The Gender Factor

Read this article:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/10/america/women.php


I am sure that gender is a factor in this primary season. No doubt people view Hilary differently because she is a woman. No doubt people are asking different questions. No doubt people are throwing down new bolts of criticism. This is happening and will continue to happen, and I think it should be addressed with formidable discussion. I'm just sorry to see the discussion moving in the wrong direction.

There are people that look at Clinton and say they won't vote for her because she is a woman. This is wrong. But it is almost as equally wrong to vote for her because she's a woman, which is the demographic that pulled Clinton into the lead in New Hampshire this week. The discussion so far about gender ends with Election Day. We must look farther.

I say that voting for Clinton because she's a woman is "almost as equally wrong" because I do believe there is symbolic power in having a woman president. I think it will be positive motivation and positive precedence for better gender equality throughout the U.S. However, when we vote for someone based on their gender rather than their abilities, we are making a grave mistake.

The question is not"is a woman capable of leading the United States?" The question is "who is capable of leading the United States?" This is what we must be discussing, analyzing, and debating as we move towards November.