Leslie Sanchez -- strategist, writer and political seer -- spent much of 2008 as an analyst on CNN, examining, investigating and deciphering the historic moment for women and politics that was the presidential election. And what she sees in the future is a landscape changed drastically for women the world over and their expectations. In You've Come a Long Way, Maybe, she debunks the cultural and political myths surrounding women, and looks at the wide range of reactions Hillary, Michelle and Sarah provoked from the small towns to the big city salons to the Sunday talk shows. She pays special attention to those most active and most examined during the election: the disappointed Hillary supporters, the rabid Sarah Palin fans, and everyone else wondering about the role of the new First Lady. Along the way, Leslie takes a hard look at what the election will mean for women now and in the future, and also at what leaders might emerge in 2012, and beyond.
Leslie Sanchez is a Republican strategist, former adviser to President George W. Bush and a widely sought-after political analyst. She was part of CNN's award-winning 2008 election coverage. A columnist and commentator, Sanchez is founder and CEO of Impacto Group LLC, a communications and market research firm, which specializes in defining social and economic trends affecting women and the emerging U.S. Hispanic community. For her work, Hispanic Business magazine named her one of the nation's "100 Most Influential Hispanics."
A veteran of numerous local, state and national campaigns, Sanchez is known for her straightforward style and in-depth understanding of the political and cultural landscape inside--and outside--Washington, DC. In 1999 she served as deputy press secretary at the Republican National Committee where she was one of the principal architects of the Republicans' first-ever multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at Hispanic voters.
Sanchez was appointed executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. She also served as a legislative aide to U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla (TX-23)--where she worked on immigration and border security legislation as well as Appropriations for the Departments of Justice, State, Treasury and Transportation.
As a political analyst, Sanchez's analysis has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, as well as NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Univision, Telemundo and leading programs, including NBC's "Nightly News," the "Today" show and PBS's News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
