More female politicians in America growing in power & fame

Outstanding female politicians have emerged in the U.S., with both the Republicans and Democrats are trying to foster a second Hillary Clinton.

U.S. politics has had many charismatic female leaders such as former Secretary of State Clinton, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and former Alaska Gov. and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. More recently, a string of 30- or 40-something women has emerged on the political scene, with one of the most notable being Mia Love, mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah.

As a first-generation Haitian American, Love represents three minority groups: African Americans, women and Mormons. Before entering politics in 2003 as a city council member in Saratoga Springs, a small town with a population of 20,000, she worked at a gym.

She was elected the city`s mayor at the end of 2009 and became a national celebrity after blasting President Barack Obama’s soft spots in last year`s Republican campaign trail. She is considered to have good material for a politician because she is deemed a symbol of the American dream despite many disadvantages and an attractive and effective speaker.

Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand (Democrat-New York), 47, is called a second Hillary Clinton and an ambitious member of the Democratic Party. After Clinton was nominated as secretary of state in 2009, Gillibrand took her Senate seat and was re-elected by defeating her rival by 34 points in the 2010 elections a year after joining the Senate. The blonde politician and Clinton also share things in common in that they are both former lawyers and boast excellent fundraising capability.

Other prominent female politicians include Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican-Wash.) who is the vice chairwoman of the House Republican Conference; Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat-N.H.), who is the first woman to be elected a governor and a senator; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Democrat-Mass.), a former Harvard University professor who is leading economic reform for the Obama administration.

dew@donga.com