. She was the 66th United States Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, making her the first female African-American Secretary of State. Before leading the State Department, Rice served as the first female National Security Advisor, and before that she served as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs on the National Security Council. After Bush left office, Rice returned to academia. She is once again a professor of political science at Stanford University. Unfortunately, it seems that’s where she wants to stay. Rice made a better secretary of state than Clinton, and she would likely make a better president.
Nikki Haley, Governor, South Carolina
Haley is the first woman and Indian-American to serve as governor of South Carolina, and is the second Indian-American governor in U.S. history (after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana). Unlike Clinton, Haley plays down the fact that she’s a woman. While running for governor, she once said, “We are going to make history on Tuesday, but it’s not history, because there’s the first female governor…It’s history because South Carolina will show what a good government looks like.”
Haley made national headlines last year for her poised, yet emotional, response to the Charleston church shooting. “We have some grieving to do, and we’ve got some pain we have to go through,” Haley said in her speech. “We are a strong and faithful state. We love our state, we love our country and most importantly, we love each other.” Haley also called for the removal of the Confederate Flag from statehouse grounds in Columbia, the state’s capital, after the shooting. The way she handled herself and led her state in the aftermath of the tragedy exemplified her strong leadership skills.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, U.S. Representative (WA-5)
McMorris Rodgers is the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress and the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. She is currently serving her sixth term in the House, and her second term as the Conference Chair. Before serving as Conference Chair, McMorris Rodgers was Vice Chair of the group. During that time she started the House Republican Caucus' "New Media Challenge." The six-week competition was created to help expand Member presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. McMorris Rodgers has emphasized the use of technology throughout her time as Chair.
In an interview for the GOP.gov website, she was asked about her most important, but under-reported, policy initiative. Her answer: “Promoting STEM for girls and encouraging more efforts to make young women aware of the tremendous needs and opportunities within the STEM fields.”
McMorris Rodgers is also involved with the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is Co-Chair of the Down Syndrome Caucus and the Military Family Caucus. Her political chops make it clear that she has what it takes to make it to the White House.
Susana Martinez, Governor, New Mexico
Martinez was the first woman to be elected governor in New Mexico, and the first Latina governor in the U.S. She earned 51 percent of the vote in a five-candidate Republican primary before moving on to the general election. And in 2010, she won the governorship despite being a Republican in a predominantly Democratic state. In April 2012, the Washington Post named Martinez the 8th most-popular governor in the U.S., and in 2013, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. We could definitely see Martinez as president, and apparently so can others. Earlier this year, the Washington Post called her “Glass-ceiling-breaking. History-making. A future Republican leader and maybe even president.”
Carly Fiorina, politician and businesswoman
Fiorina isn’t just a politician, she’s a successful businesswoman. From 1999 to 2005, Fiorina served as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, making her the first woman to lead a Top-20 Fortune 500 company. After her time with Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina was an advisor to Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign. In 2016, she was one of the leading candidates in the Republican primaries, and was the only woman to make it that far in the race. Maybe next time she’ll go all the way to Washington.
For those that haven’t had a chance to see her speak, here’s a video of her 2016 address at this year’s RedState Gathering.
Joni Ernst, U.S. Senator, Iowa
Ernst is a Senator from Iowa who was elected in 2014. Previously, she was a member of the Iowa Senate from 2011 to 2014. Before Ernst got involved in politics, she served in the Iowa National Guard, where she earned the rank of lieutenant colonel. Ernst retired from the military in 2015, making her the first female veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate; but what Ernst is most famous for is her “Squeal” ad. While running for the Republican nomination, Ernst aired her first TV ad. “I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm,” says Ernst in the ad. “So, when I get to Washington, I’ll know how to cut pork.” Seems like someone who could definitely handle the White House.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, U.S. Representative (FL-27)
Ros-Lehtinen was the first Cuban American and Latina elected to Congress, the first Republican woman elected to Congress in Florida, the first to give a Republican State of the Union response in Spanish, the first Republican member of Congress to sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act, and the first House Republican to support same-sex marriage. That’s a lot of firsts. Ros-Lehtinen should add one more first to that list: first female president.
Mia Love, U.S. Representative (UT-4)
Love is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Utah. That makes her the first Haitian American and the first African American female Republican to be elected to Congress--a huge deal. She is also the first African American to be elected to Congress from Utah. Love has said many times that before making any legislative decision, she asks herself three questions: "Is it affordable? Is it sustainable? Is it my job?" She is known for her commitment to limiting government power and cutting federal spending, taxes, and foreign aid. Many say she’s a rising star. Maybe one day she’ll rise to the White House.
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