When Hillary Clinton was asked during the debate how she might be different from Barack Obama, she retreated to familiar ground: gender politics:
Well, I think that’s pretty obvious. I think being the first woman president would be quite a change from the presidents we’ve had up until this point, including President Obama.”
Hillary’s answer was a hit with the adoring Democratic debate crowd, but new evidence suggests is might be a dud with the American people:
Two focus groups of white, college-educated women stunned a Democratic strategist when they expressed an unwillingness to overlook Hillary’s flaws simply because she could be the first woman president.
“I wouldn’t say they felt betrayed but they were angry at her,” the unnamed strategist told The Washington Post, referring to the two focus groups’ response to the leading Democratic presidential candidate. “It didn’t feel like they were ready to forgive or let her into the sorority yet.”
The educated white women repeatedly identified Hillary as a “liar,” and dismissed the idea that electing the first woman president is a big deal. Their response “astonished” the strategist, reported WaPo in a story about Hillary’s potential to overplay her gender in the race.
For years, Democrats have traded on identity politics to win elections. Sometimes their approach is nuanced- running the children of conservative Democrats of yesteryear in deep red states, for instance; other times, not so much. In last year’s Colorado election, Senator Udall harped on abortion so much that he became affectionately known as “Senator Uterus.” Now he’s home playing golf.
It might be that the gender politics card has been played. If Republican candidates don’t provide Hillary with any “anti woman” ammunition to sell to moderates, this election may be decided on the merits of the two candidates. That’s a nice change for voters.
Not so much for Hillary Clinton. A candidate whose insider status has lead her to be abandoned by traditional democratic constituencies like unions is going to need all the help she can get. If she can’t muster the force of personality to turn this around, she might be dead in the water.
AAN Staff
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