Leading in polls among Democratic women, Clinton works to build on that support

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Clinton gladly plays the gender card
Leading in polls among female Democratic voters, the senator works to build on that support, lining up feminist leaders and appealing to working women.
By Stephen Braun, Times Staff Writer
April 7, 2007



WASHINGTON — A gender gap is growing in the Democratic presidential race, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton aims to widen it into a chasm.

Armed with mounting evidence that women are providing her a strong foundation in the crucial early months of the run-up to next year's primaries, Clinton's campaign is trying to organize almost every aspect of the Democratic women's voting bloc — including lining up the support of feminist elites and stoking excitement in teenage political neophytes.

When the New York senator speaks to audiences crowded with women, she unabashedly depicts her candidacy as a historic opportunity to elect the first female president.

"Now is the time to break the biggest glass ceiling in the land," a beaming Clinton said last week after her endorsement by the National Organization for Women's political action committee, one of several influential women's activist groups that have rushed to endorse her campaign.

In contrast to the broader electorate, where, in 2006, women accounted for 51% of votes cast, women represent as much as 60% of registered voters in early Democratic primary and caucus states. And early surveys show Clinton ahead of her male rivals among women in every early primary and caucus state.

Nationally, a Zogby survey in late March found that Clinton outstripped her competitors, leading with 42% of likely primary voters among Democratic women, compared with 19% for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and 15% for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Clinton held a much thinner lead among male Democratic voters. At 28%, she barely edged Obama, who was at 26%, with Edwards trailing at 11%....

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-hillary7apr07,0,3339210,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[loyalsister]

1. Not I!

I firmly believe that a woman who gets to the presidency on the coattails of her husband sets us back eons!

[Missy M]

2. If she gets to the presidency.....

it will be on her hard work. She is very capable without her husband. I'm hoping she becomes president.

[Adelante]

3. That is such a sexist thing to say

And nonsense besides.

[loyalsister]

9. How?

The only people who know she is capable and would have gone far if even if she had not married Bill are people who are in the choir.
The people who do not know people who think women should be sitting in the kitchen have no idea. They think it is ALL on his name. Though not all, a large part of it happens to be. Anyone familiar with politics must acknowledge that she would not be a Senator running for president had she not been first lady. And certainly, her unique position has everything to do with donor lists built and connections made when her husband ran for governor and eventually president. There is a lot of loyalty in politics. Expecially when it comes to big players.

[Adelante]

11. I'm not in the choir so you can drop that one, too

The woman had a law career, like practically all politicians, was in politics as first lady of Arkansas, and has years working at child advocacy to her own credit. She is smart and capable. Don't vote for her if you don't want to. I'm not voting for her myself. But Hillary is not the first smart and capable woman to have run and won for Congress. It could have happened with Bill or without, as long as it's what she wanted to do.

[loyalsister]

14. Hell, I am the choir

The choir as I define it is the segment of the population who believes that Hillary Clinton is an accomplished woman in her own right and does not necessarily believe she is evil.

[spooky3]

12. How do you know what she would have accomplished

if she hadn't married Bill Clinton? She likely would have accomplished a great deal in the public arena that she did not undertake in deference to his career. If you want to play the game of removing him from the equation, you need to remove him completely and ask what someone with her abilities would have accomplished over many years--even in a society that continues generally to devalue women.

Check out Mediamatters.org's work on this topic for much more support for this position than I can articulate.

Oh yes, I feel obliged to point out that she is not my #1 candidate, but I will certainly vote for her or any other Dem in the general election before any Republican.

[loyalsister]

13. Not the point

The point is to acknowledge that she is a very talented person in her own right. I believe that she is intelligent and maybe even brilliant. But I don't appreciate what she does with it. I will vote for her if she is the candidate, but I stand by my assertion.
It is not unfair, to point out that her husband's political career has been the greatest prime to her own when it comes to money, connections, and recognition.
It naturally placed her in the public eye with significant media attention for eight years before becoming a senator.

[spooky3]

16. it IS the point

The point is that it is unfair to conclude that she would not today be a viable candidate but for Bill Clinton or to accuse her of "riding his coattails." You and I simply do not know what she would have done with her life, and what other connections, money and recognition she might have earned on her own or together with another spouse. For all you know, she might have been a candidate you might have liked better; she might have done something different with her talents.

[loyalsister]

17. You missed the point

MASSIVE Donor lists
Connections
Media attention
=
Hubby's coattails

The fact that those coattails exist is undeniable.
That she is riding them shows that she is an astute politician.
My personal preference would be to have a woman candidate who got there with donor lists built over a political career where she made her own connections and developed her own loyal ties.

I stand by my assertion that it is more of a setback than advancement.

[RacingBobbie]

4. I am thinking...

the same thing. Other countries will not respect us since they don't respect their own women!!!

[uppityperson]

7. FYI, list of female Heads of State

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_heads_of_state
http://terra.es/personal2/monolith/00women2.htm
http://www.capwip.org/participation/womenheadofstate.html

[Larkspur]

5. This woman and NOW member will not support Hillary for Prez

She's a whore to corporate interests and favors outsourcing good paying American jobs overseas which in turn undermines the Middle Class and women. On top of that she supports an immoral war in Iraq and does her best to triangulate (LIE) her way out of her origianl support.

Hillary is the wrong woman to be President. If it wasn't for her husband Bill Clinton, Hillary would be in the 1% bracket or not running for Prez at all.

[movonne]

6. I agree...

[AtomicKitten]

8. no one can deny Hillary is a formidable candidate

still I'm glad Obama is giving her a run for her money because the competition will hone a better ultimate nominee

... and then Gore will jump in and run away with the nomination -- hee-hee

[Rock_Garden]

10. No one can deny that Hillary has had certain advantages.

However, none of it would have helped her if she didn't already have what it takes. I'm really looking forward to hearing Hillary debate.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Ho Hum! Is this Hillary's campaign motto, vote for me because I have a vagina?

This is as sexist as those testosterone filled candidates we have seen in the past, prancing about saying such things as "Don't mess with Texas."

I wonder if anyone has taken notice of the absurdity of appealing to feminists while having been the enabling wife of a notorious philanderer.

If Hillary were half the woman that Maxine Waters, Julia Carson, Barbara Boxer, Barbara Lee, or Lynn Woolsey, to name a few, she wouldn't be causing so much angst among the grassroots.