I can't help but wonder: If we were to elect a female President, would it make any difference

[hlthe2b]

in how this country views/treats its women and girls and the policies enacted towards us?


I really thought that electing our first African American President might make some difference in how our nation's people of color are treated, but if anything, it seems to have both emboldened and "empowered" the worst racists in society. Admittedly, this conclusion is fresh off the whole sad Trayvon Martin saga, but not solely based on that...


So, if we were to elect a Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren or other capable female to the Presidency, would it make any real and long term difference?

[geek tragedy]

1. It would likely be a positive for girls/women but provoke a backlash amongst a large

group of men.

[CTyankee]

23. So?

[geek tragedy]

24. Not an argument against it by any means.

Not sure what my thought process behind this post was, it was almost 2 years ago.

[unblock]

2. a lot of times the first person just breaks the barrier. it's the second person

who makes it normal.


obama is the first black president, and we're seeing a lot of reaction to that. the fact that he's black is very palpable and relevant to much of the reaction to him. eventually we will have another black president. *that* president will likely be judged on the usual crap and not so much on skin color.

same for a woman president. not until the second woman president will it seem normal.


so yes, the first one has a rough time of it and on the whole it's hard to see the clear gain. but when the second one comes along the gain is obvious, and it wouldn't have been possible without the first.

[heaven05]

3. no

[highmindedhavi]

4. Only If...

...she did not take money from Banks/Wall Street

[MadrasT]

5. I think it would be interesting

I believe it would provoke an even stronger backlash against women than we are seeing now, much as you describe the situation with Obama seeming to add fuel to the racists' fires.

I won't vote for someone based on their genitals, but I sure would love to see Elizabeth Warren run.

(I can't believe we have people running around on DU blaming the Zimmerman verdict on a female jury. Holy fuck, a bigger load of sexist crap has never been seen on DU in my memory.)

[hlthe2b]

7. Yes.... that thread(s?) blaming "women" for the acquittal was dismal.

[CrispyQ]

16. Actually, I would have thought an all female jury might be more sympathetic to a 17 year old boy.

As to the OP, here's how it will go.

The media will focus on what she wears, how she looks, how she interacts with other men, how she interacts with other women, but most comparisons will be gender based.

Repub male politicians, the vile ones in particular, will not be able to keep their mouths shut. We will hear even more appalling garbage spewed. It will bring out the worst in them.

At the state level, even more will be incensed that a woman is in the White House. They will 'show us' by carrying out even more draconian anti-woman legislation.

Among the people, if she's thin & pretty, a lot of men will dismiss her authority but say how much they would like to fuck her. If she's not thin, a lot of men will dismiss her authority and call her a cow & that's the kindest thing they will say. Most of these men are repubs, but we have them in our party, too.

For young women & girls, it will be good, a ceiling broken. It will always be a struggle, but there is always, "If someone else did it, I can too." I know a woman who makes six figures selling Mary Kay & that is her mantra.


on edit: I would never vote for someone based on gender.

[Skittles]

20. there's never been a female president and we are OVER HALF THE POPULATION

that right there tells us that sexism and misogyny is even more pervasive than racism

[fredamae]

6. We have clues

if we take a look at how they've treated a black man........

So aside from the fact I cannot support HRC for POTUS because of her policies/positions--the 1% factor--etc Imagine how they'd treat Her..
I am very disappointed in this POTUS, I make no bones about it--but it's His Policies and what I believe to be bad decision making that is Out of Touch with Us.
IDGRA What Gender or Color of a person -they'd better be "good to All people with good intent" as a leader
I LOATHE how they've disrespected, insulted, demeaned and tried to set him up for crime and scandal. There is No excuse.
Whether we like his/her politics (or not) is All that should ever be at issue.

[malthaussen]

8. Extract the lesson from your own example:

It would, short-term, indubitably serve to harden opposition/hatred.

Long-term? We don't really know, yet.

-- Mal

[Scuba]

9. Sure. Just consider the hugely dramaatic differences between Hillary and Elizabeth.

[hlthe2b]

10. The issue is the response to the first female President, not the political differences between

these two women. And, yes, I do believe that much of that response is independent of "who" that particular first female President might be.

[Scuba]

11. My point was there are going to be differences even between two women, let alone a woman and a man.

[truebluegreen]

12. Consider Margaret Thatcher.

Opposition to her candidacy by the big boys in charge was defused by the fact that she pushed their agenda.

[Scuba]

14. Good example, especially since Hillary reminds me way too much of the Hatchet Lady.

[truebluegreen]

15. Me too.

And the stories in the press more than 3 years out touting her "inevitability" and how Texas is in play if she runs etc etc etc scares the bejeezus outta me.

Another status-quo defending place-holder--female or not--is so not what we need.

[BainsBane]

13. It would be a small step in the right direction

but it won't be a panacea.

[ismnotwasm]

17. It would turn over rocks and let the worms crawl out

Specially on social media; it would help in the way things are becoming transparent, and while be easier to post sexist or racist crap, it's also easier to call it out


As far as difference, I think we have a systemic political problem or two that will take more than one women, or person of color, to be elected to fix---and that over a generation or so.

[ismnotwasm]

19. A small one, another peeble in what is on slow, but unstoppable outcome

Last edited Sat Mar 14, 2015, 07:18 AM - Edit history (1)

It'd be a historical event, but real change will take a very long time

[geek tragedy]

21. I think it would change the way women and girls see themselves in this country

The Obama presidency certainly hasn't made racism go away, but it did change the way black people see the country and their relation to it.

[YoungDemCA]

25. +1

[eridani]

22. It would be good for domestic policies, but make no difference to foreign policy

Nobody who disapproves of the imperial warfare state (and says so publicly) will be allowed within 100 miles of the White House.

[villager]

26. True enough. And if they somehow make to the White House and try to start dismantling it from within

...well, we've seen what happens then, eh?

[Agnosticsherbet]

27. All change provokes a reactionary backlash.

We sold not let that deter our work towards change.

[fredamae]

28. Yes, it would

make a difference.
It would get Worse, imo.

Any deviation from THEIR ideal POTUS ie: a Soulless Wealthy Old White Man Who Will Auto-Sign Kochs/Wall Street/1% Legislation into law, is Never going to be acceptable to the GOP imo.

[Thinkingabout]

29. It would be good but I am looking forward to it being more than the first woman elected

as president. I think in the case of Hillary will be a great president and in the future she will be the standard on which future presidents will try to serve.

[drray23]

30. unfortunately I fear it would not

When Barack Obama got elected, people thought, maybe naively that race relations would improve. It went the other direction.

Having a woman president would certainly bring the issues in the forefront so that would be positive. Whether or not, this would have an immediate impact is not clear, at least to me.