Turning on the New York debate, the feminist inside did a happy dance when the facilitator was announced as the first ever woman to fill that role during a presidential debate. Congratulations. You’ve got my attention.
Beyond that, two other topics stood out as especially relevant to me as a college educated young woman:
- How will the man serving as president for the next four years address college students/graduates’ concerns about getting a job?
- How do the candidates intend to address the glass ceiling that women encounter in the workplace?
Summarizing the responses:
Romney: Reflecting on the programs he used to assist him as an undergrad, he said he would make sure government funding and assistance was readily available to make college education an option for everyone.
Obama: He pointed toward his initiative to create more jobs in America by decreasing outsourcing.
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Obama: First he told of his grandmother’s experience being an intelligent woman without a college education who raised to an esteemed position in her career, but wound up teaching the men how to do only jobs above her even though she was capable of doing them herself. He said this issue is very important to him and that why he is working toward strengthening the job market. Then he believes in restructuring the workplace to accommodate working mothers who need more flexible hours.
Romney: He told of his detailed experience creating economic success throughout his career. He gave a lot of examples of how he was capable of helping everyone financial succeed, alluding to that being part of where his expertise lies. He also referred to the statistics stating that women have been negatively affected by the choices of the Obama administration.
These are the issues that stood out to me. I want to encourage you to think about what issues are the most important topics to you and familiarize yourself with the position the candidates take concerning them.