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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: ribonucleic on February 20, 2007, 01:38:38 PM
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Clinton Emphasizes Her Gender as Strategy
By: Ben Smith - February 20, 2007 08:14 AM EST
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Roberta Stokes said she cried Monday morning when she heard Hillary Rodham Clinton ask whether America is ready for a woman to be president. "That was emotional to me," said Stokes, 69, a retired teacher. "A lot of people don't understand that a woman is strong enough to do that." But Stokes said she'd also been moved when Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., came to Columbia last week, carrying the promise that he could become the first black president. "I couldn't make a choice right now on them," she said.
Clinton spent Monday morning before a mostly black, mostly female crowd in the South Carolina capital, and she seemed to grasp Stokes' choice clearly. Her pitch was equally clear: One pioneer at a time.
"I believe this presidential election is about breaking barriers," Clinton said. "This is the campaign and I am the candidate with the experience to break those barriers."
Clinton's tailored case to a black audience reflected her new directness in talking about herself as a woman and a mother. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher reportedly took voice lessons to sound more like a man; Clinton has gone in the other direction since announcing her bid for the presidency, speaking more explicitly about her sex than ever before in her political career. And while the shift has the lofty aim of trying to change national attitudes toward women, it also reflects a cold, strategic reality.
"I like numbers. I like politics because it is about the bottom line," said Ann Lewis, a former White House communications director who has long been, among other roles, Clinton's liaison to women's groups. "Fifty-four percent of the electorate in November 2004 was women."
Clinton is the only woman among the 10 or so Democrats seeking the presidency, and despite a persistent storyline of discomfort among many women about her candidacy, she has a history of drawing women's support. In New York last year, she won re-election to the Senate with 73 percent of women voting for her and 61 percent of men, according to exit polls. The first major national group to endorse her presidential campaign was the powerhouse EMILY's List, which backs female candidates. And Clinton, alone among candidates for the presidency in a world of mostly male political junkies, draws mostly female crowds.
The new emphasis on gender by a candidate who once famously disparaged baking cookies and having teas -- enraging many women who enjoyed both those activities -- takes many forms, explicit and implicit. Clinton's new stump speech raises, before she can be asked, the question of whether Americans will elect a female president, and she speaks at times specifically as a woman and as a mother.
Clinton describes her campaign in what is a traditionally feminine vocabulary: She launched her bid for the White House in a video expressing her desire to "chat" with the electorate. She pledges to be a president who will "listen." Her campaign events are described as "conversations."
In a telephone interview last week, Lewis resisted the notion that the campaign is speaking primarily to women, and suggested that it differs from other campaigns merely in speaking as directly to women as to men. "What is unusual is that this is a campaign in which women are not sort of an afterthought," Lewis said. "The traditional Democratic campaign would go along saying, 'Of course we're talking to everybody,' and then would look at their numbers around Labor Day and say, 'We've got to do a better job talking to women.' "
Clinton's explicit embrace of her gender was a choice, and it represents a gamble of sorts. Though most polling shows a gender gap between parties and candidates, other factors -- such as race and income -- are typically stronger determinants of voters' preference. And according to a Siena College poll released Monday, 12 percent of Americans still say they wouldn't vote for a woman for president. Other polling has suggested that Americans are more comfortable with female legislators than executives. But it's a gamble that appears, so far, to be paying off. In particular, Clinton appears to have managed to avoid a mass defection of African-American supporters to Obama.
In interviews with black women of her own, baby boomer generation, it appeared clear that for voters affected by the notion of electing a pioneer, Clinton is able to compete with Obama. "We need a woman," said Joy Silver, 60, an African-American nurse attending the Columbia event. "I think she's going to make it."
Clinton drew roars from the Columbia crowd when she told them, "I am proud to be a woman." But while Clinton connects with women, she faces a challenge of not alienating another, only slightly less important demographic group that has, perhaps, grown accustomed to being the center of candidates' attention: men.
"It's not a zero-sum game," insisted Lewis. "This is not about throwing men over the side."
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=DC3AFFD1-3048-5C12-0034F4945D23C19C
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Scary.
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Great strategy for the democratic primary, but I still don't see how Hillary can win the general election. She loses too many moderates that would be willing to vote for Obama or another democrat.
A Hillary nomination guarantees President McCain.
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Great strategy for the democratic primary, but I still don't see how Hillary can win the general election. She loses too many moderates that would be willing to vote for Obama or another democrat.
A Hillary nomination guarantees President McCain.
I agree.
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"The Vagina Card." :D ;D :P Good, Ribo, very good.
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Are the Democrats really that STUPID to run her?
That is about the only way they can throw it away @ this point.
