Who's In Control Here?

Blog: Politics of Powerful Women

Ch-ching! Money and politics, it’s that time of the year in America. The polls will be open before we know it. Once again, dollars spent by candidates is beyond anything ever seen in the past.

In past election years we saw folks like mega-wealthy Meg Whitman, run for office on their own dimes. Meg spent over $140,000,000 (that’s million.) The internet spawned a generation of exceedingly rich CEO’s and Meg’s stint at eBay was no exception.

I want to understand what makes chicks like Meg tick. There’s a little bit of awe still in me, for super-successful woman who grew up in the 60’s, and launched careers in the 70’s. If you’re young, and you don’t watch Mad Men, you have no idea what it was like for strong women in previous generations. They just didn’t have the same chance as men.

But it’s now, and we have Hillary, Sarah, and...Oprah! Women make up almost half of the workforce. The country has grown and prospered because of it, but it’s caught up. The job market is out of whack. When factories, office buildings, and retail became more efficient because of technology, wages didn’t keep up with the cost of living. Too many willing workers, male and female, made it a seller’s market for salaries. And still the economy grew, with two-income households and easy credit, we did OK… until we didn’t do OK anymore.

So what’s next, politicians? Can you fix our country? Can your sisters in success fix our great big broken world? Not likely, but I’ll tell you what; It’s not up to the Harvard MBA’s and the billionaire media queens. It’s up to us, ordinary women with good days and bad days. We can make a difference by being strong in our own ways. Are you a wonderful mother? Raise the next generation of innovators. Can you bake a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies? Make sure you share them with people who need sweetness, to turn their lives around. However brilliant or inconsequential your strengths may seem, use them for the greater good. And do not forget the greatest strength of all— the power of prayer.

-Susan Diamond