Hillary -- a trailblazer

It is no secret that I support Obama. It is no secret I have multiple issues with Clinton. But there is one clear overwhelming aspect about her campaign that no one can deny.

She blazed a trail that other can follow. It was once unheard of that a woman would attempt to run for president. On the occasion one tried, defeat was expected from the start.

I ma guessing that few will recognize more than 5 of the names below, and certainly not because of their electoral achievements in a presidential contest:

Victoria Chaflin Woodhull
Belva Ann Bennet McNall Lockwood
Whitney H. Slocomb
Margaret Chase Smith
Charlene Mitchell
Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm
Patsy Takamoto Mink
Bella Savitzky Abzug
Linda J. Osteen Jenhess
Ellen McCormack
Deidre Griswold
Maureen Smith
Sonia Johnson
Isabelle Masters
Patricia Scott Schroeder
Leonora B. Fulani
Millie Howard
Helen Betty Halyard
Heather Anne Harder
Mary Cal Hollis
Susan Duncan
Ann Jennings
Joan Pharr
Mary Frances Le Tulle
Georgina H. Doerschuck
Elvena Hoyd-Duffie
Monica Moorehead
Dianne Beall Templin
Marsha Feinland
Elizabeth Hanford Dole
Cathy Gordon Brown
Temperance Alesha Lance-Council
Paula E Bennet
Deborah Katz Pueschel
Angel Joy Rocker
Dorian Yaeger
Rachelle OneFamily Miller
Raj Alison Officewala
Yehanna Joan Malone
Gloria Dawn Strickland
Lynda D. Blodgett
Saundra S. Duffy
Carol Mosley Braun
Mildred A. Williams Glover
Jeanne Chebib
Georgia L. Hough
Melanie G. Pridgen
Diana Ramsey-Rasmussen-Kennedy IV
Deborah Elaine Allen
Joy Elaina Graham-Pendergast
Jackie Hayward
Debra Joyce Renderos
Nancy Warrick

http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/

But Hillary broke through the barriers these others could not remotely budge, and left them open for more to follow. She brought forth a paradigm shift in the way the U.S. electorate views women candidates. Though her ultimate goal of the oval office was not meant to be this year, she did blaze a trail that needed to cut through the wilderness that is American politics. That trail will never be overgrown. For that, we all owe her our deepest thanks, our congratulations and our admiration.

Robert Baden-Powell, the Englishman who started Boy Scouting put it best:

No one can pass through life, any more than (s)he can pass through a bit of country, without leaving tracks behind, and those tracks may often be helpful to those coming after (her) in finding their way.

Though I cannot speak for all males of this nation, or by any means any female of this nation. I can speak for myself and say.

Thank you Senator Clinton. You have cleared the way for an ignored 50% of competent individuals to lead this nation in our future.

But the longer she stays in an already lost race the more I think she's setting the cause of women running for President backwards instead of forwards.

I think she set did more good than harm to this aspect of things in U.S. politics. Things will never go back to what they were.

I'd really like to have a positive thread here.

She's set the woman's movement back.

I'm fine with a female president, but the more her campaign and supporters have morphed her run into some kind of femininst cause, the less interested I am. And the whining and moaning about sexism is off-putting as well.

This is about picking the President of the United States, not some gender crusade. ugh. Hopefully she's taught the next woman what NOT to do.

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

She's not setting back women at all. She's the first woman who made the race all the way to the end. It's just going to whet the appetite for some up-and-coming woman politician who's going to look at the Clinton run and say to herself, "I bet *I* could win a presidential election!"

Peace,
sw

she might not have been the right person at the right time to take it to the GE. But she was the right person at the right time to take this as far down field as she could.

The statement "A woman will be president in my lifetime" will no long be met with laughter or skepticism. (unless the person saying it is 100 years old)

I don't recall it ever being met with laughter or skepticism. Many countries have already had female leaders. It's really not a big deal anymore.

was clearly laughable to many. Not because women aren't competent, but because it once seemed impossible.

How could it seem impossible when so many well known and celebrated world leaders have been women?

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

I don't know why.

Unfortunately that's the lesson I've drawn from this primary.

It has to do with the constant victimization stuff coming from her campaign; how the bloody flag of sexism is raised against anyone who trashes Hillary and anytime Obama says something negative about her (which is what happens during presidential campaigns!). Everything is interpreted through the prism of gender and it gets old and turns people off. And the candidate, instead of trying to rise above it, eggs on that kind of approach and the wallows in self-pity.

In short I don't think we're ready because of how much of an issue has been made about gender by her own supporters.

no thanks. Dozens of current female senators, governors, former governors better suited.

I don't want to tell my neice, sure, you can grow up to be president as long as your husband is president first.

she accomplished what no one before has done.

The reasons can be as grandiose or dubious as you wish, but she nonetheless accomplished something historic that will send shockwaves through future contests.

I have a litany of grievances with her and her campaign. But there is a point of light here, and given my choices I would like to see it shine above and beyond any shadows.

I mean maybe if you're a white female who grew up in a privileged background and had a powerful husband, who helped you out, she's a good model.

