Would President Hillary Clinton be the most powerful woman in history?

[echochamberlain]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NH Ethylene (a host of the General Discussion forum).

I think this is a really good question, with a lot of angles for debate, because of the historical relativism. Do you go for other contenders, such as Elizabeth the 1st, Catherine the Great or Wu Zetian of China? Do you go by absolute power; the power within a realm, or global power? Do you go by global reach, or power in the historical 'known' world? Is knowledge of the nuclear codes, and the role of commander in chief of a super-power's military trumped by the limitations of constitutional checks and balances? Power over the largest number of people in history, or the largest percentage?

I say she would be the most powerful woman in history, having earned it by merit, rather than circumstances of birth, and for the sheer scale of global power, relative to any other candidate in any other era. What do you think?
Here's the source article, for more context: http://sheppardpost.com/would-hillary-clinton-be-the-most-powerful-woman-in-history/

[pinboy3niner]

1. I think you missed the memo...

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[boston bean]

2. I don't think so. This is not about the primary

but a woman who may become the first female president of the US.

[TheNutcracker]

3. I would say no. Here is why.

Power comes with ability to shift life I'm big ways. We have not had real change here for many years. There is Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher. There are many great female leaders in power, just late to the game here in the US.

Rosa Parks is still one of the most powerful who caused a sesmic shift in our country's culture. For without Rosa Parks there would be no Martin Luther King.

With great sexism still existing today women in America will never be the most powerful. That includes Hillary.

[TexasProgresive]

4. +1,000,000

[TheNutcracker]

5. ps. How can you compare Hillary to a past female dictator or King?

We have "checks" in place to prevent such power in one's hands be it a woman or a man.

[elehhhhna]

7. earned by merit not birth...lol

By marriage, ya forgot that one?

[madokie]

6. Big IF there

I really don't think she has a jim inhofe's snow ball in hell's chance of winning this election. Too polarizing, too many people simply can't stand her. RepubliCONs to her is like W was/is to us

I really wanted to see a woman President in my lifetime and still do but for the life of me I can not think for a moment that it will be Hillary Clinton. sorry.

[Half-Century Man]

8. Queen Victoria

Ruled 60 plus years at the height of colonial Great Britain.

[Lizzie Poppet]

15. Perhaps...although the monarchy, post-1688, had considerably reduced power.

Victoria did manage to block a Prime Minister (Robert Peel) from taking office, but her power was a tiny fraction of that held by Elizabeth I. England was at its peak in terms of global power, but it's debatable how much of that power was in the hands of the Crown.

[Half-Century Man]

20. HRH Victoria had a huge influence on British culture

As well as political power.
As does Ms. Clinton

[DFW]

9. Depends on what you undertand by "power"

If you mean, does she command a terrifying nuclear arsenal that could wipe out the world, then I guess so. But no one, no matter how unbalanced, that has even had control over such an arsenal has ever used it.

If you mean having the power to command changes or laws all on her own, then no. That doesn't fly under our system. A president can nominate Supreme Court Justices, but not confirm them, or tell them how to rule once on the bench. If it's a question of power to make things happen with little to no resistance, then I'd say Queen Elizabeth I of England gets the prize of most powerful woman in history.

[davidn3600]

11. Elizabeth I defeated the Spanish Armada

That was a major turning point in European history, and perhaps the world. It gave England control over the Atlantic trade routes with the New World. Span's empire was never the same after that and went into decline. It was also a protestant victory and reduced the religious influence of the Catholic church especially in Netherlands region. The world today would be very different if that war ended in a different way.

If you want to define it by which female head of state had the biggest mark on history, Elizabeth I would have to be the one for now. For a woman today to top her, she'd have to win WW3 or do something significant that would alter the history of civilization. Sure a female president of the USA would be commander-in-chief of a hugely powerful military. But she couldnt really go to war without the approval of a congress (that is 80% male, btw). The nuclear arsenal is nearly irrelevant since there is practically zero chance of it being used. She also can't enact any laws without approval of congress either. So the "power" is more symbolic because of our system of government which is designed to separate power.

I'd make the argument that Janet Yellen would be more powerful than Hillary Clinton. Yellen has control of the Federal Reserve Board. She can make decisions even independent of the President. There is also Christine Lagarde who heads the IMF. In the modern world, money is where the power is....not nukes.

[DFW]

17. More like the weather defeated the Spanish armada

Plus a little lack of foresight by Felipe II's naval boys, but it definitely happened on ERI's watch, and she knew what to do with the results.

Xellen definitely has a lot of clout, and as opposed to the president, the Fed Head can do 80% of their work out of sight of prying eyes.

[Iggo]

10. If she was Queen, yes.

But she wouldn't be, so no.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton

[snooper2]

13. Um, no LOL

The most powerful woman in history is Serendipity

[Romulox]

14. Queen Victoria? Isabelle of Spain? Katherine the Great? Cleopatra? nt

[Lizzie Poppet]

16. Another candidate: Hatshepsut.

Hatshepsut was absolute ruler of what was likely the most powerful nation on earth at the time, Egypt.

[Betty Karlson]

18. The female rulers of the Mongolian Empire deserve some consideration too.

Just because they were hushed up after their deaths doesn't mean they had limited power.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

19. Please do not pollute GD with this. Please move it to GD-P. nt

[Chemisse]

21. Locking

Please post this in General Discussion- Primaries