While I do not find the article I just read on the magazine’s web site, I did read a recent article about political contributions. I found the article very interesting for several reasons.

The article discussed why it was still men that were the big donors, the ones getting face-to-face time with the candidates. Women just haven’t become big political donors. Some of the reasons that were mentioned were the same reasons we women use as mothers as to why we buy our kids $150 Nikes when their feet grow in two months’ time but are still wearing three year old walking shoes to exercise. Women are more likely to prioritize on the “close to them” or local issues. They pick the family over the nation.

One reason I took particular interest in this article in More magazine was that it was discussing women in politics. Unlike a lot of women my age and in my community, I have always taken an interest in politics. I am very interested in politics from school boards to town boards to state offices to federal elections. If you are not interested and a vested participant, how does democracy work for you? I remember, fondly, the stuffing of envelopes for a presidential campaign when I was 12 in 1972. I have great memories of my first, not one but three, presidential votes from 1980 to 1988.

Another reason I took interest in the article is that this is a political first for women possibly. It is quite possible – a lot of pundants think highly probable – that there will be a female nominee for the office of President of the United States. I am not saying that women should contribute to said campaign because she is female but I am saying that it should at least make more women want to be involved in the process.

Back to the article, I found it disturbing that most of the big time female political contributors that were interviewed were Republicans. I am not sure why this was but I would like to see women across the board contributing in large amounts to political campaigns that represent the issues that are important to them.

I also found it amazing that the lead statement, and an insert in the article, said that if every women who voted in the 2006 mid-term election were to contribute just $27 to any presidential nominee, it would pump 1.3 billion dollars into this campaign. Women constantly complain that politicians don’t listen. Well, unfortunately, it is money that does the talking and if we aren’t playing the game, who is going to listen?

I strongly urge any woman who can – whether you are in that group that voted in the mid-term election or not – to contribute to the presidential campaign of your choice. Encourage your friends to do the same. Make the female voice a voice to be heard!

Information from an article on campaign finance in September issue of More magazine.