“This election should not be about political parties.  Too many Americans are out of work, and our debt is out of control. This election needs to be about those issues.” – Gov. Susana Martinez (R – NM)

I am not a Republican. Quite honestly, after looking at the platform, I may be the furthest thing from it. But that does not mean that I will disregard August 27-30 as just another set of dates on a calendar.

The Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida got off to a rocky start Monday night. Cut short by the threat of Hurricane Isaac, Republican delegates and officials from across the country have gathered in the time honored tradition to nominate a presidential and vice-presidential candidate for this upcoming election. Beyond the glitz and glam of the nomination process and the unveiling of the platform, the convention also serves as a means to highlight upcoming party leaders, giving them prominent speaking roles so that they may dazzle viewers as they throw their support behind the chosen nominee.

Now, you might wonder why a self-proclaimed liberal, such as I am, would force herself to sit through the torturously long hours of trickle-down economics and faith based philosophies (stemming from one single Christian faith and disregarding all others). I will admit that part of it is for the shock factor and amusement. (Let’s face it. No matter what party you align yourself with, you can always count on public figures to say something shocking or stupid… or both. *coughs: “TODD AKIN!”*) But the other part is curiosity for these upcoming party leaders, particularly those women who are stepping up to the plate to redefine a party whose image has not always been welcoming to women.

I hang on every word that falls from Debbie Wasserman Shultz’s lips and worship at the altar that is Hillary Clinton. Not because they are Democrats, but because they are spectacular individuals who epitomize a young girl’s American dream. Tonight, my eyes were raised from the sea of blue and have fallen upon the distant red haze of the Republican Party.

Gov. Susana Martinez (R – NM) began her speech with a story: her story. She spoke intimately while looking out into the crowd and proudly declared her heritage. For me, the Republican Party has always seemed hesitant to embrace minority and female leadership. But Gov. Martinez took that stage, brimming with confidence, and whether or not the party was ready for her, she stood unafraid and explained:

“As the first Hispanic female governor in history, little girls often come up to me in the grocery store or the mall.  They look and point, and when they get the courage, they ask “Are you Susana?” and they run up and give me a hug.”

The governor went on to express:

“It’s in moments like these when I’m reminded that we each pave a path.   And for me, it’s about paving a path for those little girls to follow.”

Running, obtaining, and maintaining public office is not for the faint of heart. It is full of criticism, both personal and professional; unwanted and unwarranted attention; and difficult decisions that can lead to personal disillusionment and disappointment. Trying to save the world requires more than a red cape and an iron-clad ideology. But whether or not we agree with those philosophies, it is important that we respect the individuals who have the courage to stand up and proudly say that they are ready to take on this important role.

Tonight, Gov. Martinez did more than earn my respect. I am a Democrat who is proud to admit my admiration for this fearless woman who stood before her peers to acknowledge that her accomplishments were not for her own gain, but to benefit others and give hope to future generations.

But unlike Gov. Martinez, whose name I was not quite familiar with, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is a figure I know well. I grew up with the Bush administration and the opening to her speech cut me to the quick:

“I can remember as if it were yesterday when my young assistants came into my office at the White House to say that a plane had hit the World Trade Center, and then, a second plane, and then a third plane, the Pentagon.  And later, we would learn that a plane had crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, driven into the ground by brave souls who died so that others might live.”

During that time, Sec. Rice served as the first female to hold the title of National Security Advisor to the president before becoming the second woman and African-American (and the first African-American woman) appointed as Secretary of State.

Sec. Rice’s policies can be aligned with the democratic peace theory, which dictates that countries under democratic rule do not go to war with one another and therefore provide a more peaceful global civilization. Personally, I don’t completely agree with this theory. It promotes the spread of democracy through conquistador-like methods where countries (like the United States) force other smaller or less stable governments to conform to the democratic way of life.

Ours is not the only way of the world and, for some, it may not even be the best rule. But, it is not the spread of democracy that should push us to aid other states in need of our assistance. As Sec. Rice stated:

“And I know too — I know too there is a wariness. I know that it feels as if we have carried these burdens long enough.  But we can only know that there is no choice, because one of two things will happen if we don’t lead. Either no one will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the vacuum who does not share our values.”

These words resonate within me and echo my sentiments with regards to the current state of affairs in Syria. Sec. Rice chose the RNC to make a poignant statement, regardless of her colleagues’ opinions. With courage of conviction, she spoke her piece.

I have always respected the Secretary, but tonight that respect blossomed into something one so rarely experiences with a politician. I felt a connection and am unashamed to admit that I wept during her speech. And she carried a similar message to that of Gov. Martinez:

“And on a personal note, a little girl grows up in Jim Crow Birmingham.  The segregated city of the south where her parents cannot take her to a movie theater or to restaurants, but they have convinced her that even if she cannot have a hamburger at Woolworths, she can be the president of the United States if she wanted to be, and she becomes the secretary of state.”

No, I am not a Republican, and I am not about to jump ship to the Republican Party. I will proudly bleed blue until I breathe my last breath. Tonight though, I was brought closer to the American dream. The dream in which a Republican and Democrat can look upon each other with mutual veneration and say, “We might not be as different as we think we are.”

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