Does Hillary Have The Man Power To Win?

Washington Post: Clinton's Lagging Support Among Men Reflects Campaign's Gender Gap

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Lois Romano.

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Like many New Hampshire voters, Matthew McLaughlin is rather well schooled in presidential politics. He exhaustively reads newspapers, takes in the television ads flooding his state these days and watches the debates. He is a former Navy pilot with a particular interest in the next commander in chief, and he certainly views himself as progressive enough to accept a woman in the job.

And this particular woman, in contention for the Democratic nomination? McLaughlin, 49, doesn't hesitate for a second, as he stands in the grocery store on a recent snowy afternoon in Bedford, holding the basket while his wife loads up on cold cuts.

"The thing I don't like about Hillary Clinton is that you cannot get a straight answer from her," says the registered Democrat. "She talks on both sides of an issue. . . . I was struck when Barack Obama laid out his position on Social Security reform and she refused to give her opinion. My view is: 'Like me or not. This is who I am, this is where I stand.'"

McLaughlin's choice for the Democratic nomination: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. "Here's the thing, you delete one thing on his resume and he still has a ton of other credits to his name," McLaughlin says. "You take away her Senate years and what does she have? She was first lady."

As the world of politics fixates on the women's vote in this cycle, there looms a question: What about the guys?

They're in the gender gap.

In Iowa, Clinton's support among male Democratic caucusgoers lags behind Barack Obama, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

In New Hampshire, she's doing better among male Democrats, but she faces questions about her candor. Half of men say she's not willing to say what she really thinks. Large majorities say that Obama and John Edwards are.

Nationally, her gender gap among Democrats is smaller, the poll shows, but some analysts suggest that these numbers are not strong enough for a general election, because a majority of male independents view her unfavorably.

Her lead in the national polls has been attributed primarily to female supporters, and her campaign has worked doggedly to cultivate them. She also has an edge with male primary voters nationally within her own party. But introduce independents, those precious swing voters she will need to win a general election, and the picture is not as kind. Let's just say that if this were high school, she wouldn't make prom court.

Women's rights advocates attribute male skepticism about Clinton to long-ingrained sexism -- and a sense that men, no matter what they say, just aren't ready for a female president. And political conservatives have exploited those often-unspoken fears of female power to caricature Clinton for years. But in several interviews with Democratic men across the country, the stated reasons for their aversion to Clinton seem more complicated, and in many cases, far more visceral than substantive.

They just don't like her, some say. They don't know what she stands for. They believe her word is no good, that she doesn't believe that she can be held accountable. They see her as intellectual snob who lets you know she's smarter. They say she sounds like everybody's ex-wife. They can't tell if she's the loyal, traditional wife who stayed with her husband for love after his humiliating extramarital affair -- or a canny politician who stayed because it was politically expedient. Even: Is she a Yankees or a Cubs fan?

For the Clinton campaign, these last few weeks before the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are a push to sweep away such personal reservations for voters. The New York senator continues to be ranked highest nationally among Democrats in polls on key traits, such as most presidential, knowledgeable about the world, electable and experienced. Still, it is Democratic men rather than women who in interviews have the long memories for the long-ago rumors and White House scandals that portray Clinton as an angry woman -- the travel office fiasco when she pushed to have the longtime staff fired, or the never-proved rumor that she once threw a lamp -- or an ashtray, pick your weapon of choice -- at her husband.

"She can't shed her past," says Doug Wheeler, a retired University of New Hampshire history professor who recently decided his candidate was Sen. Barack Obama. "Obama doesn't have that problem. There's a charisma about Obama and I like his answers to questions. John Kennedy had that charisma, and you could argue that he didn't have that much experience when he was elected."

Listen to McLaughlin, the airline pilot, and his wife, Debbie, 50, a school librarian, talk about Clinton in separate interviews.

Debbie: "[Matt] says the fact that she is a woman doesn't matter, but down deep I think it does. He believes women should be treated equal but . . . men don't want to be beat by a woman. They don't want to be beaten by the other sex."

Matt: "I wouldn't not vote for her just because she's a woman. That wouldn't throw me over the edge by any stretch. We had a female governor of New Hampshire [Jeanne Shaheen] and I supported her."

Debbie: "What I like is that Hillary is connected -- she can hit the ground running right away. She could start making the changes she needs to make almost immediately."

Matt: "What qualifies her to be president? She spent eight years as first lady. She didn't have a Cabinet. She wasn't elected to any position of power."

Debbie: "She is an extremely intelligent person. . . . She was an adviser to Bill."

Matt: "If she came to Washington, she certainly would not be a uniter. She brings divisions. She doesn't come with a clean slate."

