To those that say we can't win with a woman candidate....

[Stop_the_War]

Yes we can. The South is not comprised entirely of men, you know. 50% of the people down there are female. Don't you think they might jump at the chance to vote for a woman? Should we block progress because some people in this country i.e. "the South" don't want it? What would've happened if the Civil Rights movement wanted to "wait 'til later"? I'm male, but I think after 43 or so male presidents, why not have a woman president? If we can't have a woman president in '08, at least a woman vice president!

Okay, I'm finished with my rant. any thoughts?

[ButterflyBlood]

1. a woman candidate could win yes, but Hillary is not that woman

her problem is not that she's a woman. It's that she's a Clinton.

[Still_Loves_John]

15. And it's not even that

It's that she's not Bill. Bill was likable; she isn't. I'm not saying she's not a good person or anything, but she lacks that innate charisma that Bill has. People seem to think that by virtue of being a Clinton she shares Bill's ability to woo voters, but she is just not as good a politician as he is.

[buddysmellgood]

2. I'd support Boxer, but not Hillary.

[Vincardog]

3. OK Boxer?

[idlisambar]

4. Need a viable candidate

I don't see one coming up immediately, but as more women fill the governors' ranks it will happen.

[zmdem]

5. The south is also not comprised entirely of Republicans

yet the Republican party owns the south.

As to women as presidents. There will be one, eventually. She will be a conservative, probably a Republican. The Democratic Party is already such a mommy party that a female Democrat as president is unlikely. Of course if the Democrats got serious about national security and defense, well, maybe the first women president could be a Democrat.

Meanwhile, don't look for Barbara Boxer to be taking the oath in 2009.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Stop_the_War]

7. zmdem? What does your screenname stand for? Zell Miller Dem? n/t

[zmdem]

30. Yes, (n/t)

[Pithlet]

12. I don't think so.

I think our first female presidential candidate will be a Democrat, if the Republican party keeps up with their current trend. They just won't be able to afford to piss off that much of their base. Actually, that's why I think it will be a LONG time before we even have a woman president, because the Dems as they stand don't want to risk losing the votes, either. But, if/when it happens, the Dem side of the isle will be the first to successfully push forth a female candidate.

[TNDemo]

8. Get Oprah to run.

She would win.

[catzies]

9. Ain't that the truth!

n/t

[Stop_the_War]

10. That's a great idea!!!!!

OPRAH FOR PREZ '08!

[bemildred]

11. Absolutely.

All this crap about who is and is not "viable" is public relations
drivel designed to "control the terms of the debate"; and is premised
in the continued throttling of political activism, the destruction of
any truly charismatic political leadership, and the continued control
of the public's access to information.

[ultraist]

13. It wont happen in '08

Even women have views of what "should be" in a traditional sense. It's not just the man. Republican women will NOT vote for a Democrat woman, just because she is female and vice versa. For instance, I would NOT vote for Dole as Senator of my state just because she is female.

There are also sexist Democrat men that would NOT vote for her, especially in the South.

It's not a matter of "blocking progress" it's a matter of chosing a VIABLE candidate. There are more feasible ways to promote women's rights. Such as policies that promote EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK and PRO CHOICE laws.

The civil rights movement was not about chosing a viable candidate. They didn't put a black up to run for president. Apples and oranges.

We need a VIABLE candidate, one that has a rats chance in hell to WIN!

We cannot overestimate how evolved our society is at the price of losing. That would be biting our noses of to spite our faces.

[Stop_the_War]

14. People said Kerry had a "rats chance in hell" to win....hmmm...

How did that turn out?

[ultraist]

26. I didn't say Kerry had a rats chance hell of winning but I do think

that's true for Hillary or any other woman we have available to run in 08. Boxer is too liberal for most.

What woman do you think can WIN in 08?

[Stop_the_War]

32. Last time I checked being a man was NOT a requirement for presidency...

[Pork Chop]

16. By your logic, if Condi ran she'd get all the votes from the women here

Most women would vote based on which candidate they agree with more, not along gender lines. If you don't believe me, just ask any of the women here if they would vote for Condoleeza Rice over a Democratic man.

