Hillary's Last Gasp

Katherine Mangu-Ward | August 26, 2008

From a Pew Research Center poll this week, a peculiar ambiguous finding worth keeping in mind as Hillary takes the stage later tonight.

Americans believe women have the right stuff to be political leaders. When it comes to honesty, intelligence and other traits they value highly in leaders, the public rates women superior to men. But only 6% say women make better political leaders than men.

More from the survey:

The survey asked no questions about Sen. Hillary Clinton or the 2008 presidential campaign. However, in answer to an open-ended question, Clinton and Sen.Barack Obama were each named by 13% of respondents as the political figure in the U.S. that they admire most. President Bush was the third most frequently mentioned figure, named by 7% of respondents. Women are more than twice as likely as men to name Clinton as the figure they admire most; and Hispanics are much more likely than blacks and somewhat more likely than whites to name her as the figure they admire most.

More in reason on voter irrationality here.

Comments

BDB|8.26.08 @ 6:35PM|#

If Hillary speaks mostly about herself, it won't be a good sign for Obama and the Democrats.

If she speaks mostly about Obama and (especially) attacks McCain, its a great sign for Obama.

stephen the goldberger|8.26.08 @ 6:41PM|#

This just shows that men have learned that when it comes to women ALWAYS COMPLIMENT THEM WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

thoughtcounts Z|8.26.08 @ 6:46PM|#

Women do win in this poll in more categories, but maybe it's just that they aren't winning in the right ones. Clearly honesty and intelligence aren't American voters' top issues... Bush was re-elected, after all. Maybe decisiveness and other issues women lost or tied on are more central to the idea of what it means to be a politician.

Bambi|8.26.08 @ 7:14PM|#

On a tangent, today is "Women's Equality Day". They get one day. How fair is that?

|8.26.08 @ 7:17PM|#

Is there some reason non-political polls are any less pointless, idiotic, and useless than political ones?

Here's a poll: how many of you thinks polls are fucking stupid?

Jango|8.26.08 @ 7:22PM|#

"Is there some reason non-political polls are any less pointless, idiotic, and useless than political ones?"

As a person of Polish descent, I find your question most insensative.

Ashley|8.26.08 @ 7:26PM|#

Equally true responses are not shown

So the opinions of the fair-minded were left on the cutting room floor. Now that's good statistics!

|8.26.08 @ 7:30PM|#

Make sure you close that screen door before you submerge, Jango.

|8.26.08 @ 9:52PM|#

Speaking of women, I just figured out why Kathleen Sebelius didn't become Vice President.

Because Kathleen Sebelzzzzzzzz.....

|8.26.08 @ 10:41PM|#

Hillary surrendered her gender advantages in intelligence, compassion, and creativity the minute she voted for the war in Iraq. I read Lysistrata; I'll vote for women who act like women. Apparently I'm one of the only guys who will do this.

|8.27.08 @ 11:33AM|#

They should have asked "have vaginas" just to calibrate the response scale.

|8.27.08 @ 12:05PM|#

What about "Talk things to death without making and enforcing a decision?