[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] and this is book tv live coverage of the 21st annual Los Angeles Times festival of books. This is the campus of the university of Southern California. We are live. Coming up in just a few minutes another author panel. Panel. The next one is on education. He will your authors talk about the panel, but in the meantime we want to introduce you to professor nancy, author of this book called breakthrough. Is this a book about Hillary Clinton . This is not a book about Hillary Clinton. Of course Hillary Clinton is a central figure given that she was the 1st woman to make a serious run for the presidency in 2008, but it is really a book about how it became possible for a woman to make a serious run for the presidency. After all, women command go to america for 130 years. You are not going to have a female president if women cannot vote. It is almost 100 years since, and they still still have not had a female president. Couple of years ago i licked and said why is this. Plenty of other countries have done this. Fifty other nations have elected a woman president or prime minister. We are very far behind. What did you find . There are number of reasons. I go through that in the book, the Founding Fathers did not, when they said all men are created equal, they did not mean women. I was women. I was not an oversight. Even women at the time who said consider the rights of women, remember ladies, Abigail Adams who was running the farm and educating her son one of them became a president later while john adams was away being a diplomat. An absolute exclusion of women from politics for a very long time and then we have a lot of informal barriers to women entering the political process, running for election. And so a lot of the book is about how we got from that moment about 30 years ago when therethere were serious barriers to women even though we had Political Rights to an hour we have 20 female senators and serious female candidates. Madeleine albright said in february of this year there is a special place in hell for women who dont help each other. Yes. That caused quite a storm, and i can understand why at the time. Personally, i think any republican or democrat can admit that Madeleine Albright is a national treasure. She was the 1st female secretary of state. She did tremendous work for this country. So there is a line. She has been using this line for many years, and it is kind of like a motto in the women in politics communities. It recognizes that man really did have this Old Boys Club that women out. When it raise money for women, they could not win elections. So the reason that you have all these capable, qualified and viable women candidates at every level is because of the women behind the women. Albrights comment was really just kind of waving a flag. Look, we have done this. She was on the campaign trail. It was kind of an abbreviated clip that came out wrong, and she apologized. So i do think people dont know the background. We are talking with professor and author nancy cohen. Breakthrough is the name of the book. We want your participation. 202 is the area code. 7488201. You can also send a text. This is not for phone calls. 2027179684 iscalls. 202 7179684 is that number. We also have a couple of social media sites where you can make a comment or ask a question. We will flash those on the screen as we go. Why have women seem to have been more successful in the u. S. Senate then perhaps as governors or mayors of cities. Well, there is an idea that people say survived from the research about the voters not trusting that they have executive leadership skills and be willing to make them one of a hundred, even if it is a powerful one. My Research Really surprised me. What i found is i wont go and all the details, but it really does look like today in politics will we think of as this double line that a woman can be strong and tough and likable, it is a myth. And they really do trust that women have executive leadership skills. So a lot of why we dont have more governors or have not has a have not had a president has to do with institutional factors. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson told me that she would consider running for president , you know, the timing wasnt right. So i think we need to when you think about timing and other things. Doubting that women are competent. Texas has elected a female governor. What were the factors that allowed . Was there Something Different . Campaigns are also about candidates. Some are good and some are not. And richards was the governor of texas, last democrat elected statewide. And both of us know she had a great wit and great grace. She was not afraid of the retail politics. And she just was willing to kind of to go up against the party establishment. My god, the 1st time around. I thought she was talking about the election against a republican. She said no, it was awful. It is a testimony to her strength. There is some research interestingly that voters are more likely to see women as capable politicians. It is a kind of virtual circle that you elect women and they stand as a role model and other women have a better chance next time around. Your contemporaneous take on election 2016 and how does it compare to the 2008 democratic primary . I will take this question is a question about what we do to be more ready. So what i do see is although there have been plenty of outrageous and absurd attacks on hillary after she 16 states on super tuesday called her male pundits tweeting that she should just smile. I do think that there is less patience for some of the attacks on women as women. I think that there is aa legitimate debate going on about who represents the best values of the Democratic Party. I think it is relatively tame fight compared to what is going