[Stop_the_War]

18. Oh really?

The Republican candidate in '08 will most certainly be a man. But we, the Democrats, can choose to have a woman candidate.

[Pork Chop]

20. We can choose a woman

But we shouldn't expect the southern conservative women to vote for her because she's a woman.

[Stop_the_War]

23. It will at least motivate women who don't vote to go and VOTE for us n/t

[EVDebs]

17. Blanche Lincoln ? eom

[lynne]

19. As a southern woman, I can tell you that -

- we don't vote for women just because they are women. No thinking woman does that.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a pink inauguration. There's not a woman out there now - in either party - that can win.

[catzies]

21. Welcome to DU and I'm holding my breath, but how about in my lifetime?

:)

If we don't have a great number of women candidates in the presidential field, why not?

Won't they come from women governors and Congress and holders of state constitutional offices?

Women do run and they win. But not enough of them. I believe women just don't have a farm team system yet. But we should be working on it by convincing great women who would excel in public service to do so and supporting them when they do.

The conversation of a woman for president does not begin and end with Hillary Clinton. And unfortunately, Jennifer Granholm was born in Canada. So if they pass the amendment letting naturalized citizens run for President (the Arnold Amendment) they better realize that doens't just mean naturalized men.

[Stop_the_War]

22. If a Democratic Latina lesbian can run for Sheriff in a Texas town and WIN

then why can't we run a woman for President?

[ultraist]

27. Tell it how it is sister! I agree

I sure as shit would NOT vote for Elizabeth Dole for president.

WHAT DEMOCRAT WOMAN WOULD WIN THE PRESIDENCY IN 08? THAT IS THE QUESTION. NAME ONE PLEASE, I'D LOVE TO KNOW.

WELCOME! :hi:

[Stop_the_War]

29. Barbara Boxer!

[ultraist]

31. You are being VERY IDEALISTIC thinking Boxer could win the Presidency in

HA! Wake me up when our society is that evolved, please. I hope I do witness that level of awareness in my lifetime but I'm not holding my breath.

Considering women still make LESS FOR EQUAL WORK, recent legislation backpeddles on women's RIGHT TO PRIVACY, a civil liberty, reproductive rights are under threat, and a whole slew of other indicators exist that show sexism runs rampid in our society...I'd venture to GUESS that the US WILL NOT ELECT A WOMAN AS LIBERAL AS BOXER IN 08!

Call me a skeptic, but there is NO WAY in hell that would happen in 08. Not unless the vast majority of the society undergoes a MASSIVE ENLIGHTENMENT before then.

Do you live in CA or what? Because MOST of the country is not that liberal. Could you imagine an Iowan farmer voting for Boxer? Or a North Carolinian Union electrician?

We need more than just female votes to win.

[Stop_the_War]

33. For your information, I live in Florida...n/t

[wadestock]

24. The world needs the US led by a woman

It's the perfect antidote to Bush.

I personally think a women is also the perfect antidote to the military industrial complex.

A women would potentially "get it" as far as protecting the nest....ie...concentrating on real homeland security rather than fucking up with other countries around the world.

The sick irony of all this is....the republican attack machine is setting up Hillary for a fall....and the entire democractic party with it.

In the sick world we live in...we can't put Hillary in the running...we have to go with someone who can win.

The most irresponsible thing the democratic party can do is idealize the next election.

We have to do exactly what happened this last go around, only that much better. Win with intelligence, pride in the party, and future in America.

No place for anything else but the highest probability to win...or else our country risks self-destruction.

[zbdent]

25. Not meaning to ruin the idea with history, but

Let's see:

Geraldine Ferraro (VP candidate for Walter Mondale, 1984 - Saint Ronnie of the Tax Cuts' "landslide" victory)

Elizabeth Dole (2000 - dropped out)

Carol Mosley-Braun (2004 - dropped out)

Others, but remember, the Dems got the furthest in candidacy. Actually had a woman on the final ticket, albeit for the Veep slot . . .

Not that these facts make an argument . . .

[ultraist]

28. I agree! WHAT WOMAN COULD WE RUN AND WIN WITH IN 08?

[KG]

34. not yet.

this country isn't ready yet.