No Sisters to the Rescue

National Review Online ^ | December 18, 2007 | Carrie Lukas

[ReleaseTheHounds]

The Clinton campaign narrative was supposed to go something like this: Senator Clinton’s commanding lead in the polls would persist throughout 2007. January would kick off with a solid win in Iowa, followed by a blowout in New Hampshire. The race effectively would be settled by mid-January, leaving the rest of the primary season to serve as a coronation, allowing Clinton to position herself for the general campaign.

Conventional wisdom said the “female vote” was a lock for Clinton. The campaign has a director of women’s outreach, Ann Lewis, who focuses exclusively on building support among women. She encourages the creation of “Women for Hillary Councils” across the country. Organizations like Emily’s List are pouring resources into helping get Clinton elected. Left-leaning feminist groups like the National Organization for Women could hardly wait to begin working for Clinton, and offered their endorsement in March.

Clinton herself encourages women to think of her potential victory as a win for womankind. “Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work together,” she told the crowd at her all-female alma mater, Wellesley. “We’re ready to shatter that highest glass ceiling.”

For months the campaign’s female strategy seemed to work. Clinton was riding high in the polls, largely based on support from women. Zogby International released a poll in November showing Clinton and Senator Barack Obama tied among men, but Clinton enjoyed a staggering 18 point lead among women, giving her a total 11 point advantage nationally.

Among the many things that have gone wrong for the Hillary Clinton campaign over the past month is the erosion of support among women, especially in key states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Senator Obama’s rise to front runner has been fueled by a surge in support among women. Recent polls by the Des Moines Register and Washington Post/ABC News show Obama with a lead among women in Iowa. Likewise in New Hampshire, Clinton’s support among women sank ten points over the last month, leaving her in a virtual tie with Obama.

The idea that women would obediently line up behind a woman presidential candidate — regardless of who she was — has always stretched credulity. Women overwhelmingly recognize the next president will have grave responsibilities and want the person, man or woman, best prepared to meet the challenges of the office. The media often portrays groups like NOW as representing women; in reality, few women embrace the brand of big-government paternalism advocated by these outdated feminist groups.

In any case, Hillary Clinton has always been an awkward icon for feminism. While feminist leaders applaud Clinton as a “trailblazer,” it’s hard to overlook the rather old-fashioned climb Hillary has made up the political ladder. Senator Clinton’s much vaunted years of experience have primarily been as “wife of.”

The Clinton campaign itself has see-sawed between painting Hillary’s time as First Lady as hands-on experience helping govern the country and distancing her from unpleasantness associated with her husband’s administration. This tension is vividly apparent when it comes to health care. Clinton is well-known for her role in attempting to radically alter our nation’s health-care system while First Lady. Former President Bill Clinton now has attempted to take responsibility for that debacle, which leads to an inevitable question: What exactly was Hillary’s great policy role during the 1990s, if not in healthcare?

The details of Clinton’s tenure as First Lady are muddied further by the presumptive role her husband would play in a Hillary administration. If the first lady was such an important player when Bill Clinton was in White House, then surely the “first man” would have an equally prominent role. Do Americans really want a second unelected president, especially one who brings the kind of tawdry melodrama the country associates with the Clintons?

This uneasiness with reliving the Clinton era is at the heart of Hillary’s slide in the polls. Her recent stumbles — from flip-flopping on drivers’ licenses for illegal aliens to unseemly personal attacks on Obama — would have been relatively banal if they hadn’t unearthed so many unpleasant memories.

Many Americans like the idea of a woman president. That doesn’t mean they’re willing to support Hillary Clinton to get one.

— Carrie Lukas is vice president for policy at the Independent Women’s Forum and author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

The "famale" strategy just isn't working... With stars like Ann Lewis running the show, I wonder why it hasn't been a smashing success...

[ReleaseTheHounds]

SSFMKS Ping!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Best Wishes for a Great 2008!

[RedStateRocker]

Maybe because they fear too many people will see that picture or Rudi in drag and get confused as to which party is running the female?

