Stephanopoulos Marvels with Pelosi About Standing Behind the First Female President

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Catching up with George Stephanopoulos' interview on Sunday's This Week with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Stephanopoulos took the opportunity to banter with Pelosi about the possibility of a woman President in front of her on the podium at the next State of the Union. Over video of Congressman John Boehner back in January handing the gavel to Pelosi, Stephanopoulos, one once toiled for the administration of the only woman candidate, marveled: “Seeing you up at the podium, first female Speaker of the House. Do you ever think what it would be like to be standing at that podium as the first female President of the United States comes up to give the State of the Union?” A giggling Pelosi exclaimed: “Wouldn't that be exciting to have the woman as the President and woman as the Speaker of the House? It'd be pretty exciting...” When Pelosi soon contended that “it's harder to become Speaker of the House than President of the United States for a woman,” Stephanopoulos empathized with how “you had to prove you were tough enough.”

The exchange toward the end of the pre-taped session conducted in the Speaker's ceremonial office in the Capitol, and shown on the May 20 This Week with George Stephanopoulos on ABC:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You came in about five months ago and everyone remembers that picture.

[Video of John Boehner handing the gavel to Pelosi as House members applauded]

STEPHANOPOULOS: Seeing you up at the podium, first female Speaker of the House. Do you ever think what it would be like to be standing at that podium as the first female President of the United States comes up to give the State of the Union?

PELOSI: Wouldn't that be exciting to have the woman as the President and woman as the Speaker of the House? It'd be pretty exciting. But I tell you in some ways, and you might appreciate this having experience in the White House and on Capitol Hill, sometimes I think it's harder to become Speaker of the House than President of the United States for a woman.

STEPHANOPOULOS: How so?

PELOSI: For a woman. Oh, my, no, you're dealing with an institution that has been very male-oriented for over 200 years, where you have a limited universe of people who will vote for you. And the last thing they will vote for you for is because you're a woman. So it's a tough arena. And, but I-

STEPHANOPOULOS: And you had to prove you were tough enough.

PELOSI: Well, and I felt strong enough, I'd rather say, than tough enough. But I'm very pleased that the cooperation I have received, shall we say, from my colleagues. I'm very proud of them that they had the courage to vote for a woman for Speaker of the House, President, Vice President, and Speaker of the House, the third highest office in the land and it does have a great deal of power.