Five Ways Debbie Wasserman Schultz Will Shake Up the DNC

As Schultz moves into one of the most important roles in her party -- chair of the DNC -- what can we expect from her? Business as usual, or is she going to show the Dems a path to victory in 2012 they haven't thought about yet?
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Guys have been running the Democratic National Committee for the past two and a half decades. The last time a woman was in charge of the nationwide Democratic show, we hadn't yet heard Bill Clinton deny that he'd had a relationship with "that woman."

Takes you back, doesn't it?

That's all about to change as Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz stands ready to move into one of the most important roles in her party -- the chair of the Democratic National Committee. So what can we expect from her? Business as usual, or is she going to show the Dems a path to electoral victory in 2012 they haven't thought about yet? As she takes the helm as the Democrat's chief fundraiser and strategist, it's fair to ask, especially if you're not from her home state of Florida, why Debbie? Here are just five good reasons we can assume that Wasserman Schultz is the perfect woman for the job:

1. She can raise money like nobody's business. In 2006, she was surpassed only by Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel in her ability to raise millions for Democratic candidates.

2. She's a tireless advocate for women's health issues, especially early detection of breast cancer, a disease that she has fought herself.

3. She calls 'em like she sees 'em, and she's one of the few to call out the Republicans for coining "Obamacare" and turning it into a dirty word, and one that actually violates the rules of Congress.

4. She knows that political power can come from real friendships, especially the kind where you've got your friend's back.

5. She's the mom of three young children, so she is an expert on the art of juggling to get things done and not worrying about too much sleep. Plus, she doesn't take crap from anyone about the fact that, as a mom, she carries crayons in her purse. I can also guarantee you, she won't take any of that Jim McDermott "that job will be too much of a strain on her" crap. That's just tired old code for "hey, little lady, why don't you leave the heavy lifting to the big boys?" She's already kicked cancer's ass -- I think she can kick his, as well.

Isn't it about time we had a woman like this in charge of moving our country away from the ideas of the almost-all-boys club we have today? Wasserman Schultz has always been a serious force to be reckoned with and she definitely isn't your father's political party chair. She doesn't shy away from the media spotlight when it comes to advancing the causes she cares about, which should shake things up. I have no doubt that she'll make sure that she gets better coverage in the future than the few column inches her DNC slot got that were buried in the Washington Post or the tiny blurb on the bottom of page A17 in the New York Times.

She's got a whole heck of a lot more going for her than Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann. Wouldn't it be nice if the media covered her that way?

Joanne Bamberger is an author and political/social media analyst. Her book, Mothers of Intention: How Women and Social Media are Revolutionizing Politics in America will be available June 1. She will also be launching a new site late this spring called The Broad Side, a place for bipartisan women to get their news and politics fix as we head into 2012.

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