Question about the timeliness of a a female President.

[msallied]

With America's number one enemies being from a culture that makes a point to degrade, undervalue, or downright mistreat women, how do you think America would be viewed by those Middle Eastern countries to whom we hope to be diplomatic if we have a female President?

Someone brought up this point up in conversation recently, and I recanted that it didn't seem to hinder Madeline Albright when she was the SOS, and that person is more or less the diplomatic face of the nation.

Your thoughts?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. I don't give a shit about what they'd think. If Clinton were (IMHO) the best candidate I would have

voted for her.

[msallied]

2. I guess I phrased it wrong...

Do you think it would have made a difference in our interactions with those nations? Keep in mind that our "allies" in that part of the world have the same views of women. Look at the Saudis.

[Wapsie B]

3. I think it would've made a difference if we had a leader they respected,

rather than the chimp, whether that leader be man or woman. * was and still is the laughing stock of the world.

[murielm99]

8. There are other countries with female leaders.

They have to command respect as leaders, not only as women.

I think it would be like saying that Obama cannot be the nominee because people will not vote for a black man. Do we need to deny the nomination to African Americans forever because of bigots? (There are other reasons I prefer someone else as the nominee). Do we kowtow to bigots, or to countries that demean women? If we were still dealing with apartheid countries, would that mean we would avoid having people of color in leadership positions just to "respect" to a resource rich ally? Are we republicans?

[Zynx]

14. I don't think we can base our decisions on the backward cultural practices of other parts of the

world. I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but the treatment of women in most Middle Eastern countries is not just "different". It is flatly wrong.

[nichomachus]

4. Not an issue

the leaders of these countries -- who are the people she would deal with -- are not anti-woman. They just pretend to be to play to the ignorant masses. Just as the leaders of the GOP really aren't against abortion or aren't really Christian. They just pretend to be to get votes.

I had a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia. He said it was an experience being in first class flying back and forth. As soon as the plane left Islamic airspace, the women would ditch their burqas for their designer clothes and the Manolo Blahniks, the men would start tossing down the top-shelf booze. On the way back, it was just the opposite. It would start out as a party flight and once they approached Islamic airspace, the booze would disappear and the burqas would go back on.

[Occam Bandage]

5. I would never support acting in fear of the judgement of bigots.

[nichomachus]

6. Which is the same as saying

that we shouldn't nominate a candidate just because he or she will get more votes from racists?

[sui generis]

7. as many arguments can be made for as against

making it meaningless except to people concerned with surface instead of substance.

In the world political stage it is the very height of folly to assume one knows for certain what cultural factors influence credibility, given that there are as many exceptions as there are rules in the game of gender-based credibility.

In the end, presently, and when we are hoary old history merely one generation or administration hence, we are nothing more but words on paper. If the words mean something, if what follows from those words means something, that is what matters.

[crimsonblue]

9. I think anyone at this point

that represents a clean break from Dumnya's policies would be more welcome. When I see Dumya overseas, it looks like the other leaders are amusing Dumnya, because he is like a fragile child that may throw a tantrum at any time and blow up the world. His last trip to Saudia Arabia, the local papers there were all bashing Bush as a mindless idiot (of course, they never printed it in English)

[grantcart]

10. a female President like a Black President would be a disaster

A President who happens to be a President will be a great reason to celebrate.

[ShortnFiery]

11. Madeline Albright did NOT EVER play "the victim" nor "the mercenary"

She is balanced. HRC is NOT.

[Chalco]

12. Albright is balanced and HRC is not?

What the hell are you talking about?

[Zynx]

13. That is hardly a decent standard for picking a leader here.

That would be akin to Roosevelt removing all Jewish cabinet members and appointments during WWII.