No, Not the First

Today, Geraldine Ferraro passed away. Headlines have popped up all over the internet about the death of the “…first female vice presidential candidate”.  The accolades being offered  from both sides of the political aisle, proclaim her greatness as the “first”. Here are two I found interesting:

“She broke one huge barrier and then went on to break many more,” Palin wrote. “May her example of hard work and dedication to America continue to inspire all women.”  – Sarah Palin (Source: Lafayette Journal and Courier)

“She’ll be remembered as a gutsy pioneer who stood up and fought for America to open its door to all Americans, including women.” – Walter Mondale (from cnn.com)

Except, well, she was not the first. She may have been the first on a “major” ticket, but for a over a hundred years before her nomination, women had  been running for President and Vice President of the United States. In 1984, in addition to her barrier-breaking nomination, there were eight other women on the ballot as vice presidential candidates.

It saddens me that the women who ran before are ignored because they were not on a major ticket and it saddens me further that mainstream media and politicians are further perpetuating the myth that Ms. Ferraro was the first. While the importance of her nomination to a major party ticket should not be discounted, it is pure ignorance to say that she was the first woman to be nominated for vice presidential candidate.

To see the many other women who have run for Vice President (and President!!) of the United States, check out Wikipedia.

*This post is in no way an attack on Ms. Ferraro, but a commentary on the blatant ignorance of popular media.*