Politicienne Profile: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Clinton

 

Nationality: American

Offices Held: Fmr. First Lady of Arkansas, Fmr. First Lady of the United States, United States Senator for the State of New York, Fmr. Presidential Candidate

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s career started as a lawyer  working for the Children’s Defense Fund, a legal advocacy group for children. She graduated from Wellesley College and Yale Law School Twice named as one of the most influential lawyers in America by the American Bar Association (once while Bill was governor of Arkansas and once before), Hillary went to work for the extremely prestigious Rose Law Firm. It was often Hillary who was mentioned as a potential future president when people met the future first couple, not Bill. 

A poster from Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

During Bill Clinton’s presidency, Hillary served in an active role, engaging herself in the day-to-day policy decisions of the administration. She was famously charged with co-chairing President Clinton’s initiative to reform the US healthcare system, a task in which she failed. But when she could not succeed in achieving health care reform for the entire nation, she instead went to work in providing healthcare for the nation’s impoverished children. The program she was instrumental in creating is known as the State Children’s Insurance Program (or SCHIP), and provides healthcare to nearly 16 million under-privileged children in the US today. 

Hillary Clinton speaking to the House of Representatives Select Committee on Ethics during the Watergate investigation

Hillary was also instrumental as a representative of the United States abroad. During Bill’s first term, when he was focused on domestic affairs, Hillary effectively served as the global face of the United States for millions of people across the planet, visiting nearly 90 different countries during her tenure as First Lady, more than any First Lady before her. 

After Bill Clinton’s presidency ended, Hillary audaciously announced that she would be the first First Lady to seek elected office in her own right. She ran and was successfully elected to serve as New York’s Senator, and was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006. 

Hillary and Bill Clinton during their time at Yale University

In the beginning of 2007, Hillary (once again, somewhat audaciously) announced that she was running for President. While she was not successful in her quest, she did break barriers that no other woman had before her. She not only won more votes than any woman ever has before in any US election, but she also was the first women to win any state in a primary in US history, and changed US electoral history.

She currently is actively campaigning for Barack Obama’s candidacy for President of the United States and continues to serve as a US Senator for New York.

Hillary Clinton debating fellow contenders for the Democratic Presidential Nomination in 2008

Hillary Clinton has received numerous awards and much recognition for her work. She was twice named one of the most influential lawyers in America, twice listed as one of the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine, and listed in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as one of the most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine (4 times; second only to Oprah Winfrey).  She was mentioned in national media as early as 1969 in Life Magazine after giving a stunning commencement address as Wellesley Student Body President which received a seven-minute standing ovation. 

 

Hillary Clinton with the author in 2008. I couldn't resist

Politicienne Profile: Yulia Tymoschenko

Nationality: Ukrainian

Position Held: Prime Minister of Ukraine

Party: Yulia Tymoschenko Bloc

Yulia Tymoschenko, elected in early 2005, defeated in late 2005, and elected once again in 2007, is Ukraine’s first female Prime Minister. One of the key leaders of Ukraine’s “Orange Revolution” which lead to the distancing of ties with Russia, Ms. Tymoschenko has been dubbed Ukraine’s “Joan of Arc.”

Yulia Tymoschenko is considered to be the most influential politician in Ukraine and has helped to forge a much closer relationship with the United States. She is considered to be a very serious contender as a candidate for Ukraine’s powerful presidency in 2010.

Before entering politics, Ms. Tymoschenko made a fortune off of the gas industry as a result of the liberalization of the economy at the end of the Soviet Union. 

In 2007, Forbes Magazine listed Tymoschenko as one of the 100 most powerful women on Earth.

Politicienne Profile: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Nationality: Argentinian

Positions Held: President of Argentina

Former Positions: First Lady of Argentina

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner may not be the first female President of Argentina (Eva Peron was President for a short time after the death of her husband, Military leader Juan Peron), but she is the first to be elected. 

Ms. Kirchner’s political history is an untraditional one. Her husband, Nestor Kirchner, has also served as President. After serving one term with massive support among the people, Mr. Kirchner shocked the nation by announcing that he was not going to seek a second term. Instead his wife announced that she would be running in his place. Making obvious reference to another famous power couple, Ms. Kirchner announced her candidacy before a huge poster of Hillary and Bill Clinton. 

The Argentinean Constitution forbids a President from serving two consecutive terms; there is nothing that forbids serving two non-consecutive terms, however. Thus, the power couple could theoretically trade places as First Husband/Wife and President indefinitely, consolidating their hold on power well into the future. 

Cristina Kirchner announced her candidacy in front of an enormous banner of Hillary Clinton

Cristina (as she is affectionately known) won the 2007 presidential election in a landslide, defeating her nearest opponent by 27 percentage points. Her popularity has declined slightly after a public battle with farmers over agriculture prices. Nonetheless, she still remains largely popular. 

Cristina Kirchner was mentioned in TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2007. 

Pres. Cristina Kirchner with her husband, the First Gentleman and Fmr. Pres. Nestor Kirchner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Kirchner's approval rating since she took office.

Politicienne Profile: Angela Merkel

Nationality: German

Offices Held: Chancellor of Germany

Party: Christian Democratic Union (CDU)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel is the first woman to serve as Chancellor of the German Federation, the most powerful political and governmental position in the country. Because Germany has the largest population in Europe and the third largest economy in the world, this makes her not only one of the most influential people in Europe but also one of the most powerful people in the world.

In addition to this influential position, Ms. Merkel has also served as President of the European Council, the most influential position in the European Union, and as the Chair of the G8, which is the annual meeting of the world’s eight richest nations. She is only the second woman to have chaired the G8, after former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. 

TIME Magazine has named Ms. Merkel as one of their 100 most influential people in 2006, 2007, and 2008. In 2008, Forbes Magazine named Ms. Merkel as the most powerful women in the world for the third year in a row, listing her before Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Condoleeza Rice, The Queen of England, Laura Bush, and the female CEO’s of Pepsi, the FDIC, and Wellspoint, among others. 

Ms. Merkel was elected to the position after an incredibly close election in 2005 against CDU’s main rival, the Social Democratic Party (SPD). She currently serves as Chancellor in a coalition government with the SPD. 

Ms. Merkel has a Ph.D in Physics and is married with no children. 

2005 Campaign Poster

Politicienne Profile: Ségolène Royal

 

Nationality: French

Past Offices Held: Minister of the Environment, Minister for Youth and Children

Current Offices: President of the Poitou-Charentes Region, Regional Deputy

Party: Parti Socialiste (Socialist Party)

Ségolène Royal, born in Sénégal, is currently a key contender for the leadership of the French Socialist Party. After narrowly losing the 2007 French Presidential election, she is considered a major contender for the Socialist Party Presidential nomination in 2012, when French President Nicolas Sarkozy is up for re-election. 

She is one of the primary leaders of the French Socialist Party. Her former partner, François Hollande, is the current leader of the Socialist Party. 

2007 French Presidential Candidates Segolene Royal (Top) and Nicolas Sarkozy (Bottom)

2007 French Presidential Election 

In 2007, Ségolène Royal became the first woman in France to be nominated for president by one of the two major parties (there have been women nominated by several of the much smaller parties). Her opponent was former Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy.

Ms. Royal narrowly lost the election to Mr. Sarkozy, having won more votes than any female candidate for president in French history. 

 

Campaign Posters from the 2007 French Presidential Election.