Bush is now hated by so many in his own party- but they all hate HillY C. more than SIN!
The Dems need to Wake up. THe country has serious problems and they're goin to do something like this?
I dont really like either party-But I'll sure as hell stand in line to vote AGAINST her!
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I myself am a Conservative Democrat and I won't be voting for her.
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It almost reads like a Republican conspiracy for God's sake.
If I was runin the Repub war room- Id do my best to get her as the Dems candidate.
Guaranteed failure.
I really dont want to call myself any of their party.
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With the single exception of Bill Clinton, the democrats haven't nomanated a candidate for president who wasn't a complete fucck-up in over four decades. It's like they enjoy losing or something. :-\
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Topic: Hillary Playing The Vagina Card
I did not know she had one.
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wes clark will bring legitimacy to her party.
and terrible as it is, hilary is probably more consistent, and more professional, than the top 3 repubs at the moment.
and anyway, it'll prob be a white guy in the end. always is.
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With the single exception of Bill Clinton, the democrats haven't nomanated a candidate for president who wasn't a complete fucck-up in over four decades. It's like they enjoy losing or something. :-\
Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry. All losers. Terrible candidates.
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wes clark will bring legitimacy to her party.
and terrible as it is, hilary is probably more consistent, and more professional, than the top 3 repubs at the moment.
and anyway, it'll prob be a white guy in the end. always is.
General Clark is a dud and a stiff as a political candidate. He was horrendous in the debates last year. I doubt he finished much better than Al Sharpton when all was said and done. He's not even on the radar.
And people vote the top of the ticket. An outstanding VP choice will not save Hillary.
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LMFAO @ "The Vagina Card"
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General Clark is a dud and a stiff as a political candidate. He was horrendous in the debates last year. I doubt he finished much better than Al Sharpton when all was said and done. He's not even on the radar.
And people vote the top of the ticket. An outstanding VP choice will not save Hillary.
Hilary backed Clark in 2004. He brings military cred. NATO experience.
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As far as politics, I believe Clinton is a moderate Democrat.
Politically, she has no problem getting the swing voters, or even many Republicans.
It's about the personality, lots of people being against Clinton just because they don't like her, not because they don't like her politics.
Which is a stupid argument. It's the political platform that is important, the political provess that should matter. Not whether someone is "like folk" or not.
Bush won over McCain, so I'd say likeability beats political skills 8 times a week in USA.
Sadly.
Instead, Obama looks to be the guy to beat due to him simply being the most likeable of all candidates.
-Hedge
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remember how horrible kerry and gore's personality were? Both *could* have won the election.
cause by the time novembed rolled around, voters were used to them. Gore ran for election in clinton's wet spot. people forgot about that cause they hated bush.
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With the single exception of Bill Clinton, the democrats haven't nomanated a candidate for president who wasn't a complete fucck-up in over four decades. It's like they enjoy losing or something. :-\
What Democrat could run that wouldn't be looked at as a "fuck up"? I can't think of any
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As far as politics, I believe Clinton is a moderate Democrat.
Politically, she has no problem getting the swing voters, or even many Republicans.
It's about the personality, lots of people being against Clinton just because they don't like her, not because they don't like her politics.
Which is a stupid argument. It's the political platform that is important, the political provess that should matter. Not whether someone is "like folk" or not.
Bush won over McCain, so I'd say likeability beats political skills 8 times a week in USA.
Sadly.
Instead, Obama looks to be the guy to beat due to him simply being the most likeable of all candidates.
-Hedge
Hillary not only isn't likable but has the same problem as Kerry, The Flip Flop. I honestly don't think Obama is that likeable to the right or the middle of the road righty. Honestly neither is McCain. I thikn '08 will be a year when a last minute suprise canidate could make an honest run.
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anyway, it'll prob be a white guy in the end. always is.
You think? :)
Just as W's first "election" [ahem] was seen as a repudiation of Clinton's moral swampishness in favor of a return to H.W.'s staid rectitude [ha ha], voting for Gore in 2008 [if he'll let us] would be the nation's way of trying to pretend that the 8-year nightmare that followed Bush v. Gore never happened.
But will he let us? Gore certainly isn't acting like a man with no further interest in public life. But even if he can't get it up a second time, there's his running-mate Edwards - already well-positioned as a Katrina-victims advocate. Handsome for the soccer moms and Southern for the rednecks, he's eminently electable against any of the sorry lot the Republicans are fielding. The only question - and it's a grave one - is whether he'll be able to withstand the fearsome power of the Hillary money machine during the primaries.
