FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Hillary Clinton says she's running for president "to break the highest and hardest glass ceiling" in the United States. But every day, it looks less and less likely that she'll succeed.
The New York Times reports today about what Clinton's all-but-certain defeat will mean for women. Clinton set records for a campaign by a woman, raising more than $170 million, often getting better debate reviews than her male competitors, rallying older women and getting white men to vote for her.
There are even those who believe Clinton was able to use sexism on the trail to her advantage, by bringing in more votes and donations after instances where many believed she was being unfairly picked on because she is a woman.
There is no question she has done exceedingly well only to finish second behind Barack Obama. Nevertheless, many of her supporters insist the race was unfair – focusing on things like her clothing, her voice and calls to exit the race. Some, including Clinton supporter and former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, even think Barack Obama was sexist.
But despite the new markers for what women can do in a presidential campaign, there's still work to be done. Clinton had difficulties with some of the classic hurdles that face female politicians – things like trying to show toughness and warmth at the same time. Also, many women say they wish Clinton had inspired some kind of deep, national dialogue about gender issues between the sexes like what Obama did on the topic of race.
Here’s my question to you: How much of a role did sexism play in the likely defeat of Hillary Clinton?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Tom from Jacksonville, Florida writes:
Absolutely none. She lost because she ran an extremely poor campaign. Nobody was buying the inevitability of her presidency except her and her closest advisors. If anything, being a woman kept her in the running longer than she should have been.
Jason from Brooklyn writes:
It wasn't sexism, Jack. We want change in Washington. After years of scandals, impeachment, war, and a furthering divide between rich and poor Americans, the American people are not willing to elect four consecutive presidents from only two families.
Differ in Maryland writes:
Sexism played a major role in this process. Let’s not kid ourselves about this… As a man, I believe if we were at peace then it might have been a woman’s time but we are at war. Men protect their women in this country. If that’s sexism, then so be it. It’s a mindset. It will take a strong man and not a fanatic to get us out of this mess.
Martha from Los Angeles writes:
I'm a woman of Hillary's age, raised with the same feminist sensibilities as her, and there is no doubt to me that racism has played a far larger role than sexism has in the race - due in part to Hillary herself. Her mistake was in thinking that a woman has to behave like a crass, lowest-denominator man in order to be elected. That has nothing to do with sexism and everything to do with the way Hillary approached her campaign - and for that matter, is still approaching it. Frankly, as a woman leader myself, she's embarrassed me.
Kristi from Indiana writes:
It hasn't had the negative effect that Hillary would have you believe! In fact, as a woman who idolized her as first lady, I have been increasingly discouraged by her actions beginning with her vote for war in 2002. She joined the "Good Ol' Boys' Club" at that moment and has never looked back!