on the Democratic Party. In many ways the 2,008 run made it easier for another women to run now, and the next time ii think were going to see multiple women candidates regardless of who wins this year. Lets take some calls. Nancy cohens our guest, former history, former history and Political Science professor at several universities. She sits on the la county commission for women where she chairs the policy and legislation committee. She has written a couple of books including delirium. Another book was the reconstruction of american liberalism. Her most recent book just came out this year, breakthrough the making of americas 1st woman president. David, you are on the air. Go ahead. Hi. I am registered democrat. I am going to plan for the democratic candidate, but what bothered me is that Hillary Clinton had all these superdelegates lined up. It almost doesnt matter who wins a lot of these primaries because hillary has got so many superdelegates. Well, i voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary as a protest against i just dont understand why she has to have all these superdelegates lined up. Thank you for your question. The superdelegates are provisionally pledged to different candidates right now. If they are not reversal is taken place. The superdelegate can change up until a convention. I mean, it did significantly during the 2008 race between obama and clinton. A number of superdelegates went over to obama after they committed to supporting hillary. So i do think that the Democratic Party is going the Democratic Party will nominate whoever has won the most popular votes and the most delegates that have been one in the primaries and caucuses. I dont think that we should worry about the superdelegates. It is all going to come out in the small the democratic way. According to the World Economic forum more than 80 percent of americas governors and members of congress are men. From west grove pennsylvania. Hi. Are some women biased against voting for a woman for president . Ii do not think that women are biased against wanting. There have been some studies or one study in particular that has said that elderly women may be a little bit more concerned about voting for a woman, but in general women vote for female candidates. The record shows that men do as well. Are not. Men are not. Is there an advantage or disadvantage to being a woman candidate . And what is the difference . Let me take that. There are some really Interesting Research on republican women, republican primary voters see republican women candidates as more moderate than men. And so republican women have a harder time emerging as the victor in a primary because the republican primary voter is very conservative. And historically you would say it is in many ways inaccurate perception that republican women were more moderate republican men. And in the general question, if the womens issues are primed and there is a woman candidate in the race that is advocating for those issues, the record does show that women will come out and stronger force. Mike cape coral, florida. Please go ahead go ahead with your question or comment. Historical question. Wasnt there a female governor back during the time when women were not able to vote . Im sorry. Was there a female governor of the Western State before women were allowed to vote . Is he thinking of jeanette . Before women have the vote nationally the 1st woman elected to congress from montana, montana was jeanette menken and it was several years before. But a member of the Western States did give women the vote pretty long before women got the vote nationally. The nest call right here in los angeles. Hi. I have not called in over a year. I know your pretty biased when it comes to the truth about israel. So what i would like to say i think you are going to twist that into a topic that we are not talking about today. Today. But we talk about that topic with love to hear from you and get your perspective. So lets move on to zachary in long beach, california. Nancy cohen is our guest. Women in politics is the topic. I have not read your book but im looking forward to reading it. The interview that i am watching and knowing that women outnumber men in population, more the norm have women outnumber men. But of course it has not happened. And as a male, as a person of color here in america i am a nothing minority, but i think hopefully it will help enlighten. Thank you. You know, you bring up a good point, women are the majority of the population, and we are also the majority of the voting population. Women make up about 53 of voters. About 10 million more women than men voted no last president ial election. America ranks 72nd in the world on womens political empowerment. That means 71 nations have a have a higher proportion of Women Empowerment we do. And so i do think that other nations have adopted a lot of processes that have made a commitment to getting closer to parity in government. This is difficult to do. High levels of incumbent reelection. That is reelection. That is a big part of why it is hard to change the ratio significantly in any particular election. Is parity important . For what . I like to say if you are not at the table you are on the menu. We know historically that until africanamericans, immigrants, women push the people in power to take account of our interest they were ignored. So do we need 5050 and every election . No. But we need to get closer to a point where we are more like 4060, 45 men 55 percent women. And i think we get different Public Policy when we have all the voices of america at the table. Text message for you. She made it the way many women in an earlier period had to make it. She called her way up through the party. A brilliant politician, brilliant woman. Her politics are not where mine are. She was a great