Boca Raton - The road to the presidency started three years ago for 8-year old Rachel Wieselquist, when she told her friend Heather it would be neat to be the first female in the Oval Office.

    The story sounded pretty neat to psychologist Ann Ruben when she heard it on Saturday afternoon at the International Museum of Cartoon Art.
    For as many years as Wieselquist is old, Ruben has been promoting the idea that women can do it all. Her vehicle: the cartoon character Margaret Wade - a familiar foe of Dennis the Menace.

    A small group gathered to hear Ruben deliver a lecture, "Margaret for President!" in conjunction with the museum's Dennis the Menace exhibition. With more than 250 original works of art, the exhibit runs through Aug. 26.

    Relaying personal stories and her struggle to keep Margaret T-shirts in Wal-Mart stores, Ruben's mission Saturday was to continue her work influencing girls and boys.

    "She's probably inspired a lot of girls," said Wieselquist, a second-grader from Greensboro, N.C. visiting relatives in South Florida. Ruben, a feminist, interviewed 1,500 Miami elementary school children in the early 1990s. About half the kids said only men can serve as president, and most of the boys said girls weren't smart enough to do the job.

    "Margaret is not beautiful, and that's OK," she said. "It's OK for girls not to be skinny, perfect, blonde and wear high heels."