[r9etb]

My daughter puts it this way: “She’s weird and scary.” My wife says, “Ick. What a phony.” That’s about the size of it — Hillary!’s “lead” among most women doesn’t survive the first five minutes that they actually pay attention to her.

[counterpunch]

Why did Hillary sit by in silence knowing her own husband was a serial sexual abuser of women?

[Rummyfan]

For power! The means justify the ends.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Not to mention that she reminds all America of its first wife.

[Rummyfan]

It is the central hypocrisy and paradox of Hillary Clinton’s life that while she presents herself as a late Twentieth Century feminist, self-actualized and the embodiment of ‘having it all’, in reality she owes it all to her husband and has ridden his name to where she is. And that in order to do so, she turned a blind-eye to the fact that her so-called husband is nothing but a molester and philanderer who has consistently humiliated her over the years.

[xJones]

With stars like Ann Lewis running the show, I wonder why it hasn't been a smashing success...

Aargh! Listening to Ann Lewis talking on TV makes listening to fingernails scratching on a blackboard sound pleasant. Barney Frank's sister, Ann, is about as normal as he is.

[Grampa Dave]

My wife, DIL and two SILs despise the Hilldebea$t even more than I do.

My wife and SILs are in their 60’s and successful women, and they dislike any female, who wants to rise to the top via governmental mandates. They have zero tolerance for the the dykes pushing women’s lib and pc bs.

Our 40 something, DIL is even more outspoken about this. Even though she is a soccer type Mom, she has her own personal business 5 mornings a week, and she knows that $inator Hilldebea$t will tax her and her husband, our son, to pay for others, who don’t work.

[Mase]

Women overwhelmingly recognize the next president will have grave responsibilities and want the person, man or woman, best prepared to meet the challenges of the office.

And Obama or Edwards are prepared for this challenge? Scary people.

[donna]

The campaign has a director of women’s outreach, Ann Lewis

For those who don't remember the Clinton years:

Rep. Frank's niece slain in Va.; husband is charged April 15, 2004

ARLINGTON, Va. -- A man was charged with murder after he allegedly strangled his wife, the niece of US Representative Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat.

Susan Lewis, 41, was found Monday unconscious and with a neck wound at her home in Arlington, police said. She died later at a hospital. (snip)

Lewis was the daughter of former White House communications director Ann Lewis, who is Frank's sister.

Source

[xJones]

I forgot that one. The husband ended up with 20 years for first degree murder:

"Sentenced for Murder An Arlington County man pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree murder in the slaying of his wife, Susan Lewis, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, prosecutors said..

James W. Powell Jr., 45, was sentenced by Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Joanne F. Alper to 50 years in prison, with 30 years suspended, prosecutors said.

Lewis, 41, was found unconscious with a neck wound at the couple's house in the 400 block of South Wayne Street in the Penrose neighborhood of Arlington on April 12, 2004. The daughter of former White House adviser Ann F. Lewis and the niece of Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), she was the only homicide victim in Arlington last year."

[USS Alaska]

Susan Lewis, 41, was found Monday unconscious and with a neck wound at her home in Arlington, police said. She died later at a hospital. (snip)

Lewis was the daughter of former White House communications director Ann Lewis, who is Frank's sister.

As much as I dislike Ann Lewis and her sister frank, I take no joy in reading this article. I didn't know about this murder. I wonder, however, if the hollywood types will join in the murderers defense group.

[BFM]

Why did Hillary sit by in silence knowing her own husband was a serial sexual abuser of women?

More importantly, if Hillary is so "pro woman"" why did she lead the attack on women who exposed her husband's lewd behavior towards them when, besides being the object of his assaulted, all they did was to be placed, voluntarily or involuntarily, in the public spotlight.

She didn't just defend him, she lead the assault to destroy the women.

I guess she's only "pro-woman" until one gets in her way and then she goes from "pro-woman" to "woman-destroyer."

I've never quite understood why more women don't see that? Is it that they are just incapable of seeing the truth?

[doug from upland]

Sorry, missed this and also posted it. I did a search and didn’t see it.

I have been in contact with Carrie. She will be looking over the info about HILLARY! UNCENSORED.