Conventional Women: Non-Partisan RNC, DNC Highlights of Women Leaders
Women are crucial to the 2020 presidential election.
The virtual national conventions for both the Democratic and Republican parties were unprecedented and historic in many ways. Take The Lead takes this non-partisan look at both conventions and what their presentations and issue highlights can mean for women at a time when the gendered vote is critical.
“Women are crucial to the 2020 presidential election. #womenvoters #2020election”
Due to COVID-19, there were no in-person gatherings of throngs of delegates, speakers and supporters wearing funny hats and carrying signs. The handling of videos, recorded vignettes and reels, plus live and recorded speeches lent a tone of slick production values and some over the top podium declarations to both recent weeks of conventions.
The high-profile placement of women leaders, citizens, constituents, party jumpers, policy makers and family members from children to grandchildren and spouses was also historic as well as revealing for each party. Even what these leaders wore—the costumes of the convention often in bright white, bold red or blue—appeared significant.
“The high-profile placement of #womenleaders, citizens, constituents, family members and spouses was historic as well as revealing for each party. #womeninpolitics”
The first week of the Democratic convention included noticeably safe distancing of speakers, mostly video testimony and no crowds. The second week of the Republican National Convention showed almost no masks on anyone in any scenario, unsafe distancing of at times of less than one or two feet, as well as large crowds of people clapping and applauding.
At both conventions, the inclusion of women giving testimonials from a stage or on video was much higher than in recent years, a gender representation that honors the importance of the “women vote.”
“At both the #DNC and #RNC conventions, the inclusion of women giving testimonials from a stage or on video was much higher than in recent years. #womeninpolitics #womenvote”
Read more in Take The Lead from Gloria Feldt on voting
In a new Pew Research Center poll of American voters, when counted along gender lines, the same percentage of women voters strongly support each candidate. Twenty-seven percent of all women polled strongly support Republican candidate President Donald Trump, and the same percent of women strongly support Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
However, a different picture emerges when asked about which candidate they are leaning towards. Forty-two percent of women polled say Trump, while 56 percent of women say they are leaning toward Biden.
Women are an important part of this presidential election. The messaging to, from, for and by women is crucial. Here is a rundown of the highlights from each party from the women whose remarks and inclusion in the agendas were noteworthy.
“Women are an important part of this presidential election. The messaging to, from, for and by women is crucial. #womeninpolitics #womenvoters”
Democratic National Convention:
Michelle Obama: No longer the First Lady, but still revered as one by many, her endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee, appeared personal, heartfelt and direct. Her necklace, that spelled “vote,” captured attention as well as her call for empathy. “Empathy: that's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. The ability to walk in someone else's shoes; the recognition that someone else's experience has value, too. Most of us practice this without a second thought. If we see someone suffering or struggling, we don't stand in judgment. We reach out because, ‘There, but for the grace of God, go I.’ It is not a hard concept to grasp. It's what we teach our children.”
“@MichelleObama: No longer the First Lady, but still revered as one by many, her endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee, appeared personal, heartfelt and direct. #DNCconvention #womenleaders”
Read more in Take The Lead on women voting
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.): The U.S. military veteran, mother and senator who lost both her legs in combat in Iraq, appeared on video from Milwaukee, where she spoke about veteran families and healthcare: “Do we want to be a country where medical bills bury people in debt?”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: The actress who famously portrayed a vice president in “Veep,” perhaps added a tad too much levity in her comments as she appeared between videos. Her tone was mocking at many points. Following a segment on voting, she quipped: “If we all vote, there is nothing Facebook, Fox News or Vladimir Putin can do to stop us.”
Keisha Lance Bottoms: The Atlanta mayor called for everyone to vote and for younger Americans to get involved. “In the words of womanist poet Audre Lorde, ‘Your silence will not protect you.’ Congressman Lewis would not be silenced. And neither can we. Our votes can be our voice! We cannot wait for some other time, some other place, some other heroes. We must be the heroes of our generation, because we, too, are America!”
Jill Biden: The wife of the Democratic presidential nominee spoke from a Wilmington, Del. classroom, calling on her years as a teacher. She also got deeply personal about family tragedies, in a talk that could have been a wedding toast or a eulogy. “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding — and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith. You show up for each other, in big ways and small ones, again and again. It’s what so many of you are doing right now. For your loved ones. For complete strangers. For your communities.”
Stacey Abrams: A Georgia political operative who was on the long list of vice presidential candidates, she was brief and powerful speaking about what is facing the country. “In a democracy, we do not elect saviors. We cast our ballots for those who see our struggles and pledge to serve, who hear our dreams and work to make them real. To defend our way of life by protecting our right to vote.”
“@Staceyabrams: A Georgia political operative who was on the long list of vice presidential candidates, she was brief and powerful speaking about what is facing the country. #womeninpolitics #womenleaders”
Hillary Clinton: The 2016 presidential candidate who lost to Donald Trump, former Secretary of State and former First Lady had much to say. “Remember: Joe and Kamala can win 3 million more votes and still lose. Take. It. From. Me. One hundred years ago yesterday, the 19th Amendment was ratified. It took seven decades of suffragists marching, picketing, and going to jail to push us closer to that more perfect union. Fifty-five years ago, John Lewis marched and bled in Selma because that work was unfinished. Tonight I am thinking of the girls and boys who see themselves in America's future because of Kamala Harris—a Black woman, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, and our nominee for Vice President of the United States. This is our country's story: breaking down barriers and expanding the circle of possibility.”
