I can like Hillary Clinton.

[tekisui]

I know we're not really supposed to talk about the role of gender in the race, but, I think it explains much. When Hillary Clinton started her campaign she had strikes against her just for being a woman. As unfair as it is, the reality is that she had to convince people that a woman is capable and strong. She HAD to act tough and impersonal to not be ridiculed. It says much about our society, how far we still have to go, and maybe that Hillary Clinton can take us there.

She was criticized for being too impersonal, too robotic, not warm enough. Recently, she has let her personality show more, and good for her. If she had started out "acting like a person", she probably wouldn't have been taken seriously, and wouldn't be where she is today.

I am proud of what Hillary has accomplished thus far. And, I am proud she is a Democrat. She isn't my first or second choice, but I admire her. We need a woman President. Whether Hillary Clinton is the one to become the first one is yet to be seen. But, she is proving that it is possible and for that I applaud her.

If she is our nominee, despite her corporate ties and objectionable votes, I will stand with her, and vote for her.

As I will with any of Our Fine Candidates.

Go Dems!

BTW, has a woman ever won a Primary State before last night?

[maddiejoan]

1. Nope

Hillary is the first woman to have ever won a Primary!

why this isn't reported as news is beyond me.

[Fresh_Start]

2. I believe it was the first time a woman won a primary nt

nt

[ProSense]

7. No:

Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969, as one of its founding members. In 1972, she made a bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, receiving 152 delegate votes, but ultimately losing the nomination to South Dakota Senator George McGovern. She did however make history by becoming both the first black person and the first woman to win the presidential primary by taking New Jersey with 66% of the vote.

link

[Fresh_Start]

10. thank you. I was too young to vote

so didn't experience it.

So that means that Obama wasn't the first black to win a primary either.
I guess this year isn't as historic as thought.

[bigtree]

3. thanks for sharing that

I think many women around the country agree.

my take:

Hillary Clinton and Excitable Women
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2639447&mesg_id=2639447

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. HRC is ridiculed when she is tough and mocked when she is womanly

its hard to be a woman in high level politics

its one thing when people dont like her vote on the war or some such political issue, but her lack of likeability is largely a sexist issue.

[tekisui]

6. You said in one sentence what I was trying to say.

Thanks.

[mcscajun]

5. AFAIK, this is a first. Margaret Chase Smith's name was placed in nomination

at the Republican National Convention, but that was back in the waning days of party leader controlled candidate selection.

[Echo In Light]

8. It's not a matter of whether one "likes" or "dislikes" 'her' as a person n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. it does though. her likeability problem has been discussed here and in the MSM

to kingdom come.

[Echo In Light]

13. It can/will be discussed to death. On one hand, a stratagem. On the other, duped

That's the point. Doesn't mean that it substantively has any merit whatsoever re grave issues.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. no it doesnt. which is why i thought HRC response in the debate was on point

where she says we shouldnt elect on likeability, last time we elected a president we would like to have a beer with we got bush.

[Echo In Light]

15. True enough...although Bush/Cheney weren't "elected." She's right tho on that n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. remenber when people were saying GOre wasnt likeable because he is robotic

i wanted to slap those people.

[asjr]

9. I have never understood why

some women do not like Hillary. Maureen Dowd's column in today's NYTimes is so full of venom toward Hillary it is pathetic. I now think it is jealousy. Her columns always are sarcastic to anyone but I think she crossed the line today. I see Hillary as an intelligent person. That is all that is necessary. Today's pundits are going to spend a lot of time in purgatory.

[Echo In Light]

11. The bigger problem here is how Americans are trained to perceive the role of "president"

[asjr]

16. You are so correct. That is a big problem.

[riverdeep]

18. Here are a few of the reasons I've heard on why some women don't like Hillary.

Mind you, I'm not talking about the merits, just that they are out there:

-She allowed herself to be humiliated by her husband's affair for political expediency

-Her bringing up feminist issues coincide with her need to win women over, and then disappear

-She's riding on the coattails of her husband rather than her own merit i.e. she wouldn't be a viable presidential nominee without her husband

-The one I hear most often: 'I just don't like her, I can't explain it.'

These have been made by left-leaning, feminist-friendly women. Not all women dislike Hillary for the reasons the right dislikes her.