Geraldine Ferraro: From Hopes to Possibility

“Let me help you with the difference, Ms. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon. Iran – we were held by a foreign government. In Lebanon, you had a wanton, terrorist action where the government opposed it.”
“Congresswoman Ferraro?”
“Let me just say, first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude, that you have to teach me about foreign policy.”
The applause that followed demonstrated the unprecedented nature of Geraldine Ferraro’s candidacy. Bush had to tread a fine line, trying to demonstrate his thorough knowledge while avoiding any hint of derogatory patronization. It was, in fact, the first time a vice presidential candidate had to be so careful: it was the first time a woman had ever been on such a stage.
Geraldine Ferraro didn’t tap herself to be Walter Mondale’s vice presidential running mate in 1984, but as the first woman on a major party ticket, she did have to take much of the flack that came with it. Mondale’s candidacy, which was never particularly realistic (he ended up winning 13 electoral votes), ended up becoming one of ideology. Mondale wanted to make history with his pick. He actually had several diverse choices on his shortlist, but Ferraro was the one he picked – and Ferraro was the one who ran.
Ms. Ferraro, a Representative from New York, gave hope to women all over the country, and in recent years, memories of her candidacy have been especially poignant. In 2008, 24 years after Ms. Ferraro ran, women took an especially large role in politics, coming closer to the White House than ever before. Hillary Clinton, in her concession speech, spoke of the “eighteen million cracks” her presidential run made in the “glass ceiling.” John McCain of Arizona became only the second major party candidate in history to choose a woman as his running mate. Clinton and Palin – polar opposites on the political spectrum – became unique torchbearers of Ferraro’s legacy in a nation where women are far underrepresented in government. But in the heyday of 2008, with Clinton brushing off allegations of crying “crocodile tears” and other misogynist criticism, and Palin using Clinton’s legacy to bolster her own cause and constantly taking issue with sexism, it was easy to forget, as Ferraro and Palin recognized in a one-of-a-kind special appearance together on Fox News in 2010, that Ferraro suffered much of what 2008’s women did. The attacks on her family and character, as well as her readiness for higher office, may seem a lot like the attacks Palin faced in 2008, but Ferraro did not have nearly as many ardent supporters at the ready to shield her from criticism. Women were, at that time, virtually nonexistent on the national stage.
We may recall that 1992 was the first “Year of the Woman”, when four female senators were elected to office. Today, we have 17 – out of 100. When Ferraro was running for Vice President, there were only two. Such numbers give an idea of how lofty the glass ceiling was for women of her era. Even after her run, she was a candidate for Senate in New York in 1992 and 1998, and was unsuccessful. But her dreams did not fade. As an advocate for women’s rights and children’s rights (much like Hillary Clinton), Ferraro became renowned nationwide as a woman who stood up for the right causes, braving a much more difficult climate and coming out of it stronger than before. Ferraro made even remotely possible what seemed three years ago to be a very real possibility – a woman winning a national campaign. As she is laid to rest, we could only have hoped that she could have lived to see a woman follow her footsteps – but this time, win.
Those interested in Gov. Palin’s comments on Rep. Ferraro’s passing can read them here; Vice President Mondale’s words (in an interview with 5 Eyewitness News’ Colleen Mahoney) can be found here. In addition, the cover story by TIME in the 1984 issue shown above on Ferraro can be found here.

Photo credit: Diana Walker, TIME magazine, found on http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19840723,00.html and http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/2011/03/26/geraldine-ferraro-dead-at-75/