Would you prefer/vote/advocate for a woman to be President?

[debbierlus]

Poll question: Would you prefer/vote/advocate for a woman to be President?

Now, I know that this is a liberal board. However, I have gone to 'liberal' colleges and heard men (and women!) admit that they would not want a woman as President.

So, since this is all anoymous...Be completely honest.

Edit for the new-comers - two more options added

[debbierlus]

1. Just as I expected...what a bunch of open-minded, logical,

Liberals.

Typical!

[blm]

2. If she worked to expose machine fraud, she'd get my support.

.

[saltpoint]

3. Voted No. 1 in your poll, with Barbara Boxer and Alexis Herman in mind.

[mike_c]

4. since all the votes are in the first category, it's clear how I voted...

...but since there's no "other" category I'll invent one. Qualifications are what matters, BUT gender might be important, too. To be frank, I'd like the possibility of choosing between qualified male and female candidates more years than not, because sometimes I think the country would benefit from a change of gender at the top. In that sense gender does matter-- it brings different perspectives, different life experiences, different brain chemistry and neural wiring, for christ's sake. It's ok to say that IN GENERAL gender should not be an issue, but dammit if a woman were running in 2008 I would be inclined to support her at least partly because she's female-- as long as she's not a warmongering corporatist shill, of course. I support forthright liberals first and foremost, regardless of gender or even party. But gender SHOULD count in an ideal world. Sometimes we need a change.

edit-- whoa, typed too fast, made many typos....

[debbierlus]

5. A very good point! I will edit for that!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. Okay, here's what I would really

like. For magically all the male heads of state to be replaced by females for at least a century. It's our turn!

I really honestly feel that women would not go to war as readily.

Flames, anyone?

[mike_c]

7. here ya go....

[Stinky The Clown]

9. No flame from me ..... I agree with you

Maggie Thatcher notwithstanding, women would be far less inclined to go to war.

Men are inclined to follow that testosterone thing a bit too far.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. And without testosterone

we'd be living in caves, I'm sure. We have got to find a way for a balance.. Each gender has much to offer.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Well said ........

.... unfortunately, the testosterone set has a lock on things right now. Maybe someday, when you and I are simply memories, that can change.

[TahitiNut]

11. If one thing has been made clear, it's that people who've never fought

... in combat, particularly those whove never served, are more willing to throw the military in more quickly and without an appreciation of the kinds of objectives the military is able to achieve. I am very doubtful that any general difference between a female and male perspective, if one exists, would be as pronounced as the difference we've seen. When I consider such people as Kay Bailey Hutchison or Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, I'm even more dubious.

Let's have a truly Universal National Service that doesn't exclude anyone, neither on the basis of gender nor sexual orientation, and see how that works. :shrug:

[panader0]

8. I voted gender doesn't matter -- to me.

But it does to many men who will be afraid to cast their votes for a woman. I liked the earlier post that touted a Gore/Obama ticket. But if HC is the dem candidate, she'll still get my vote.

[Totally Committed]

12. Unfortunately, the climate in this country at this moment

does not favor the election of ANY female as POTUS. ANY FEMALE. Aside from that "climate", as a feminist, I still do not favor Hillary Clinton, not only because ofher unelectability, but for her stands on many stands, her tiangulation so far to the Right that she's practically a Republican herself, he stance on the war, her associaltion with the DLC, and many other reasons. I don't trust her to do the right thing for the Party or the country and bow out. I think her ego will get in the way of believing she can't be elected.

We need to make sure she gets nowhere near the nomination.

TC

[Swamp Rat]

13. I want a female president!!!

Dammit! It's about time!!!

[Orangepeel]

15. Sure.

I'll vote for the best candidate, but I think that being a woman is a plus when considering candidates (as is being Black, Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, or any other group that historically hasn't been thought qualified because of that group membership).

As long as a candidate is well qualified, her/his ability to also break down a barrier is a good thing and should be given some weight.

[Rowdyboy]

16. Guys did such a GREAT job in the 20th century, let them relax and women

can take care of the 21st century!

Maybe, that way, we'll survive as a planet and prosper as a people.

[hyphenate]

17. Many of the world's greatest nations

have already had women in the top chair. And let me say that it is not only possible for a woman to be a good country's leader, in some cases, they were FAR better than any man in the same chair!

Just a few:

England: We can't dispute Margaret Thatcher as PM, nor can we find better Queens than Elizabeth the First and Queen Victoria.

Israel: Golda Meir, anyone?

Phillippines: Corazon Aquino

India: Indira Gandhi

Sri Lanka: Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Central African Republic: Elisabeth Domitien

Norway: Gro Harlem Brundtland

Canada: Kim Campbell

New Zealand: Helen Elizabeth Clark

Germany: Angela Merkel

Ireland: Mary McAleese


Those nations who have never had a woman in the top chair are simply filled with many powerful men who have an inadequate amount of self-esteem, and who are more likely to be the playground bullies. They have pre-determined views of women that are not in any way favorable, and are more likely to be male chauvinist pigs as well. Not to say that ALL of this is true: many poor men also have this thing against women, and it's called abuse. They need to lord over women and show how powerful they are (naturally, with physical strength, because they have no other weapon) in respect to the women they menace. As someone who has studied the phenomena of spousal/partner abuse, it is greatest in those countries where women are idealized as objects of beauty but little else. And American society is a great place to watch that mindset at work.