WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- In the next 10 years, some polls predict, the United States will elect a woman president. President George W. Bush's second term is less than a month old but political analysts are already speculating that Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., or Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, may throw their hats in the ring.
With just a few exceptions, women have barely made it to the debates. In the current political climate, as focused as it is on national security, the buzz behind the buzz is this: If a war hero like John Kerry can't win in wartime, can a woman ever win?
It's only a matter of time. In 1984, Democrat vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro was asked during a debate if she could push the nuclear button, a question no man has ever been asked. It is time to rethink the presidential litmus test and ask all candidates a variation on that question: "Will you have the guts to avoid pushing the nuclear button and avoid sending teenagers into an ill-conceived war?"
Not all men rush to war. John F. Kennedy, against the advice of generals, did not invade Cuba during the 1963 missile crisis, a stand that showed more strength than a thousand warheads. He understood the battle for survival required patience, not testosterone. By ignoring a belligerent message from Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, responding instead to a measured communication that preceded it, Kennedy allowed reason to prevail.
From North Korea to Iran, the United States now faces similar challenges though its reliance on force is unbalanced. The 9/11 commission report said, "The first phase of our post- 9/11 efforts rightly included military to topple the Taliban and pursue Al Qaida ... But long-term success demands the use of all elements of national power: diplomacy, intelligence, covert action, law enforcement, economic policy, foreign aid, public diplomacy and homeland defense. If we favor one tool while neglecting others, we leave ourselves vulnerable and weaken our national effort."
Would we have heard more preventive strategies for Iraq if women held more positions in the war Cabinet? It's not that women haven't been prominent war leaders: Israel's Golda Meir, India's Indira Gandhi and Britain's Margaret Thatcher are three examples. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright led the charge into Bosnia for Bill Clinton while Condoleezza Rice did the same in Afghanistan and Iraq as Bush's national security adviser. Beyond war-making, sustainable peace requires women's full participation yet they are, unwisely in our opinion, largely excluded from formal efforts to solve seemingly endless struggles.
Women are skilled at bridging ethnic, political, and cultural divides. Some research indicates that they're generally more collaborative than men and thus more inclined toward consensus and compromise. They have their fingers on the pulse of their communities and serve as community leaders, with formal and informal authority. In addition, women are highly invested in preventing, stopping, and recovering from conflict because they're motivated to protect their children.
This isn't just an argument for a female president. It's an argument for shared authority at all levels, where men and women work side-by-side to create vibrant options. It's an argument for increasing the numbers of women at the top of government and industry -- enough so that they can't be marginalized.
Suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton said it's a wonder the republic has done as well as it has, since it has yet to use half its natural resources. A century later, Condoleezza Rice, during her confirmation hearing, declared that "the time is now."
It's time for diplomacy and for a change in the status quo. Now is the time for women to step up to the plate and run for office. The time is now to capitalize on the strengths women bring to the table, their talents for community building, collaboration and finding common ground.
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(Marie C. Wilson is the president of The White House Project and author of "Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World." Former U.S. Ambassador Swanee Hunt directs the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.)
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(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)
