In 1968, Eugene McCarthy's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination brought new women into politics. United by a shared commitment to peace, McCarthy women helped to drive an incumbent president from office, opened peace talks with North Vietnam, nearly elected a maverick president, and permanently altered the power structure within the Democratic Party. Although their candidate lost
... [Show full abstract] the nomination, these women believed theirs was a victory with life-changing implications. McCarthy women confidently moved forward in the political realm because the movement encouraged and valued women's ways of organizing, empowered them with unprecedented opportunities for leadership and influence, and taught them to question the limits sexism placed on women's political participation. They created a Democratic feminist politics that endures today. The National Women's Political Caucus, Emily's List, and the careers of Barbara Boxer and Hillary Rodham Clinton are only part of this legacy.
