# 2009 - a woman as Commander in chief ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143 "2006-11-12T20:27:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/61 "2006-11-14T02:38:30Z")
And **initech** was listing that as among the factors **Hilary** would have going for her. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/62 "2006-11-14T03:48:01Z")
I think **intech** is wrong when he says that women will vote for a woman regardless of her politics. We’ve always been our own worst enemy in the feminist movement. Furthermore, I agree that women shouldn’t be “one issue” voters. I don’t think that most feminists are either. I like HIllary Clinton a lot, but she may be too moderate for me. I’ll reserve judgment until later. Those who think that women can’t handle being CIC or President of the USA need to get a grip on reality. Those days are over. I too would like to see someone like Margaret Thatcher, but with liberal credentials. Someone who is better at evaluating the human psyche than I am told me that once she made up her mind to something, she was relentless until she got it. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/63 "2006-11-14T05:39:22Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] **initech** did not, of course, state in that scenario that the female candidate in question would be a Dem, but the way the problem is stated strongly implies it; there would be nothing remarkable in female Pub voters voting for a female Pub candidate, it happens all the time. [/QUOTE] The female candidate would be a Democrat. As things are now, the Republican base would never let a woman make it through the primary system. Ask Elizabeth Dole. When I say there’s a feminist streak in the heartland, I’m not talking about Gloria Allred in a housedress. But there’s a reason why every other daytime commercial features a bumbling man who thinks he’s in charge, rescued by the savvy woman who’s really running the show. It’s a pervasive meme in middle America. Hillary is a hawk. She’s pro-choice and has a strong family story to tell. Her biggest political disaster was trying to start a universal healthcare system. Presented with a choice between Hillary and some standard-issue jackass, yeah, Hillary’s got a shot in the red states. Well, the purple ones. And we have a secret ballot, so know will ever have to know… ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/64 "2006-11-14T05:46:53Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] I think **intech** is wrong when he says that women will vote for a woman regardless of her politics. [/QUOTE] I certainly am wrong about that. Wait, I never said that. Her politics would have to hew pretty closely to conservative values, but she’s clearly on that path now. Republican women aren’t going to vote for Hillary if she is successfully classified by the right (or the left) as a liberal, hippie, commie liberal. But if she can campaign against that notion, all bets are off. By the way, I don’t think she’ll run at all. The 2008 Democratic ticket: Gore/Obama. You heard it here first. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/65 "2006-11-14T15:43:45Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] So which will happen sooner: a female president or a bearded president? [/QUOTE] BABE-raham Lincoln ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/66 "2006-11-15T21:48:37Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there? When a woman is nominated and wins election for President. Personally, I think the average American would be fine with the right woman. It would take some convincing for me to believe that Clinton or Rice is that woman, but I believe the first female American President is now living, and I’ll be surprised if it hasn’t happened in the next 20 years. I don’t understand why you’re so bewildered by this; where are you from? [/QUOTE] I’m with you . Stupidity and ignorance are not gender issues. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/67 "2006-11-15T23:34:58Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Dammit, **Wildfire,** why can’t you just tell us what country you’re in? [/QUOTE] Anyone remember the last guy who played that game? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/68 "2006-11-16T19:07:19Z")
[QUOTE=initech] The female candidate would be a Democrat. As things are now, the Republican base would never let a woman make it through the primary system. [/QUOTE] What about Condi Rice? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/69 "2006-11-16T19:15:25Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] What about Condi Rice? [/QUOTE] The Republican base would never let a woman **or** an African-American make it through the primary system. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/70 "2006-11-17T01:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] What about Condi Rice? [/QUOTE] How is \*anyone \* in this administration going to be able to make a case for themselves to the voters? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/71 "2006-11-17T01:54:14Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] I think **intech** is wrong when he says that women will vote for a woman regardless of her politics. We’ve always been our own worst enemy in the feminist movement. [/QUOTE] The last poll I recall on the subject, an international one years ago from Gallup IIRC, had men supporting the idea of a female leader _more_ than women. Especially in America; female resistance to female leadershiip was strongest in the US of the countries polled. Why, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/72 "2006-11-17T02:45:05Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] The last poll I recall on the subject, an international one years ago from Gallup IIRC, had men supporting the idea of a female leader _more_ than women. Especially in America; female resistance to female leadershiip was strongest in the US of the countries polled. Why, I don’t know. [/QUOTE] Self-loathing? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143/73 "2006-11-17T05:45:50Z")
[QUOTE=Der Trihs] The last poll I recall on the subject, an international one years ago from Gallup IIRC, had men supporting the idea of a female leader _more_ than women. Especially in America; female resistance to female leadershiip was strongest in the US of the countries polled. Why, I don’t know. [/QUOTE] We definitely need a solid cite on this one. It would make a GD thread all on its own if we could see the cite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2009-a-woman-as-commander-in-chief/380143.md?page=3)