Hillary at Wellesley

The NY Times has a story here that chronicles Hillary's visit to Wellesley college. The Times story makes a very interesting point that I thought would be fun to point out.

The story states in part:

"It was Mrs. Clinton’s first visit to the school as a presidential candidate, and she chose it as the place to set out on an ambitious drive to attract more women to what she is underscoring as her historic candidacy. Mrs. Clinton’s campaign is increasingly counting on women, who made up 54 percent of the electorate in 2004, to help propel her into the White House."

So basically Hillary is banking on women to vote for her because she is a woman. Isn't that a little discriminatory and just a bit sexist as she is blatantly assuming that women would vote for her just because she is "one of the girls". I get it of course but can't believe that the media basically have lost any sort of critical thought with regards to this woman. How about Obama expecting all the black Americans to vote for him because he is black? Why assume that a group (I can't say minority as the NY Times notes that women made up 54% of the electorate) would vote like a monolithic block? Instead I would think that the candidate would assume that he (or she) need to appeal to the broadest base possible and sell a platform that the electorate can support. Do we really want to elect someone who panders to a specific group and plays "identity politics"?

Can you imagine a Hispanic Republican assuming that Hispanics would support him (or her) for the sole reason that the candidate is Hispanic? Should the Republican candidate (I can only assume it will be a man as no woman has yet entered the field) assume that all men will vote for him? I suppose that would be a little sexist and I am sure the Times would have a conniption of that actually was stated say by Thompson of McCain or Giuliani.

The media are in the bag for her and they should remove themselves from independent reporting and just join the campaign. Hillary is running for President of the United States and basically is playing the gender card. What is going to happen if one of the Middle East countries won't welcome her due to her gender (it is possible given their view of women) bomb them for their anachronistic views of the sexes? Recall also that Hillary is avoiding attending a Fox News debate because (I guess) of the hostile environment. Take a look at Bush's 8 years if you want to see a real hostile environment. My advice to Hillary (unsolicited of course) is to stop showing cleavage, stop trying to be more man than John Edwards and more racially sensitive than Obama. You are not your husband who was an extremely talented politician (whom I disagreed with on most subjects). Finally, no one cares that you are the first woman running for President or rather no one should care. You should not get any votes just because some of the electorate want to break some gender barrier but get votes because people agree with your policies. But my bet is that the name of the game is "whatever it takes". What an ugly sport politics is.

Outspoken Roman