<p>In one of my classes this morning (I am a college student at guess where? Haha) and we had a discussion about whether America is ready for a woman president. Most kids said no, but one girl felt strongly for it. This was about whether America was ready, not whether a woman could be president. So parents, I was wondering what thoughts you all had about this topic?</p>
<p>As a very small part of America myself, I think a female president would be fine. I wouldn’t want it to be Hillary though. Really, I don’t see that the gender is relevant.</p>
<p>America is long overdue for a woman president. I respect Hillary and do believe that she will make an A+ president, but she is seen as too controversial by many voters (remember the Time magazine poll?).
BB.</p>
<p>I think America is just getting to the point where it could accept a woman president. The problem, however, is that many people will vote for someone just because they are “new and exciting” (i.e. first woman president, first black president), even though both Hillary and Obama would make painfully bad presidents.</p>
<p>What were some of the reasons that the kids in your class said no?
Was it the particular woman, or the idea of a woman? Did the kids feel that they were not ready, or is it that the public isn’t ready?</p>
<p>Until recently, I did not think we were ready. But Sen. Clinton’s poise, perserverance, and attention to issues, which have bought her the endorsements of many highly visible and credible supporters, are changing that. Her being female is becoming less of an issue.</p>
<p>Why does the United States lag behind other countries that have elected women as leaders? I don’t have the answer, but it’s time for a change.</p>
<p><a href=“Members – Woman World Leaders, Lawyers & Attorneys”>Members – Woman World Leaders, Lawyers & Attorneys;
<p>I would love a woman president, but not Hillary. It offends me that she is where she is because of whom she married and I don’t want to spend 4 or 8 more years with that man front and center.</p>
<p>I’m ready for a GOOD president - regardless of gender.</p>
<p>But after Wednesday’s Senate vote essentially giving their seal of approval on an invasion of Iran (and Hilary’s “yea” ) I will not vote for her in the primary.</p>
<p>Plus, I’m sick of the monarchy/dynasty thing. (Well, who isn’t?!)</p>
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<p>That’s no more offensive that GWB getting where he is because of who his daddy was. Both started with a big boost from family connections and then got elected on their own. Nothing offensive about it. It’s a typical American road to success.</p>
<p>I am ready for a woman President but I am not sure America is. Working in a traditionally male field, I still see a lot of men who are not ready for a woman President. Couple that with the fact that so many women do not like Hillary and I don’t think she will be successful.<br>
I would also argue that this is not a good sampling of America as most posters on CC are of a certain age and educational background. There are many out there who just don’t want a woman to be President. I think this will change over time but not this woman and not this election.</p>
<p>There are many women who are capable of being President and American is ready for a woman President. However, American is not ready for that women President to be Hillary Clinton. She told us Saddam had WMD and she voted for the war in Iraq. Her husband also told us Saddam had WMD and he was wrong too. Obama opposed the war and he is a much better candidate than Hillary Clinton. At least Obama will give Americans an opportunity to chose a Democrat. </p>
<p>If Hillary Clinton had not been a Senator in 2003 and merely voiced an opinion supporting the war, I might feel differently about her. However, she was in the Senate and was supposed to take a fresh look at war based on classified intelligence information and make a decision. She failed miserably. If she is President, she will have to make these types of decisions regularly. She has already proven she can’t make correct decisions on the big issues.</p>
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That was certainly true when she ran for Senate in NY; but I think it is less true today. She has a proven track record as a Senator and won re-election. (I don’t like her track record, but I think she has earned the right to run for President)</p>
<p>"That’s no more offensive that GWB getting where he is because of who his daddy was. "</p>
<p>It is my offense and as a woman, it bothers me a lot more because I think that women don’t need the boost. I had, have and hold the same concerns about Bush.</p>
<p>I don’t see why it would make any difference. I just wish it wasn’t going to be Hillary. I don’t like her, but the reasons have nothing to do with her gender.</p>
<p>"That was certainly true when she ran for Senate in NY; but I think it is less true today. "</p>
<p>She couldn’t have run for the Senate if there wasn’t so much sympathy for her because her husband is a dog. She is my Senator, by the way, and I will give her credit for being a very hard worker, but I would like to have seen a woman get there completely on her own merits.</p>
<p>I don’t think America’s ready. I think I’m ready, but I know a lot of Americans who aren’t ready. The fact is as a culture we look to men to lead - the family, our workplaces, most areas in our lives are led by men. Wrong or right, that’s usually how it is, and I don’t foresee that changing by 2008, as much as I’d like it to.</p>
<p>I definitely don’t think we’re ready for Hillary. I don’t even think we’re ready for Obama (which gets into the whole race thing) but I think he’d be a much better president than Hillary.</p>
<p>I think America is ready. </p>
<p>(I agree that we have not yet identified a woman who is considered by many Americans to be “Presidential”.)</p>
<p>I’m ready - my mother isn’t. She says her friends won’t vote for a woman. I can’t even have a rational discussion with her about it. She won’t support women deacons in the church either. She has always been the boss at home and the women have always been the ones who get things done at her church but she won’t budge with regard to title. I’m afraid there are lots of her out there. I’m a knee jerk, bleeding heart liberal Democrat so I’ll vote for Hillary if she’s the choice, but she’s actually too conservative - or pretends to be - for my liking.</p>
<p>On some level, I agree with people who are concerned that if Hilary wins it will have been 20 years (at least) of Bushes or Clintons. Bush has been such a dreadful mess as a president and, to begin with, there is no way someone of his meager talents (in speaking, business, general competence) would have been elected president without the last name Bush. It just generally worries me that our system now seems to require so much money and/or built in name recognition that it so completely favors such dynasties. It is far different, but to people in other countries would the difference seem to be degree or kind from a kingdom that passes leadership as birthright?</p>
<p>Hilary is far, far more competent on many levels that Bush II ever could be. However, I am not sure America is ready for a female leader in the sense that I believe it would be extremely hard for a female leader to ever be accorded the kinds of respect men are traditionally given. I think of Carly Fiorina (sp?) as head of Hewlett Packard. She may have made some mistakes along the way and had some personality defects, but look where HP has gone since she took the risk and merged HP and Compaq? As a company it’s been performing exceptionally well; a lot of that is owing to its current CEO, it seems, but the foundation was in large part set under her leadership. I remember how much bellyaching there was from the beginning about her. It just seemed particularly strident, and the only thing I could ultimately tie a lot of what I saw to was the fact that she was a woman who had had the presumption to think she could run a technology company of the pre-eminence of HP. What chutzpah!</p>
<p>If Hilary wins, get ready for a lot of bellyaching. And get ready for a lot of open shows of disrespect from within govt. by men who go after her in a way that they would never dare go after a man.</p>
<p>How do you all think President Hillary (no disrespect intended, just to distinguish her from her husband) would be received on the world state, particularly by leaders of states in which women are not free. Would a President Hillary cover her head in Saudi Arabia? Any thoughts?</p>