[user168-2009]

A Special Prayer for Bill Clinton and Hillary to Recite:

%u201CKnowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.%u201D
%u201CWhat it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.%u201D
%u201CThe blame is his who chooses.%u201D
%u201CFor a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.%u201D
%u201CWe are what we repeatedly do.%u201D
(Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, Gennifer Flowers, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Sally Predue, Dolly Kyle Browning%u2026)
%u201CThe measure of a man is what he does with power.%u201D
%u201CThe aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.%u201D
%u201CThe person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.%u201D
%u201CThe petty man is eager to make boasts, yet desires that others should believe in him. He enthusiastically engages in deception, yet wants others to have affection for him. He conducts himself like an animal, yet wants others to think well of him.%u201D
%u201CThe foundation of every state is the education of its youth.%u201D
%u201CTo see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness."
%u201CSetting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.%u201D

Repeating wrong doings for self-gratification proves extreme stupidity, selfishness, and cowardice.

[missrighto]

None of the CLINTON LOVERS (suckers) answer ONE SIMPLE QUESTION. They go on and on Obama. Here is the question.

Clinton suckers, please answer for the benefit of bloggers here. Hillary was absolute failure on HealthCare when for 8 years she and her hubby ruled the WhiteHouse. Why trust the future of our country to someone who had all the chances and FAILED??? Will you re-hire a CEO who failed miserably ???? WAKE UP...

[missrighto]

WHO WANTS 8 MORE YEARS OF CLINTONS MARITAL DISPUTES AND DIVISIONS, ALL PAID FOR BY THE UNITED STATES? WE THE PEOPLE??? NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLINTONS, GO AWAY, GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HILLARY FLIP FLOPS, FLIP FLOP, FLIP FLOP...FOR THE WAR, AGAINST THE WAR, FOR NAFTA, AGAINST NAFTA....??? CLINTONS ARE PEOPLE WITH MILLION OF PROBLEMS!!!!!!! WHY IS BILL CLINTON SHAMELESSLY PROMOTING HIS WIFE ????????? WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE AM EX-PRESIDENT FOLLOWING THE SKIRTS OF HIS WIFE ????????????

[gunownerdan]

HITLERY is more of a warmongering neocon that many republicans are.

[hwy71so]

Auchtung!!!

That''s the first thought I have when I see that picture. Or as MCVet would say (that commie nazi lover) Vieg Heil!!!

[PulSamsara]

America is a Democracy.
America is not a Monarchy.

As we''ve learned for the past 7 years - Nepotism has no place in the White House.

Barack Obama for President.
It''s time for America to Rise and Shine again.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by jedi08 at 03:36 AM : Dec 21, 2007

That''s BS, Sir. She was mover and shaker before she ever married Bill. Her record is clear all the way back to forever.

Those women were scumbags! And how you men can defend them is beyond me. It takes two to make an affair. And the reason Mr. Clinton participated is between him and his wife.

Women don''t have to marry anymore for personal success. But there are still men out there beating their chests with ''the little woman'' syndrome.

[rowdytexan2]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by julianbook at 04:40 AM : Dec 21, 2007

That''s an easy answer. Because the republican congress quashed every effort to find funding for it. Remember, they cried SOCIALISM! And the people bought it hook, line and sinker. Just like they''ve bought republican *** all the years.

This country is in the shape it''s in because we ALLOWED this to happen. When voters stay home with their tv clicker in hand watching the report on the polls instead of studying up and getting out to vote for what they know to be right it is a clear invitation to these people to take you to the cleaners.

We now have 4,000 troops DEAD, and millions of innocent people DEAD in Iraq because nobody would get off their arse and go vote! They left it up to the court to decide to put these Neocons in office.

[julianbook]

Can a Hillary supporter explain why after the Clinton healthcare failure of 1993, there was no attempt to revive it - even though Bill Clinton had promised it, and remained in office for two terms.

[jedi08]

Progressive women... Hillary???

If Progressive women means you only succeed because of your Husband and couldn''t even pass the bar exam until you took it in your hubbies state of Arkansas.
If Progressive women means that you throw every women under the bus that accuses your husband of assault and rape and you go on a major smear campaign to discredit these women that Your husband attacked.

If your looking for a Progressive women, you wont find it in Hillary. All you''ll find is a power hungry girl who married her way to all her success and acheivements.

[incog-nito]

People say they don''t like Clinton, but somehow cannot come up with a decent reason. Sure, they''ll mention how scripted and calculated she is. But all politicians, at least the ones that win, are scripted and calculated. Some just hide it better than others.

The fact of the matter is, they don''t like because they don''t agree with some of her positions, such as the Iraq war for example. But this only shows that she is neither extreme left or extreme right. She is somewhere in the center, and that''s where most Americans are. Whether you agree with it or not, most Americans both dislike the war AND do not want troops to pull out prematurely.

You can quibble about her qualifications, but the fact is she is no less qualified than any other candidate. More than just a long resume which doesn''t really tell you much of anything, she is obviously very smart and tough, and more than up to the task of the presidency. I think her smarts is what really intimidates a lot of people. They prefer someone who seems like "one of the guys", sort of like our current president.

I''m going with Clinton. She is disliked by both the extreme left and extreme right. That tells me she''s in the middle. This country doesn''t need any more extremism in the White House.

[trueprogress]

When my students ask me "why" they should vote for Hillary, I know that I have run into a sexist brain washed person, male or female.

