2012 Honoree

Betty Liu

Anchor, Bloomberg Television

“People seem to forget how divided our government was in the 1980s and 1990s. Divisiveness is nothing new. The problem is we now have a dysfunctional government. Divisiveness is acceptable so long as you also have decisive leaders, but unfortunately, we’ve been lacking that over the last few years.”

What do you think of the media’s portrayal of women?

I don’t feel there is any specific “portrayal” of women in media. I think the media is getting much better at capturing the diversity of women in America. Bloomberg ran a very interesting story this morning about how married mothers are key swing voters in the presidential race.

Have you seen any changes in the political landscape for women over the past few years? What are they?

I’m very excited with how much more prominent women have become in politics. Condoleezza Rice delivered a great speech at the RNC and then made news a few days later for becoming one of the first female members of the Augusta National Golf Club. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been a leader and sound voice in the White House Administration. Overseas, Angela Merkel of Germany is the key to Europe’s prosperity. Christine Lagarde of the IMF literally has the world’s economy in her hands. I could go on and on!

Do you feel the extreme left and right wings of U.S. politics are destroying the United in the United States or is it just healthy debate?

People seem to forget how divided our government was in the 1980s and 1990s. Divisiveness is nothing new. The problem is we now have a dysfunctional government. Divisiveness is acceptable so long as you also have decisive leaders but unfortunately, we’ve been lacking that over the last few years.

Can you tell us about one of the biggest challenges in your life that you think helped you become the person you are today?

I can say unequivocally the loss of my mother when I was a teenager led me to develop a strong inner core. I lost a central female figure in my formative years but I came out much more self-assured of who I am and what I’m made of.

Do today’s young people face a bigger challenge than you did?

I really feel for the younger generation. I look at my children and wonder what kind of world we’re leaving them. I graduated college during the Clinton years and those are now seen as the go-go years. Back then I was worried about getting a job. If I were to graduate now, I’d have much more serious concerns about being able to earn enough to pay my student loans back and still save for a future. Much more has to be done to help the younger generation facing jobless rates of over 15%.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It wasn’t so much advice but someone once told me luck is when opportunity meets preparation. People aren’t just “lucky.” They make their luck. That really struck me.

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

For fun? Probably Audrey or Katherine Hepburn – beautiful, classic women who were smart and ahead of their time. For work? I’d love to be able to score an interview with China’s President.