<p>There are some women politicians who have successfully distinguished themselves from their political husbands. An example that comes to my mind would be Elizabeth Dole.</p>
<p>She is very intelligent, poised, and experienced, yet doesn’t seem to carry the baggage that Hillary does.</p>
<p>(I’m talking more personal, than political philosophy…)</p>
<p>how sad is it that some American’s can’t handle a female President</p>
<p>as for covering the head, she should not</p>
<p>why do they still cover the head- is it because their men are animals? I don’t get it</p>
<p>Cartera, your post reminded me that the instant anyone is elected president, a rash of columns from shocked opinion writers appears saying, in essence, “I can’t believe he won! I don’t know anyone who voted for him!” That’s how it is in my circles, because I don’t know a single person who would have a problem with a woman president. (Specific women, yes. But nobody is ruling out a woman because of her gender.) But as your mom & her friends prove, those who feel differently are out there.</p>
<p>“There are some women politicians who have successfully distinguished themselves from their political husbands. An example that comes to my mind would be Elizabeth Dole.”</p>
<p>I wonder if that’s because her career came earlier than and separate from her marriage. Not a statement. Just wondering.</p>
<p>The Clintons are both highly intelligent, highly ambitious people–but IMO, Bill got where he did because he married Hillary–not the other way around. I’m not a fan of either of them and wouldn’t vote for her. (One turn-off is that her voice sounds very harsh and grating. She needs to work on that).<br>
A woman president in general?–I think we’re ready. There have been plenty of female leaders in countries more traditional than ours.</p>
<p>cartera: I think it’s a generational thing–some older women just don’t respect women in leadership positions. I know women who won’t go to female doctors because they think “a woman just couldn’t be as good of doctor as a man–women should be nurses. . .”(!?)</p>
<p>atomom - it is partly generational, but when it comes to my mom and her friends, it’s hard to make sense of it. She goes to a woman doctor as do many of her friends. She encouraged me to be the first female of my 20+ cousins to go to college and encouraged me to go to law school. If she suspected that I was treated differently because of gender, she would be outraged. She’s fine being equal with or in partnership with other women, but she doesn’t want another woman telling her what to do or what to feel- no women news anchors, no women ministers and no women presidents.</p>
<p>Edited to add - I agree that Bill would have never been president without Hillary. I don’t think he could have stayed on task long enough to accomplish it without her. Many women, without her motives, would have exposed him before he ever got traction. I love the guy, but he could have easily been a brilliant ne’er do well.</p>
<p>“Edited to add - I agree that Bill would have never been president without Hillary. I don’t think he could have stayed on task long enough to accomplish it without her. Many women, without her motives, would have exposed him before he ever got traction. I love the guy, but he could have easily been a brilliant ne’er do well.”</p>
<p>I think that’s absolutely true and I think Hillary on her own would have been hugely accomplished. But it’s also true that married to him and having chosen to put his career first for so many years, HIllary was only elected to the Senate because she was married to him.</p>
<p>But if she’s a hard worker and doing a good job, what difference does it really make how she got there? The only reason it bothers me that Bush came in on his family’s coat tails is because he is incompetant. Had he proven to be an effective, intelligent leader, it wouldn’t matter to me.</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>
<p>Now that is the reason my Dad won’t vote for her. He is a lifelong Democrat, but he thinks she won’t command respect in the countries that matter most right now.</p>
<p>“But if she’s a hard worker and doing a good job, what difference does it really make how she got there?”</p>
<p>It matters to me because there are more competent women than she, because I don’t think one term and a little bit qualifies one to be president and because it offends me greatly that this is the best we can do in this great nation. I don’t want my girls to have the message that they have to marry power in order to gain it. I want them to know that they can stand toe to toe with any man and win. I also never said she was doing a good job. I don’t think she is, and I reallllly don’t agree with her politically.</p>
<p>“It matters to me because there are more competent women than she, because I don’t think one term and a little bit qualifies one to be president and because it offends me greatly that this is the best we can do in this great nation. I don’t want my girls to have the message that they have to marry power in order to gain it. I want them to know that they can stand toe to toe with any man and win. I also never said she was doing a good job. I don’t think she is, and I reallllly don’t agree with her politically.”</p>
<p>She hardly married power - she probably created it. I’m arguing for the sake of arguing, because I do see your point, but what if you did agree with her politically and thought she was doing a great job - do you think you would still not support her because of how she got there or maybe support her begrudgingly?</p>
<p>“She hardly married power - she probably created it. I’m arguing for the sake of arguing, because I do see your point, but what if you did agree with her politically and thought she was doing a great job - do you think you would still not support her because of how she got there or maybe support her begrudgingly?”</p>
<p>I don’t think I would support her. I really have a problem with the fact that she pushed out a qualified woman in order to gain her Senate seat. I just find the entitlement very offensive. And, again, I want my girls to know that they can do anything, not anyone. I agree that she created power, but she created it for someone else and then had to earn it for herself and didn’t. However, I think Bill is a man of great gifts, so he’s not an empty suit here.</p>
<p>I’ve been voting in Presidential elections for almost 30 years and at this point I’d vote for a purple martian (US citizen of course) if they were a great candidate … once in my life I want to vote for someone I’m excited to vote for … if it is a women that’s terrific.</p>
<p>Margaret Thatcher did not have a problem with gaining respect on the world stage.</p>
<p>“Margaret Thatcher did not have a problem with gaining respect on the world stage.”</p>
<p>The two are very different, though.</p>
<p>I certainly hope our country is ready–a sad commentary, if gender is the deciding factor. There are a number of voters who will find it difficult, but I think more will be accepting of the idea of a female president than will be unaccepting. Most people I know who think Hillary is too divisive are using that as an excuse and can’t really explain what that means. </p>
<p>Margaret Thatcher was a successful PM in the UK and yet many Americans are nervous about having a woman–?? Regardless of political opinions, I believe she is a great role model for any female leader–she seemed to command respect in most of the world. </p>
<p>I, too, am a ‘screaming liberal’ and will vote for the Democrat–I just agree with them about social issues, etc. Been voting that way for over 30 years!</p>
<p>Edit: Cross-posted with ADad and Zoosermom…how are Hillary and Maggie so very different, Z?</p>
<p>“Edit: Cross-posted with ADad and Zoosermom…how are Hillary and Maggie so very different, Z?”</p>
<p>You really can’t see that a very liberal woman is very different from Mrs. Thatcher? They also represent different nations at different times. I am curious as to how people think other nations at this time will respond to Hillary and how she will handle herself. How she would distinguish herself as President as opposed to First Lady.</p>
<p>One thing that Hillary and Thatcher have in common is this:</p>
<p>When Thatcher was first made leader of the Conservatives, many were skeptical that a woman was capable of leading Britain. In fact, as I have posted here previously, some on the left were positively gleeful about Thatcher’s elevation, thinking that Britain would “never” elect a woman prime minister.</p>
<p>Thirty years ago I was living in the UK hearing similar comments about having a woman PM. Fifteen years later Maggie Thatcher left office after proving herself to be one of the toughest PM’s the country ever had. I never once heard a world leader make negative comments on her resolve. I think the USA, if they vote for Hillary will in a year or two forget all the silly gender based concerns they had. Unfortunately I too am concerned about her Iraq positions. IMO an Obama/h Clinton ticket would be unbeatable.</p>
<p>“IMO an Obama/h Clinton ticket would be unbeatable.”</p>
<p>In that order?</p>