politician. But she talked a lot about how the men in the party resisted is much as they could allowing her to get to the top spot. Becoming the norm in a lot of countries. I do think that women once we get to a Critical Mass can just play the game the way its meant to. They have achieved parity. Taking progress. Next call comes from ellen and irvine california just south of where we are right now. Hi. I look forward to reading your book. I am an older woman in my mid 70s. I was hoping during the 70s when i was involved with Womens Movement that we were going to move forward to me it is a disgrace how few women we have in congress and in the senate and now we have not had a woman Vice President yet. So i am all for women. And so more women are involved we are going to get in the same quagmire have gotten into with iraq in these different places. No more equality, more voting rights. Without women in positions of power we arent going to get there. That is my opinion. I look forward to reading your book. Thank you. Women in Political Office prioritize prioritize the women and concerns to a far greater degree than men. Women dont look at this as a back burner. The make an effort to integrated into the policymaking. There going to see these issues we will see progress. We are of nature. They tried to disintegrate and develop dementia. Are you being sincere . Women older than 55. How rare this kind of misogyny and sexism really is. They really see women as equal and always groups. So i dont even really think we need to talk more than to say think of your past it. You said your optimistic. But is there proof . You are political scientists. Basically i read hundreds of studies and hundreds of Public Opinion surveys. The overwhelming evidence, 90 plus percent of americans believe in womens fully quality of participation. The most fascinating part of my research was the surprising conclusion is that really for all intents and purposes elections the double standard is dead. Doesnt make enough to tip an election. Ideology, policy, the state of the economy. So that kind of attitude just goes out with a wash. I will buy your book. Im an italianamerican. But i would vote for misses clinton any day. A beautiful woman. Woman, 78. Im happy to say that im well. Im really happy that she is running. I. I am looking forward. Founded based on christianity. The religious. The breakthrough is we have reached a. Where we are ready to elect a woman president. Im not predicting Hillary Clinton will be elected but im absolutely certain america has really reached this historic point where it is no longer a detriment. Just to bring us back to where we started. How do we get there . I would give most of the credit to a lot of women upandcoming in these organizations have looked in america and said it is just not right that women arent that levels equal to men and that we will get better Public Policy and have a more democratic nation if we spend our lives dedicated to working women and through the political system. Live coverage continues. A few more other panels are coming up today. The next author panel is on education. Thats where well go next. Then will have another call an opportunity. This will be with the joe, the author the book called the blue. Our final period of the day is a panel on more. It is authors about war. That is todays cover at the l. A. Times festival. Go to our website and find our entire schedule for today and tomorrow at booktv. Org. You can follow us on twitter or facebook to get behind the scenes of photo and schedule updates as well. This is book tvs live coverage of the 21st annual Los Angeles Times a festival of books. Sweet hello everyone to our panel. I we have an interesting panel to talk about the subject today. I think we are also on some sort of television. So smile, you are almost on candid camera. I have some housekeeping announcement to make. Silence also phones during the session. Also, there is a book book signing following the session. The session for this panel is an signing area one. This areas noted on the festival map in the center of the Event Program or one of the helpful volunteers, raise your hand volunteers, they can show you where that is. Personal recording of sessions is not allowed. I do not want to discover later that blackmarket copies of this turn up in china selling for 1000 apiece. We do not want that kind of embarrassment. No recording allowed. With that, lets get started. It is not farfetched to say that there is an ideological and policy war over the future of education. It is is a battle whose outcome is endowed in terms of what education is going to look like and what the policies will be and strange bedfellows abound. It is hard to find consensus over any of the fundamental questions. Theres is there too much standardized testing and how important our test scores for evaluating students and their teachers, should schools receive more money or is that send dating good money after bad. Our independently operated Charter Schools part of the solution a part of the problem . Our teacher unions the guardian of everything that is best and promising a Public Education or are they obstacles to innovation . Is the Traditional College education costeffective or even relevant these days . What is the definition of what we even consider to be a good education . How close are we to get in there . Are we getting closer is that goal slipping further away . With us to tackle questions is our panel, i will say a little more about each of them in turn, barry, Barry Glassner is a sociologist and College Professor and author of culture of fear. Catherine ellison is a Pulitzer Prize winning correspondence and author and coauthor of nine books. Mcgill doyle is on the far left, author of the schools on trial, his second book and he is of College Going h himself.