But I'd like models (or trailblazers if you will) for girls that are more accessible. Genuinely self-made women.

the next one might be. How old is Gov. Sebelius? She certainly meets the model you describe.

SHE happened because of HIM. That's not the way they talk about each other in their respective books.

You know what? They leaned on each other, but each has a long, long political trail, most of which has been successful, IMHO. The OP is correct -- although I don't know why the suggestion is made that most people don't know who these women are. I'm 68 and I knew most of them immediately.

Frankly, it will take EITHER Barack OR Michelle Obama a VERY LONG TIME to live up to our expectations of them in EITHER position.

Cordially,

Radio Lady Ellen (I have been following politics in a politically-charged middle class family for more than 50 years.)

for years, while he achieved his ambitions...and then they traded places. But HIS CAREER CAME FIRST.

Why? I can only think it was because: He was the MAN. They knew she would never get anywhere unless he went ahead of her to blaze the trail. Then she could follow in his footsteps as "the wife of."

Through all he made her publicly suffer, she remained "the wife of." Now I think we all understand why. She stifled whatever feelings she may have had to get to where she wanted to go, under the bargain they both made.

But in the bargain, he was always going to go first, because he was the MAN.

Oh, and I recognized about eight of the names.

I fear she has set the date when we will celebrate our first female president back by decades.

However, I predicted in 1972 that a black male would become president before a white female (or a woman of ANY color, I might add).

Saturday is my 69th birthday. Right now, I just hope they settle on two good PEOPLE for this race, and electability is one of my goals.

I voted for the person who I thought would have the best chance of electability and experience in the job. YMMV.

White dove for peace -- in the DU, in the White House, and on Planet Earth!

Sorry I'm not your welcoming committee. With Democrats like you, who needs Republicans?

Old Man to Young Woman: "Where have you been all my life?"

Young Woman to Old Man: "Well, for most of it, I wasn't born."

Sorry, I've lost my morning cool.

Will try harder tomorrow.

Blessed be -- a dove for peace, for the DU, the President-to-be, our nation and our planet.

ask for peace???????

Yup... typical Hillary supporter!

FYI, I have been reading DU since the 2000 re-count and donated under a previous email addy too.

I was only recently moved to re-sign up to post by your girl's VILE behavior. SHE and her supporters are the Republicans in DINO clothing.

And I'm not so "young" either, Radio Lady, so don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and pisses me off.

-beac


Middle-aged Bitches for Obama!

Here are some pretty roses and a rainbow!



This is the absolute truth! I only meant your screen name was one letter off from "BEACH" -- and did not even THINK of the other word! I grew up in Florida and we are timeshare owners at Waikiki BEACH in Honolulu, Hawaii!



It's kind of funny, because I also used to be a dog trainer and breeder, and definitely know that word means. I just don't ever use it... although I can swear like a sailor sometimes!

Here's a wet puppy nose -- Boston Terrier, the American Gentleman -- and I do hope you accept my apology.



Peace, love and happiness,

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball in Oregon

And thanks for the puppy nose.

We could all use more of those these days. :)

The way things are going around the world, it's a jungle out there.

:hi:

Cheers! :)

She has truly done a disservice to women in the end. The first part was good, though.

I suspect her campaign will be looked upon in retrospect as one that went down the toilet because of several failures, but that she still made strides for women. But ultimately, she ended up whining that she was being beaten up because she's a girl. And that doesn't really make men think that women can stand on their own accomplishments and take the heat. All political candidates are put thru the wringer. Clinton's wringing came late in the game, and they were surprised and unprepared for it coming at all. She was "entitled" to the win, after all, is the way it seems to me that they viewed it.

others were not included

and because of her, more will get this far in the future.

Thank you for a very positive post. We need a lot more of this. Clinton supporters feel very marginalized and need to know that they are welcome here.

Peace,
sw

in what was considered a Quixotic attempt.

Thank you for putting the spotlight on the trailblazing.

K & R :thumbsup:

general election, Clinton remained the focus of intense interest, having obtained a sizable number of both delegate and popular votes."

Trailblazing. Thanks again for this OP.

To me, that doesn't make her a pioneer of women's liberation. It just doesn't.

If you're a feminist champion, you do it yourself. You don't ride a man's coattails to success.

Exploiting sexism for her benefit. She did the feminist movement no favors.

see this article by a great post-feminist feminist: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/05/24/do2411.xml

that Paglia is *not* a feminist. Who woulda thunk it?

As I mentioned in a thread several days ago, Hillary Clinton is like a catalyst which ignites a chain of events and yet may herself be consumed in the process.

I have no illusions about her character, but then I have no illusions about any politican's character, even Jimmy Carter, whom I adore. I wonder how Susan B. Anthony was viewed in her time by her detractors *shudder*

Thanks, Gore1FL, I did not recognize a lot of the names on your list, but I did recognize my favorite:



:hi:

:thumbsup:

Senator Obama is farther down the trail and Senator CLinton is trying her dangedest to light the trail a blaze.

hilary's living in a non-reality based environment..that doesn't mean you have to follow her.

Though I don't think he would have gotten there without her.