Clinton Faces Men, Glass Ceiling in Iowa

[DeepModem Mom]

AP: Clinton Faces Men, Glass Ceiling in Iowa
By NEDRA PICKLER | Thursday, October 11, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa - For Hillary Rodham Clinton to win Iowa, she'll have to get past the men challenging her for the Democratic presidential nomination and the state's tradition of turning a cold shoulder to female candidates.

Iowa is one of only two states _ Mississippi is the other _ that have never sent a woman to Congress or the governor's mansion. None have been tested in Iowa's presidential caucuses; any who campaigned here dropped out before the vote. But Clinton is campaigning in large part on her gender; she noted during a swing through the state this week that she couldn't run as anything else. She is making appeals to women and the voters who support them in subtle and direct ways.

She says she's not running because she's a woman, but because she is the most qualified and experienced person for the job. But at every stop, she used her potential to break through the ultimate glass ceiling as part of her closing argument for voters to elect her.

"I was so touched the first time I shook the hand of a woman and she reached out and grabbed my hand and said to me, `I'm 95 years old. I was born before women could vote and I'm going to live long enough to see a woman in the White House!'" Clinton said in Dakota City. As always, the story won enthusiastic applause from the assembled Iowans. She always followed up by saying she often sees parents pointing her out and telling their daughters she was proof they could be anything they want....

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/10/11//ap/politics/d8s6ssvg0.txt

[kdmorris]

1. I detest the way that is stated

"she'll have to get past the men challenging her for the Democratic presidential nomination"

Makes it sounds like she's the nominee and the men are trying to take it away from her.

[napi21]

2. I suppose that's partially true, but I think it also depends on WHO

the woman is! Shirley Franklin was the FIRST Woman Mayor of Atlanta and was elected in 2001. Most of the MEN who held that position in the past were corrked, dishonest, embarrassed the City, and flat out made a mess. Shirley has done a TERRIFIC job, and she won re-election in 2005 by a landslide! She's not only the first female mayor of this city, but she's a little tiny person. When I met her, I was really surprised that all this power and courage was contained in a package barely 5 feet tall! Her predicessor, who was a fairly tall man is currently in JAIL! So much for the old adage "elections winners are always the tallest MEN in the campaign"!

I think Hillary has done very well in helping a lot of voters get past that "I won't vote for a woman" idea, and if she doesn't win Iowa, I don't think it will be just because she's a woman.

[donsu]

3. kick

nt

[question everything]

4. And she made it to the cover of this week's Newsweek

Shirley Franklin, that is.

[CK_John]

5. I have friends (60+) who have told me the voting booth was the only place they felt where they were

able to make a choice. That is why I feel a caucus puts a lot of strain on family members to conform in order to preserve family peace, especially among the older generation.


See my post at
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3597863>