Are We Ready For A Woman President?

[Gregg]

No questions here about whether or not women are capable, they are. Question is, is the country, and for that matter the rest of the world, ready? Bachmann is in and Palin is bound to be involved somehow and more women could step forward so it is a possibility.

Aside from having to crash through the remaining glass in the ceiling I don't think there are any significant domestic issues that stand in her way (whichever "her" we are talking about). I do worry more about foreign affairs, especially countries where gender equality isn't something they are concerned with. Some of those countries have nukes and quite a few have oil. Either could represent a critical threat to the US if not properly "managed" and I'm just not convinced a woman president would carry enough respect from the leadership in those countries to be able to negotiate effectively. In other words, and no matter how bass ackwards it is, I don't think we're quite there. (All apologies to my daughters who are exactly the kind of people this country needs right now.)

[treehugger]

Simply based on gender equality (or, rather, the lack) in the workplace, I have to say, no, this country is not ready to elect a female president. However, considering the number of other countries who have elected a female leader, I don't think we need to conclude that the rest of the world is not ready to deal female leaders.

Kara

[Alan]

I don't think the Democrats are ready. Gender and race are too deeply ingrained in the cultural psyche.
Republicans, on the other hand......

[Rogar]

It would be interesting to see a well qualified female candidate run and then win based on her merits. It seems to work in some other countries.

I am still an Obama supporter, though I've had some disappointments. There is little doubt in my mind that his race has limited his support and generated Obama bashing and has been a partial cause of conflict over the issues. Even among those claiming to be liberal and unbiased, I think there is a part of the sub-concious that causes people to be negative toward certain races and genders in positions of authority. Maybe this is what Alan is calling deeply ingrained cultural psyche, though I think it has little to do with party affiliation. Is the risk to having a leader a little less effective based on race or gender bias worth the social gain from exposing people to the competency of new leadership gender? Maybe so.

If nothing else, we would probably have fewer foreign wars.

[freein05]

Yes! Hillary I now think would have been a better choice than Obama.

[Rosemary]

An interesting question. I think that some demographic groups are completely ready to vote for a women. Based on the issues I faced as a female in a very male-dominated work environment, I suspect that many people still would not vote for a woman.

[Mangano's Gold]

I don't think that there is any doubt the country is ready. Hillary Clinton came very, very close.

[redfox]

I've been ready for about 40 years. Race & gender are still critically important issues, because prejudices abound in this great country. Some day we'll be able to resolve these, I do believe, but the road to that day is not by playing pretend that they don't exist or are somehow continued by shining a light on them.

[janharker]

I'd vote for Michelle Obama in a heartbeat.

[Spartana]

Well in my ideal world gender wouldn't matter at all and a person would be viewed for their merits, character and political policy ideals. But in realitity there are many people who feel women are less capable (based on any number of reasons all of which I TOTALLY disagree with - especially the one where a woman will not be accepted or respected by other world leaders - I think that has been proven wrong over and over again), or that the world and country isn't ready yet. My view is that it will never be ready for women in top positions or in male dominated fields. There will always be some excuse to hold back putting up a female candidate. But our society has never really been ready for all the women who HAVE made it thru that glass ceiling. BUT once they are thru - having often pushed thru against many odds and with alot of anger and resentment on the part of other's - they now have become a normal part of the landscape of our lives. Everyone remembers Sally Ride, the first female astronaut in this country, but who remembers all the names of all the others who came after her? Same with other women who have been "the first" in male dominated fields - we remember the first and the rest fade into the background of day to day acceptence. So I say "to hell" with waiting for the right time - it'll never come as there will always be one excuse after another - and just put up your best candidate and, if it's a woman, bust on thru that glass ceiling. I've never been one for waiting to be accepted by other's or waiting for the right time, I just bust on thru - forcefully if needed - until I AM accepted! Hmmm... maybe it's time to start a coup :-)!

[Zigzagman]

Ready, in fact overdue.:+1:

Peace

[Glo]

Yes, yes, yes we are ready for a female president. Palin and Bachman are not it though. We need someone smart!

[Maxamillion]

I was really really hoping Hillary would get elected last time.

[Spartana]

Do you think Hillary's decision to stay with Bill after his "fling" made her less appealing to voters? I know some feel that all that is a personal matter but I think it shows a person's character traits - traits which they will carry into the White House with them. While some may feel that her staying with him and forgiving him is a good character trait, other's may see that it is a weakness and major character flaw (I'm in this camp). Same with Palin. I find the fact that she left her post (abandoned IMHO) as Governor of Alaska for no apparent reason other than personal glorification to be a MAJOR character flaw. She had a duty to her constituents and failled them. So for me, a big character flaw. Of course I could go on and on about the male candidates but I just don't have ALL day :-)!

I'm actually suprised that as many people want a female "just for the sake of wanting a female". To me that is no reason to elect a female president. I mean, don't you want the best candidate male or female? As an ardent "equalist" (equal rights and opportunities for all across the board) I can't think of a worse reason for electing a woman - "just because she's a woman".

