Interview with Anita McBride
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Anita McBride, left, Chief of Staff to first lady Laura Bush, right, looks on as Mrs. Bush makes opening remarks during a video teleconference with Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand, regarding the situation in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in recognition of International Human Rights Day, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Marianne Schnall talks to Anita McBride, Executive in Residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University’s School of Public Affairs. As the former Director of White House Personnel, McBride’s White House service spans two decades and three presidential administrations. In this candid interview, McBride shares her insights on what it would mean for the country to have a woman president, how it would change the internal workings of Washington, and what it would mean to have our first “First Gentleman”. She also discusses what she finds rewarding in the pursuit of public service and her ideas on how we could facilitate more opportunities for women’s political leadership. In response to what it would mean for America to have a woman elected president, McBride says:
I think that the time is right. I think that politics has changed so much. More and more we hear consistently [that] a woman’s perspective, a woman’s voice, brings a lot to the table—and not to disparage men but it’s that we know in every situation collaboration is important to solving problems, and women are good collaborators. So I think that the country is ready for it.
Marianne Schnall is a widely published writer and interviewer whose writings and interviews have appeared in a variety of media outlets including O, The Oprah Magazine, TIME.com, In Style, CNN.com, EW.com, the Women’s Media Center, and many others. Marianne is a featured blogger at The Huffington Post and a contributor to the nationally syndicated NPR radio show, 51 Percent: The Women’s Perspective. Schnall is the founder and Executive Director of Feminist.com, a leading women’s website and nonprofit organization. For nearly 20 years, Feminist.com has been fostering awareness, education, and activism for people all across the world.
Marianne’s latest book What Will It Take to Make A Woman President?: Conversations About Women, Leadership and Power, features interviews with politicians, public officials, thought leaders, writers, artists, and activists in an attempt to discover the obstacles that have held women back and what needs to change in order to elect a woman into the White House.