[trueprogress]

While school is on break, I want to urge all college age women to go door to door and make the case to our "sisters" to support Hillary. She is the first and only TRUE Progressive Woman to run for OFFICE. Is she qualified ? You bet. As a woman she will bring sensitivity to the Pres. It is not a very difficult job, if we just all learn to talk to each other, define our positions, and listen to the other side ! She is a WOMAN. VOTE for her. !!

[coolprophet]

ron paul has the voting record to prove he is the most honest human in the race.please my brother see freedom is in the peoples hand with ron paul a real new coarse she is getting a lot of money from defense contractors fight for our troops to be able to come home!ron paul is the olny one that want to bring them home

[hillary4sout]

HILLARY 08 AS A BLACK MALE IN THE SOUTH I KNOW WHAT IS TO BE THE UNDERDOG IN MOST CASES I SUPPORT HILLARY NOT BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMEN. BUT BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT SHE STANDS FOR SHAME ON THE WOMEN THAT DONT KNOW WHO THIS LADY IS LOL. YEAH I BREAK DOWN AT YOU TO SEE HOW AT LAST YOU HAVE THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE FEMALE RUNNING AN ALL U SEE ONE IS A MALE LOL BILL LOL AT U, THEN U SEE A BLACK OR NOT UMMMMMM I DONT KNOW ANYMORE, MALE ... WHO IS NOT AS EXPERIENCE YOU TRUN ON HILLARY WHO WOULD BE THE A FIRST QUALIFIED FEMALE LOL , TO SUPPORT AGAIN SOME ONE THE GOP WILL POUNCE ON AT ALL OF US MALES EXPENCE GOD HELP YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND, THEN WHEN YOU DO REMEMBER IT WAS A MAN LIKE ME WHO SAID WOMEN SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE BECAUSE THEY WILL ONLY VOTE FOR THE CUTE DUDE THAT SAYS WHAT SHE WANT TO HEAR, NOT WHAT SHE SHOULD KNOW. IF I BELIVED THAT ID BE VOTEING OBAMA AND LOL AT YOU ALL AFTER HE WINS YOUR HEART AN VOTE AND THEN FORGETS YOU EVER EXSISTED UMMMM NOW HOW MANY TIMES HAVE THAT BEEN YOUR REALITY N DATEING... JUST TELLING THE TRUTH . HILLARY 08 ....

[coolprophet]

CLINTON LETS BUSH PARDON HIMSELF
Buried deep inside Military Commisions Act, which was FULLY SUPPORTED by Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, is a provision which pre-pardons President Bush and all the members of his administration for any crimes which they may have committed all the way back to September 11, 2001. Why that far back? That kind of makes you wonder. Huh? I can''t help but recall what Nixon said during an interview following the Watergate scandal when he said, "If the President does it, by definition, it''s not illegal." History never repeats itself, folks. It only rhymes. At least Nixon had enough class to wait for another President to pardon him for his crimes against our country. Bush apparently doesn''t want to take that chance. He has to consider the risk that Ron Paul will become our next President.

[jedi08]

All women must vote for Hillary.
posted by: trueprogress

will you listen to yourself. Voting for someone because of the *** is just as bad as not voting for them. Plus Hillary isn''t exactly the sort of women you should vote for if your for women''s rights and all that stuff. She is only where she is because of her Husband. She wouldn''t even be in the discussion if it wasn''t for her Husband. Now he is out their sticking up for her and taking the lead in her campaign. Is that really the type of example you want for young women. Mary someone succesfull and use their power and fame to get some for yourself.

If she needs her Husband to constantly stick up for her, I don''t want that kind of leader for this country.

[jedi08]

All women must vote for Hillary.
posted by: trueprogress

will you listen to yourself. Voting for someone because of the *** is just as bad as not voting for them. Plus Hillary isn''t exactly the sort of women you should vote for if your for women''s rights and all that stuff. She is only where she is because of her Husband. She wouldn''t even be in the discussion if it wasn''t for her Husband. Now he is out their sticking up for her and taking the lead in her campaign. Is that really the type of example you want for young women. Mary someone succesfull and use their power and fame to get some for yourself.

If she needs her Husband to constantly stick up for her, I don''t want that kind of leader for this country.

[coolprophet]

RON PAUL WINS BIG IN NATIONAL POLL
The results of a nationwide telephone poll, announced by Zogby on November 19th, reveals that Americans want to vote for a candidate who protects liberty; who wants to shrink government; and who wants to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq - positions of Congressman Ron Paul. As part of a blind-bio, spread poll, likely voters (from all parties) were provided with descriptions of four different Republican candidates and asked to choose who they would vote for based on each one''s resume and political platform. 33% of pollees chose Ron Paul, 19% chose Rudy Giuliani, 15% chose Mitt Romney and 13% chose Fred Thompson. The results clearly
illustrate that the country is crying out for Ron Paul, which is why mainstream media has launched a public relations offensive to marginalize his accomplishments and suppress the Congressman''s name recognition. In a seperate question, over 49% of pollees said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who would begin an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. In fact, Ron Paul won in every demographic of this poll including, but not limited to, religious voters, NASCAR fans, military families, African-Americans, etc..