Let me come right out and say it. You see that 8-point gap between Democratic women and Democratic men in Clinton support? Those are the same Democratic men who were so sure Barack Obama would be the perfect progressive president. So excuse me if I question your judgment:
Gender. Even before Clinton’s announcement, there was a gender gap – among Democrats – in views of Clinton. Fully 61% of white Democratic women say there is a good chance they would vote for Clinton, compared with 43% of white Democratic men. To be sure, white Democratic men haven’t ruled out voting for Clinton – only about one-in-ten white Democrats, men and women, say there is no chance they would vote for her. But at this stage, more white Democratic women strongly support her.
The possible history-making aspect of Clinton’s candidacy also registers more strongly with Democratic women than with men. In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 69% of Democratic women, but just 46% of Democratic men, said they hope the U.S. elects a female president in their lifetime. Republican women and men – perhaps already contemplating a possible Clinton campaign – were far less likely than Democrats to say they were hoping for a woman president. Most Republican men (80%) and women (76%) said it did not matter to them if a female president is elected in their lifetime.
I don’t know Hillary Clinton, but I know people who do know her, and have known her for a long time. All of them say she’s much more liberal than Bill. So cool your jets, and wait to see what she’s going to do before you have a fit.
Thank you. I’m going to get very, very sick of all the excuses that will come out for their freaking vitriol in 2008. They haven’t become any smarter or self aware since then. I’m planning on tuning it out for the next year and a half.