Sen. Kamala D. Harris: The vice presidential nominee was warm, approachable and exuberant and spoke in one section of her speech about her family. “There’s another woman, whose name isn’t known, whose story isn’t shared. Another woman whose shoulders I stand on. And that’s my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris. She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics. They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller’s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called ‘good trouble.’ When I was 5, my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own. Like so many mothers, she worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up—and paying bills after we went to bed. Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice. She made it look easy, though I know it never was. My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives. She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage. She taught us to put family first—the family you’re born into and the family you choose.”
“@KamalaHarris: The vice presidential nominee was warm, approachable and exuberant and spoke in one section about her family. #vote #womeninpolitics #VP”
Republican National Convention:
Patricia McCloskey: The lawyer appeared with her husband, Mark, from their St. Louis suburban 18,000-square foot mansion once owned by the Busch family and where she earlier in the summer brandished a pistol to defend her home from protesters. “What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country. Make no mistake: No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle: A former prosecutor, FOX News host, and now girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., she was criticized strongly on social media for her high decibel energy. “This election is a battle for the soul of America. We kneel in prayer and we stand for our flag. You are capable, you are qualified, you are powerful and you have the ability to choose your life and determine your destiny.”
Read more in Take The Lead on women in office
Nikki Haley: The former governor of South Carolina and former U.N. Ambassador for the U.S. was composed and deliberate comparing every strength to a Democratic weakness. “At home, the president is the clear choice on jobs and the economy. He’s moved America forward while Joe Biden has held America back. When Joe was V.P., I was governor of the great state of South Carolina. We had a pretty good run. Manufacturers of all kinds flocked to our state from overseas, creating tens of thousands of American jobs. People were referring to South Carolina as ‘the beast of the southeast,’ which I loved. Everything we did happened in spite of Joe Biden and his old boss. We cut taxes. They raised them. We slashed red tape. They piled on more mandates. And when we brought in good-paying jobs, Biden and Obama sued us. I fought back, and they gave up.”
“@NikkiHaley: The former governor of South Carolina and former U.N. Ambassador for the U.S. was composed and deliberate comparing every strength to a Democratic weakness. #RNCconvention #womeninpolitics”
Sister Deirdre “Dede” Byrne: The Catholic nun of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who is also an MD and veteran, offered insight from a highly unusual perspective on humanitarian global health and spiritual work. “As a physician, I can say without hesitation: Life begins at conception. While what I have to say may be difficult for some to hear, I am saying it because I am not just pro-life, I am pro-eternal life. I want all of us to end up in heaven together someday. Which brings me to why I am here today. Donald Trump is the most pro-life president this nation has ever had, defending life at all stages. His belief in the sanctity of life transcends politics.”
Kellyanne Conway: The White House advisor who managed the 2016 campaign and is set to resign shortly, centered her remarks on gender equality. “This has been a century worth celebrating. But also a reminder that our democracy is young and fragile. A woman in a leadership role can still seem novel. Not so for President Trump. For decades he has elevated women to senior positions in business and in government. He confides in and consults us, respects our opinions and insists that we are on equal footing with the men. President Trump helped me shatter a barrier in the role of politics, empowering me to manage his campaign. For many of us women’s empowerment is not a slogan. It comes not from strangers on social media or sanitized language in a corporate handbook. It comes from the everyday heroes who nurture us, shape us and believe in us.”
“@KellyannePolls: The White House advisor who managed the 2016 campaign and is set to resign shortly, centered her remarks on #genderequality. #womeninpolitics”
Tiffany Trump: The daughter of Donald Trump and Marla Maples, and recent graduate of Georgetown University Law School, was expressive in her delivery and spoke of her father as a family man, while also criticizing the media. “Working together outside of our political comfort zones will accomplish so much more. Some cynical politicians do not seem to believe in the miracle of America. Well, I do. Having hope is not weakness, and believing in miracles is a gift from God. Since speaking at the Republican National Convention four years ago so much has changed for the world, for the country and for my family. As a recent graduate I can relate to so many of you who might be looking for a job."
Cissie Graham Lynch: The granddaughter of evangelical Billy Graham spoke on faith and other topics such as transgender rights. “Democrats pressured schools to allow boys to compete in girls sports and use girls locker rooms.” She added, “People of faith suddenly had a fierce advocate in the White House who respect the First Amendment.”
Melania Trump: The First lady won rave reviews and positive commentary for her speech that evoked compassion for people enduring hardships and losses. Dressed in a military-style suit with noticeably absent jewelry of any kind, she spoke emotionally. “My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know you are not alone. My husband's administration will not stop fighting until there is an effective treatment or vaccine available to everyone. I want to extend my gratitude to all of the health care professionals, front line workers and teachers who stepped up in these difficult times. Despite the risk to yourselves and your own families, you put our country first and my husband and I are grateful. I have been moved by the way Americans have come together in such an unfamiliar and often frightening situation. It is in times like this that we will look back and tell our grandchildren that through kindness and compassion, strength and determination, we were able to restore the promise of our future. Businesses stepped up, and volunteers stepped in. People were eager to share ideas, resources, and support of all kinds with neighbors and strangers alike.”
“@FLOTUS: The First lady won rave reviews and positive commentary for her speech that evoked empathy for people enduring hardships and losses. #womeninpolitics #RNCconvention”
