Hillary Clinton's recent announcement that she's thinking of running (which means she's probably most likely running!) has opened the door even wider for our first female president. Which got us thinking: who helped pave the way for this potential pivotal moment in the course of women's history?
A lot of credit can be given to one woman in particular—a woman who proved to millions that a female politician can be tough, compassionate, whip-smart and politically savvy, while crusading for women's rights and, for good measure, maintaining a wicked sense of humor. A woman so hyper-competent she ascended from press secretary to chief of staff, and who never, ever seemed out of her league among brilliant male colleagues.
We are talking, of course, about The West Wing's CJ Cregg.
Yes, it's true that Cregg is fictional, and of course a whole bunch of real-life political ladies can and should be given credit as well for priming the glass ceiling with cracks. But the sad fact is, a lot more people watch television than actively engage in American politics, so Cregg has probably been even more influential in changing perceptions than her real-life counterparts in the White House.
Most importantly, her character was a near-perfect representation of a woman in power; her gender not only didn't hinder her, but was an asset that strengthened the White House's overall agenda.
While some have argued that Cregg's occasional tears set women back by portraying ladies as too weak for office, I would argue the opposite. On the very rare instances when Cregg did cry, it was due to a compassion often lacking in government, and arguably detrimentally so. It was also frequently tied up in women's issues, which even the enlightened, progressive men of The West Wing simply weren't as inclined to get behind.
In the seminal episode "The Women of Qumar," Cregg was at her most emotional, but also her most tough, fighting tooth and nail against the American government's decision to sell arms to a fictional Middle Eastern country with a dismal record of women rights abuses. It was a cause well worth fighting for, and far from being a detriment, her emotional investment was a driving force in her moral tenacity.
In the episode "Enemies Foreign and Domestic," Cregg got similarly fired up when asked about Saudi Arabia, a real country with a history of women rights abuses, during a press conference. The scene is an iconic Cregg moment, showing her at once sensitive to a women right's cause and brilliantly tough:
It's telling that Hillary herself has been held up to the standard displayed by Cregg in this scene. In The New York Times, Maureen Dowd devoted a column to admonishing Clinton for not showing the same political courage Cregg did here. (Arguably unfairly, considering that whole "CJ Cregg is fictional" thing.)
As we prepare for a potential first-ever female president, let's remember that such progress doesn't happen in a vacuum. For showing the world that women in political power can be just as sharp, strong and savvy as their male counterparts, while also bringing a unique and important perspective to the table, CJ Cregg deserves praise.
Now, if only we had a real woman in power who could also pull off "The Jackal." Hillary, are you listening?
Images: Wikimedia Commons