Please do not misconstrue me. I don't think Gore is the second coming of King Arthur. I haven't forgotten his questionable dealings with the Chinese - and he'll have as many corporate paymasters as any other Democrat. But when Nader convinced me in 2000 that there wasn't "a dime's worth of difference" between him and Chimpy, I was dead wrong.
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\ there's his running-mate Edwards - already well-positioned as a Katrina-victims advocate. Handsome for the soccer moms and Southern for the rednecks, he's eminently electable against any of the sorry lot the Republicans are fielding. The only question - and it's a grave one - is whether he'll be able to withstand the fearsome power of the Hillary money machine during the primaries.
Edwards was tainted by being the lower half of the bumbling losing ticket last time around. Had he not accepted the VP nomination, he would have been very well-positioned for a 2008 run, but that ship has sailed.
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What Democrat could run that wouldn't be looked at as a "fuck up"? I can't think of any
Out of the current crop?
Good question.
Obama has potential, but it's too early to guess how he'll react when the primaries heat up. Failing that, a relative unknown with a solid moderate message and great speaking skills might have a chance, probably a governor or former Governor.
But in the end, we all know the Dems will stay true to form and nominate their least-electable candidate... in this case Hillary.
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The Vagina Card means nothing without the Oprah Endorsement.
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What Democrat could run that wouldn't be looked at as a "fuck up"? I can't think of any
Unfortunately, I have to agree with this.
As much as I want the current regime out of office, the Dems have done a piss poor job of providing an alternative.
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Edwards was tainted by being the lower half of the bumbling losing ticket last time around.
I disagree. I think Kerry is (rightfully) blamed for the incompetencies of that campaign. Edwards was just there to lend Southern credibility. And he did well in the debates, as I recall.
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Tainted once is usually Fatal, except NIXON ::)
the Oprah endorsement IS a priceless thing.
Hey you all so smart- Y dont one of U run? ;D
Couldn't Muck it up much worse N it allready is now.
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Tainted once is usually Fatal, except NIXON ::)
the Oprah endorsement IS a priceless thing.
Hey you all so smart- Y dont one of U run? ;D
Couldn't Muck it up much worse N it allready is now.
Hello, Prince.
Hope to catch your show at the Rio when I go to Vegas in June.
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I disagree. I think Kerry is (rightfully) blamed for the incompetencies of that campaign. Edwards was just there to lend Southern credibility. And he did well in the debates, as I recall.
But based on what you know about him so far, what does Edwards STAND for?
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But based on what you know about him so far, what does Edwards STAND for?
Same thing they all stand for: Getting elected.
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Hillary not only isn't likable but has the same problem as Kerry, The Flip Flop.
mm69,
Do you consider Mitt Romney or John McCain to be "flipfloppers"?
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Tainted once is usually Fatal, except NIXON ::)
the Oprah endorsement IS a priceless thing.
Hey you all so smart- Y dont one of U run? ;D
Couldn't Muck it up much worse N it allready is now.
cracka, please. Some of us would be all bullety by Day #2 if we ran for office.
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mm69,
Do you consider Mitt Romney or John McCain to be "flipfloppers"?
Only liberals flip-flop.
Conservatives pretend they never said the other thing to begin with.
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mm69,
Do you consider Mitt Romney or John McCain to be "flipfloppers"?
In the case of McCain, tragically yes. Romney never had a chance and never will so his flip flopping doesn't really matter.
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mm69,
Do you consider Mitt Romney or John McCain to be "flipfloppers"?
I have yet to see a politician that isn't. The only person I would chose for Pres today would be Newt
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I have yet to see a politician that isn't. The only person I would chose for Pres today would be Newt
You should shit on rudy, mitt, and mccain for doing the same thing. equal opportunity shitting.
newt is evil, dude. seriously. read some of his speeches on controlling america - he wants to monitor and manage the web.
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newt is evil, dude.... he wants to monitor and manage the web.
It's true. No more high times here on Getbig if that pigfucker comes to power. Gotta protect the children, you know. Christian values. All that bullshit.
I'm not worried though. If you think Edwards has the stink of failure on him, he smells like a perfumed harem next to Gingrich - who, let us not forget, was drummed out office by his own party.
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You should shit on rudy, mitt, and mccain for doing the same thing. equal opportunity shitting.
newt is evil, dude. seriously. read some of his speeches on controlling america - he wants to monitor and manage the web.
Believe me you will not hear me praise Mit, McCain or Rudi. I never praised Bush in the day. For the last 4 elections it has been the lesser of 2 evil type of voting. I am so tired of ALL politicians and the two faced bullshit. The only reason I like Newt even with his baggage is he seems to stand his ground and not back down on his beliefs for anyone, even if it costs him the ouster from his party