Clinton's Remarkable Run

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Clinton's Remarkable Run
By David S. Broder
Thursday, June 12, 2008

When Hillary Clinton announced for president in January 2007, she did everything to play down her gender short of dressing herself in men's clothes. In a taped video, with no audience and no family members, she presented herself first and foremost as a senator and experienced Washington hand, ready to fight for Democratic goals and unintimidated by the GOP. "We will make history and remake our future," she said, but she left it to others to note that she was, by far, the most serious female candidate either party had ever considered sending forth as its contender for the White House.

In the long and difficult campaign that followed, the support Clinton enjoyed from other women was probably the single greatest source of her strength. Women staffed her campaign headquarters from her first victory in New Hampshire to her last one in South Dakota, and women provided most of the votes she received. Yet even as they rallied behind her, she steadfastly refused to cast her candidacy in gender terms. Which made it all the more striking that last week, when her dogged challenge to Barack Obama finally came to an end, and she had to put it all in perspective, she defined her campaign -- and its long-term influence -- in such distinctly feminist terms....

***

Being Clinton, the candidate is unbowed. She has not allowed herself to indulge the self-pity or voice the bitterness heard too often from her husband. She fell a couple of hundred delegate votes short of wresting the nomination from Obama, but, she said, look at what she did achieve. If people still wonder, "Could a woman really serve as commander in chief? Well, I think we answered that one." In the future, she said, "it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the president of the United States. And that is truly remarkable."

It truly is. And whatever the fates have in store for this woman, in 2012 or any other year, it is certain that this campaign will be seen as a major step forward for her -- and for other women. With Ted Kennedy's illness, she has no rival as the most influential Democrat on Capitol Hill. She came closer to breaking the White House barrier than any woman in history. Someday, she or some other woman will go all the way. Whoever that is will owe Clinton's 2008 run a huge debt.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103169.html?nav=most_emailed

[Name removed]

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[monmouth]

2. When will we be able to not have to talk about her? ...n/t

[question everything]

3. Thanks for posting

In a 20/20 vision, many pundits say that she should have run as a woman candidate. I disagree. She would not have a chance. She had to present herself as a tough person who can be a commander in chief. Men do not have to. At the first opportunity that she shed a tear, she was described as being weak. Never mind that men shed tears often and no one raises an eyebrow.

What I found amazing is that after Obama got it, all the reports came with the headlines mentioning history even though had Clinton won, this would have been a historical event, too.

When it came down to it was that we like our leaders to be personable and Bill has been the champion of this. This is one reason why so many voted for Bush - a chap to drink beer with..

This is why we have been losing when our candidates appear just too intellectuals and aloof.

And Hillary is not that kind of person and even is she were, it would not have worked. Right now I cannot think of a single woman politician who can charm the crowds while sending a message of competency. As it is in the workforce: women have to constantly appear professionals, while men can schmooze and be playful and everyone would admire how popular they are.