Acccording to Keli Goff, if the 1992 election was the Year of the Woman, then 2010 may well be dubbed the Year of the Mama Grizzly. But a look at the nationwide results from the 2010 midterms show a much more complex picture. There were Mama Grizzlies who roared, and others who got bit and sent back into hibernation. And there were a couple of ladies who aren't Mama Grizzlies but who still left their imprint on the electorate this year.
Four of those on the list of women who mattered: Michelle Obama, Nikki Haley, Susana Martinez and Sarah Palin.
Michelle Obama has morphed from the symbol of an angry black woman during the 2008 campaign into the first lady everyone loves. Her campaigning helped struggling Democrats Barbara Boxer, Harry Reid and Patty Murray win hotly contested races. Republicans Nikki Haley and Susanna Martinez made history by becoming firsts in their political races. Martinez is the first Latina governor in America. Palin is able to pick out and endorse some "Mama Grizzlies," like Haley and Martinez, to further her bragging rights and power in the GOP, much to the chagrin of Karl Rove. While more women lost in this election cycle, these women made a difference.
Read more at the Huffington Post.