We haven’t seen a woman on the same stage with the presidential candidates during debate season in over 20 years, since Carole Simpson in 1992. But this year, Candy Crowley has been appointed as one of the three moderators in the major presidential debates. Candy Crowley says she’s “wowed, amazed, and excited” for her opportunity to moderate a 2012 presidential debate.
The committee that chose her, however, was not simply trying to pick a woman. They made no mention of the gender milestone when they announced their choice, mentioning only the moderator’s expertise.
Frank Fahrenkopf and Michael McCurry were two chairmen who made a comment about Candy Crowley’s experience, saying that all the “journalists bring extensive experience to the job of moderating, and understand the importance of using the expanded time periods
to maximum benefit.”
Grassroots Support in The Background
Although the commission made no mention of it, the choice was prompted by a recent political push for a female moderator. In fact, the story of this recent push is highly interesting.
Three teen-aged girls from New Jersey actually started a petition on Change.org, a website that has shown the power on online political pressure for several years now. The petition eventually reached 170,000 signatures, drawing the attention several U.S. lawmakers and other women’s groups.
The Story of the Three Girls
Emma Axelrod, Sammi Siegel, and Elena Tsemberis were the three girls who started the petition on Change.org. These girls were sixteen years old, not even old enough to vote, but they helped change the nomination for an entire presidential debate.
As Elena Tsemberis herself said, “No matter who you are you can make a difference.” And
her story points out just how true that statement is. It’s incredible to think that in a political arena where many have become cynical, thinking that the entire system is ruled by money, there was a major decision that was shaped so strongly by three 16-year-old girls.
The Changing Face of Advocacy
Emma’s unique perspective on advocacy can help us all understand how much we can do for our country. As she said, “when people picture advocacy, they picture people with picket signs and it seems like a lot of work.” But the Internet and massive intercommunication has changed the face of political struggle. Emma says, “We just wrote a petition, and look what happened.” And she’s right. Sometimes speaking out is all it takes.
We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook