Both have been subjected to the kind of vitriol reserved for women in positions of power. We can’t let that stop the female leaders of tomorrow.
The U.S election dust has yet to settle. It still covers those who are joyful about the results just as much as those who are anything but.
Many pundits say the election was a landslide. But there’s another way of looking at it. For the second time in eight years, a woman came close to becoming the most powerful person in the world.
Like many who have followed the election, I’m exhausted by the too many hot takes on what Kamala Harris did wrong, what she could have done better and how the Democratic party can pick itself up, post-defeat.
What is often lost in the over-analysis is how the expectations for Harris, a one-time Montrealer, were much different than those of previous presidential candidates, besides Hillary Clinton, in 2016.
Once the news of her departure made the rounds, Plante’s decision drew mostly praise. Thankfully, self-care is du jour these days. But what about her legacy? How will it be judged? From the environment to bike paths, will Plante be given her due? And will the criticism — which has its place — be fair? The report card we will collectively give Plante could help determine how the future of municipal politics in Montreal will be shaped and who will decide to be part of it.
Plante has had enough success to deserve praise, and giving her her due is the best way to keep the door open for future women candidates.