I don't care what your politics are.

I don't care if you hate the Clintons, are a certified member of MoveOn.org,
worship at the feet of Ronald Regan, or are so far right you're left - or visa
versa - you can't deny 2008 has been a good year for women.

One party has a female vice presidential candidate, the other party almost
had a female presidential candidate. What's more, they're both over 40.

It's nice to see women over a certain age being valued for their experience
and wisdom as older men always have been. Proof ladies that there is plenty of
livining left to do after 40.

Look, I wouldn't have voted for Hillary. She and I don't share the same
political views. Despite that, I must give her credit for opening up an even
greater realm of possibility for women.

The next time a woman runs for president, the next time a woman is considered
for a CEO position, the next time a woman stands up for what she believes in, I
think she will be meant with less resistance and taken more seriously, because
of what Hillary did.

Hillary fought with determination for issues she believed in. She didn't
quit, even when everyone told her too. Why should she have given in before the
proverbial fat lady sang? She had just as much right as anyone else to see her
campaign through to the end. Finally, when it was all over, she was an honorable
looser.

What really irks me now is that they say Hillary is finished, because she
will be too old to run again in four or eight years. So a man (John McCain) in
his 70's is not too old, but a woman of almost 70 is?

Hillary is now out of the picture this election cycle. But McCain's choice of
Alaska governor Sara Palin ensures that women will remain on center-stage in the
2008 election. I must state the obvious argument that relatively unknown Palin
would not have been chosen as McCain's running mate were it not for Hillary's 18
million supporters. That said, her youth, charisma and conservative stance is a
boon to the Republican ticket.

I'm not going to tell you to run out and vote for McCain just because he
picked a woman. You have to vote your beliefs and convictions. Those, I think,
run deeper even than female solidarity. But even if you're not voting for
McCain-Palin, or don't agree with Hillary, as a female you can celebrate the
accomplishments of these history-making women. And you can reap the benefits of
the paths they've forged.

I'm not an extreme feminists who thinks all the men should be sent off to an
island while we run everything. I do think women have just as much to
contribute, politically and otherwise. I like to see men and women working
together on an equal footing.

As women, I believe we still have miles to go.

How about finally getting the Equal Rights Amendment ratified?

But let's for a moment put aside partisan agendas, and come together to
celebrate the historic strides made for our gender in the 2008 election.

You've come a long way, baby.