Gender Card

Okay, let me get this straight! For almost a year, the Hillary Clinton campaign has sought to show that her nomination for the presidency was “inevitable.” In fact, this position was taken prior to 2004 election, when they did their fact finding mission in regards to her candidacy viability. But no matter, the Hillary Clinton campaign has emphasized that their candidate has the “most experience” and the “most qualified,” and has been the front runners since the doors of the 2006 election had closed. Her sheer name recognition alone placed in first place.

Nevertheless, the Hillary Clinton political machine has whined lately that the boys are picking on her. Admittedly, there have been some sound bites that this is natural because she is the front runner. But, polling has shown that the electorate is sensitive to the gender issue, especially among women. Fair enough. The problem, of course, is that she is the only woman in the campaign seeking the highest office in the land. In a way, this is very sad. To think that in the last 47 years, only one woman candidate has been viable for the candidacy of the presidency. This is shocking for a nation that proclaims itself as the beacon of liberty. But no matter, I digress.

This issue here; is that her campaign has cried foul, and is playing gender politics. They are playing on the double standard of how we treat “our” women in the US, yet at the same time proclaim their equality. On the one hand, we celebrate the diversity of the democratic field, including having a Hispanic and Black, while the republican field seems wanting. Yet, on the hand, the derision of the critical “female” decision has been an underlying current of this campaign.

This, in part, of the frontrunner status of Hillary Clinton, but it is also has to do with our perception of woman in powerful positions. With that said, for the Hillary Clinton campaign to use the gender card is not only disingenuous, but it hurts future female candidates, whether they are republican or democrat, or any other party for that matter. Furthermore, the campaign disvalues the substance of not only the other candidates, but hers as well.

This is a candidate that has high negatives and has polled continuously as being divisive. One would think that, with these factors already in play, that the Hillary Clinton handlers would be more focus on her positives than adding another negative issue to be reflected. But no, Hillary Clinton campaign has been using the gender card as a wedge issue. Cleverly playing the “poor me” card, “The boys are being mean to me…boo hoo…” Give me a break! The real issue for Clinton is that some of the criticism has begun to stick. So, the tactic of diversion and deflection has been the play to obfuscate and confuse the public with the gender rhetoric. It is unfortunate that Hillary Clinton is the choice for women to make the bid for the presidency, if there was another qualified woman in the field, it might be more interesting. It is too bad that no one could convince Condoleezza Rice to run, or for that matter, any other qualified republican or democratic woman. Oy! I am getting a migraine. It is going to be a long campaign season….