The 2008 US election has wrapped up, seeing Barak Obama elected as the 44th President of the United States, but its fascination and uniqueness are still lingering.
The enduring attraction of the political campaign is partly due to the involvement of three women: New York Senator Hilary Clinton, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Illinois Senator Barak Obama's wife Michelle.
Their engagement, which resulted in losses or gains, has perfectly displayed a changing face of American politics, a rising voice of female politicians, a mix of criticism and sarcasm of Western media, and deciding qualities to be a national leader in today's America.
All three of the women are charismatic in different capacities. Their participation has enhanced the interest of the electorate in the lengthy and weary campaigns.
As to political careers, Clinton, 61, is superior to Palin and Michelle, both 44. The First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, Clinton was elected as senator for New York State in 2000, becoming the first First Lady running for public office in American history.
This year's Democratic presidential nomination race saw Clinton win more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but she lost to Obama in the long and tight campaign.
Though playing the card to compete for the first ever female president helped Clinton win voters, her over-ambitious performance, and especially her personal attacks on Obama spoiled her image and set the tone for her losing out.
It turned to be a surprising and sad result for Clinton, who has appeared to be more determined than her husband in her political ambitions. She has been viewed as having a bright political future, ever since her work in the impeachment inquiry during the 1974 Watergate scandal, which culminated in the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Except for Eleanor Roosevelt, Clinton is regarded as the most openly empowered presidential wife in American history.
Going through investigations including the Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal, Clinton has appeared to be a tough fighter in both career and family. However, her return to the presidential campaign in four years seems to be open to question, especially with regards to her tenacity, her potential to win, and challenges she may face from such candidates as Sarah Palin.
In comparison, Palin seemed to be a better player in campaigning for the first American Vice President. She took centre stage as the second woman to run on a major US party ticket, after Geraldine Ferraro, who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1984 in the run with Walter Mondale.
British commentator Ian Hislop once said: "She (Palin) is the first good-looking woman politician for a long time" on the BBC TV programme Question Time. Her being young, attractive, energetic and enthusiastic gave hope to the Republican Party and enlivened the election in the beginning, but this magic failed to last longer enough to help John McCain fulfill his goal.
Palin claims to be an expert in energy issues, but her inexperince in foreign and domestic affairs hampered her in making further strides in this political campaign. This is also one of the reasons former Secretary of State General Colin Powell granted his endorsement to Obama.
Palin's poor performance also motivated media to produce several TV parodies in which she became the subject of ridicule. She was also pranked by Canada's CKOI Radio . During a phone call she was duped into believing that she was having a conversation with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Palin has become a laughing stock for her interviews and non-sensical dialogue. However, besides her shortfalls, Palin has become a household name. She has pledged to be more than willing and capable to offer assistance to Obama in energy solutions during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room .
The 2008 election might mean a full-stop for Hillary Clinton's presidential ambition, but a comma for Palin. It was expected that Palin might replace McCain as Commander in Chief, if only by the untimely demise of her senior.
The only woman who eventually made gains in this election was Michelle, Barack Obama's wife. Michelle will become the first African American First Lady of the United States in two months. Aside of being in the same law profession as Clinton, Michelle has revealled another side to her persona; she is an avid hula hooper.She has a reputation as a cool operator, and even her husband has praised her highly saying: "If I ever had to run against her for public office, she would beat me without too much difficulty".
During her speech at a democratic national convention, Michelle sought to portray herself and her family as the embodiment of the American Dream, saying she and her husband believed "that (if) you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, and you do what you say you're going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."
Before becoming the First Lady in January, Michelle has already stolen the show of the current First Lady Laura Bush during their first meeting in White House. In contrast to Laura's dowdy brown outfit, Michelle shone in her bright red dress.
Copyright Dongying Wang
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