Women Voting for Clinton

For the first time in the history of the United States a woman has become a serious presidential candidate. Hilary Clinton not only has the reputation but now she has the cash to make a serious run at the White House. The only question for her is will women vote for her? According to an article written on cnn.com ( http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/01/electing.women.ap/index.html ), women set exceptionally high standards for other women running for public office. It states that women generally want a woman who runs to be almost picture perfect and represents them at a much higher standard. A poll conducted by the ANESP shows that women are quicker to support a female candidate and quicker to dismiss her according to gender. The quandry facing Clinton in the upcoming election is exponetinally more difficult because she has to show many more sides of her personality than her counterparts. She must be viewed as tough and responsive by men yet caring and appealing to women. Only the primary will determine if she has demonsrated these capablities.

Democrats Debate

The candidates for the right to represent the Democrats got into full swing last night at the University of South Carolina. All together 8 hopefuls mostly talked about the war in Iraq with very little confrontation. It was a safe topic for all the candidates as they all oppose the war. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards took a shot when he said "Sen. Clinton and anyone else who voted for this war has to search themselves and decide whether they believe they voted the right way." Sen. Hillary Clinton's response: "I've said many times, if I knew then what I know now, I would not have voted that way" Fresh off a vote to authorize more spending in Iraq but with a deadline to bring troops home, nearly all agreed the president should sign the bill, except for the most anti-war lawmaker in the group. "Every time you vote to fund the war, you're reauthorizing the war all over again," argued Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. He is not considered a legitmate contender in the race however.

Edwards Continues Campaign

John Edwards has announced that he will continue his second bid for the Presidency despite the return of his wifes cancer. This comes at a bad time for the Edwards family as Fmr.Sen Edwards is one of the favorites to win the Democratic ticket. While their is no cure for the type of cancer she has, it is treatable.

Internet and the Election

In 2004, the emphasis was heavily directed towards the younger voters and this upcoming election seems to only magnify that approach. This week, sites such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and Friendster are all allowing viable political candidates to set up pages or videos on their websites aimed specifically at a younger, more tech-savvy generation. While some are lagging more than others, candidates like Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and even Sen. Dennis Kuchinch (D-OH) have taken the lead and be more pro-active. To me this is the same gameplan laid out by Fmr. Pres. Clinton back in 92' when he appeared on MTV and answered varied questions from the first war in Iraq to even smoking marijuana. Fast forward 15 years and the resources available now are varied and cost effective. If a candidate can tap the "Gen Y" or "Gen X" in this upcoming election they will definatly be a force to be reckoned with. The problem is motivating them enought to get off the couch and vote which is a task in and of itself.