[Zigzagman]

I have always been a Hilliary fan and, NO, I don't think her staying with Bill was a factor at all. I think she was well aware of his sexual issues well before the Lewinsky thing - in fact I think she saw the incident for what it really was - mostly politics. Remember that slimy weasel Ken Starr ( a Waco, Tex. resident now - President of Baylor University (Baptist)).

I will admit that I voted for Obama in the primary simply because I liked his message of HOPE and CHANGE. My DW stuck to her guns and voted for Hilliary. I don't think anything would be that much different than now (had she been elected). Our situation economically and geopolitically has very little to do with the person in the WH. I think we have actually come way back from where we were in 2008. We we probably the most distrusted and despised nation on the planet in 2008 - not so much now. Sure our allies stuck with us but did they really have any choice?

Obama has been the victim of a lot of negative feelings and some of it is racial, however, had Hilliary been elected she would have had to deal with gender discrimination. That is real and no it has not gone away.

Peace

[Gregg]

Do you think Hillary's decision to stay with Bill after his "fling" made her less appealing to voters? I know some feel that all that is a personal matter but I think it shows a person's character traits - traits which they will carry into the White House with them. While some may feel that her staying with him and forgiving him is a good character trait, other's may see that it is a weakness and major character flaw (I'm in this camp). Same with Palin. I find the fact that she left her post (abandoned IMHO) as Governor of Alaska for no apparent reason other than personal glorification to be a MAJOR character flaw. She had a duty to her constituents and failled them. So for me, a big character flaw. Of course I could go on and on about the male candidates but I just don't have ALL day :-)!

I'm actually suprised that as many people want a female "just for the sake of wanting a female". To me that is no reason to elect a female president. I mean, don't you want the best candidate male or female? As an ardent "equalist" (equal rights and opportunities for all across the board) I can't think of a worse reason for electing a woman - "just because she's a woman".

I have to agree that Palin leaving Alaska the way she did is a big part of the reason I won't give her the time of day (politically). I'm not a real Hillary fan, but actually think she is very savvy and her staying with Bill was a good move politically. I know nothing of their personal life, don't want to, but there is no denying he is very well connected, still fairly popular, can raise boatloads of money and can probably open a lot of doors she might not quite get into on her own.

When Mr. Obama was elected we were watching the coverage from the park in Chicago. A reporter was going around asking people why they voted for him. One black woman stared at the reporter like he was daft and said, "because he's black". We all know that was a factor just like there are some white folks in the country that didn't vote for him because he's black. Still, can you imagine me, a white male, getting interviewed and saying I supported McCain because he's white? No different than supporting Bachmann because she is a woman or Romney because he is Mormon or...

[Spartana]

I will admit that I voted for Obama in the primary

I voted for Edwards in the primary so what do I know :-)! But feel the same as you, the situation we are in today would probably be the same who ever was pres. I voted for Obama and plan to do so again unless the GOP puts up someone great - don't see that happening amongst the current crop of Repub hopefuls.

[Spartana]

When Mr. Obama was elected we were watching the coverage from the park in Chicago. A reporter was going around asking people why they voted for him. One black woman stared at the reporter like he was daft and said, "because he's black". We all know that was a factor just like there are some white folks in the country that didn't vote for him because he's black. Still, can you imagine me, a white male, getting interviewed and saying I supported McCain because he's white? No different than supporting Bachmann because she is a woman or Romney because he is Mormon or...

Yes, I saw alot of that too - "I voted for him because he's black" and I know alot of people who would vote for a woman because "she's a woman". I'd like to think we are all more politically sauve than that but.....:-)! People assume I'm a radical feminist (I do consider myself a feminist although I don't always follow the "feminist party line" on many things and am often much more radical in alot of my views on equality) who would vote for ANY woman just because she was a woman. When I try to explain that is not the case, I get alot of flack from many feminists for not voting for a female. I don't get that but to each his own.

And while I have always thought that a woman is just as capable to lead, I think that we also have a new breed of women nowadays. The last 40 years have given women opportunities like never before, and those opportunities have allowed them to gain much greater experience in many male dominated feilds. Now women have the experience to lead on par with the experience men have had. Women have started up and ran multi-billion dollar companies, companies that aren't gender-based like cosmetics or clothing, but tech companies, etc... where they are in senior positions over men. Same with politics and government. Same with the military. You now have women who have been in the service 20, 30 years or more in command positions, in traditional male roles like pilots, captains of vessels, in combat arenas, leading divisions of men. These are women that are not only comfortable with being in a non-traditional, male-dominated leadership role, but thrive in it. So yeah, women can lead, and do lead, and the door should be open for them to lead the country. But usually those doors stay closed because of fear or ignorance or certain belief systems. My view is that if those doors don't open, why wait politely on the sidelines for someone to open it - you might be waiting forever. Grab a big ol' sledge hammer and break that door down. Might take awhile, might not ever open in your lifetime (I've been taking a sledge hammer to some locked doors all of my life and they STILL haven't broken), might tick off a whole bunch of people along the way, but sometimes that's what's needed to make a change.

[iris lily]

I didn't think less of Hillary for sticking with Bill. I'd be surprised if it was that big of a deal in her world other than all of the publicity and hoopla that followed. Playing around with Monica is part of his MO and she is well aware of his transgressive nature.

Now don't get excited, that doesn't mean I'm going to vote for her.