Is America Truly, Finally, Ready for a Woman President?

I think we are at the point where it's the best person for the job...be it male or female. It's nothing to see women running large companies, why not the government?

I'm ready! Go Hill!

Well lets put it this way, We have been waiting for a PRESIDENT...as we have been without one for too long now.

The men have messed up long enough, I welcome Hillary, and hope she brings Bill with her..that handsome devil he is...

And to answer your question YES.....we are long over due for a woman president...

I don't think the general voting population of America is ready for a female president. Personally, it doesn't matter to me...as long as it's NOT Hilly and Billy...again!

I don't think the US is ready for it any more than we're ready for a non caucasian president. We're a pretty patriarchal society. I just don't see it going over smoothly. I think people would see Hillary's (or Obama's, for that matter) mistakes as a reflection of their gender/race. It would be a difficult position, being the first woman president. You'd be under more scrutiny and would have to deal with extra biases.

I am beyond ready for a woman president!

Not really relevant, but I remember in England everyone said at least with a woman in charge there'd be fewer wars. Then we fought over the Falklands under Maggie Thatcher.

Anna has it right about the analysts. They'd have a field day.

I too am beyond ready for a woman president and I am fortunate that we have a woman who wants the job and is quite capable of fulfilling the duties of that office. Hillary is so qualified to fulfil the duties of that office that I probably would vote for her even if she was a Republican and getting me to vote Republican next year would be tough,

Of course many on the far left claim she is just a disguised as a Democrat. Let them complain. The fact that the far right also does not like her is an is almost reason enough to vote for her. We need a President who has the courage to defy the dictates of both extremes. Maybe then we will have a President who cares about what those of us who occupy the political middle thinks is best for our nation.

Composed of Independents, Democrats and Republicans we have the potential to be the largest voting block in the nation. It is time to exercise that power by selecting candidates who cater the neither extreme to get their vote. Hillary incurred the displeasure of the far right long ago and now she has incurred the displeasure of the far left. On top of that her record during her first term as a Senator from the was impressive enough to persuade both the urban liberals and conservate rural voters of the State of New York that she should be re-elected to that office even though they knew she would not be able to serve out that term if she suceeded in getting elect President in 2008.

We have a canidate that appeals to the political middle and this point that makes both her political affiliation and gender secondary. Go Hilliary in 2008!

I've been ready for about 43 years now.

I think we're more than ready. We just need to vote a qualified female leader into office. Period.

Sure we are - it's just the reptilian male chauvanists who stand in the way. BTW, I really don't think Hillary is suitable because she doesn't have vision. Also, women have run for President in the past, but not on a major party ticket.

I think we are ready. I just wish it was someone other than Hillary. I think the real reason why you haven't seen more women go for the position is that they few really wanted to go through the insanity of the process. There are plenty of women governors, for example, where real people can make a real difference without having to go crazy and practically sell your soul to special interests just to have a mild showing in the primaries.

Dave M, I think that is a GREAT list of characteristics/attributes for the next president. And, as I was going down your list, one candidate really stuck out as having every one of those qualities. I really hope that the country can come together and elect someone that possesses all of those qualities.

Rico, As for a woman.... I think that the country is ready for a woman or for a black president. I think Richardson might have a harder time fitting in mainly because of all the issues with Latin/Mexican immigration problems. But, I think Americans are really ready for someone that will get the job done no matter who/what they are. Unfortunately, I think Hillary is too calculating and too coniving. We are trying to get away from a President that works solely to advance his own agenda and if we elect Hillary, we'd have the same thing all over again just on the other side of the fence. We need to find someone more middle of the road and bipartisan than Hillary.

Yes but not that one.

About what I expected from you Rico. You must feel so superior to us male chauvanists. I'll vote for a woman president, but I'm not voting for another politician. So far I'm sitting the 2008 election out.

I'm ready for a good president. I couldn't care less if they were male or female, black, white, yellow, red, brown or plaid, straight or gay, tall or short, old or young, Christian Buddhist, Muslim, or pagan. I care that he or she is honest, smart, dedicated to the good of our country and the world.

Unfortunately, though I might get any of the things I don't care about, I am becoming convinced I can't get the things I do care about.

Nice list Dave couldn't agree more.

James! "... reptilian male chauvanists who stand in the way..." Hmmm! REPTILIAN! You got something there!

Yes, I think the United States is ready for a woman President. May the best human being win.

Are we ready for a woman president? YES! :-)

Gracias all. I agree with most of your comments -- the real answer is, I fear, yes and no. We're still a very young culture/society and this is very advantageous in some ways, but in this department is part of the problem.

With all the criticisms about Bush not caring out our image to the rest of the world, has anyone stopped to think how other nations would view a female U.S. president, especially considering the cultures of the nations with whom we face our toughest challenges today (Iran, N. Korea, China, etc.)? Don't start on my about C.Rice. I have no idea why she was placed in her position other than as a token.

It didn't seem to stop Margaret Thatcher.

Sam: Gender is no problem in that dept -- India, Israel, the U.K., and other countries did very well in foreign policy with female heads-of-state. Bush Jr will go down in history as the worst president as far as foreign policy is concerned -- no questions about that.

Have you ever been outside the United States? If you have, and listened to what folks say about the United States in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and compare this to the 90s, the 80s, etc., you already know this.

If you haven't, well, I guess I'm telling you something you don't know and have no way of knowing -- listening what most U.S. media are saying will actually hinder your comprehension of this issue.

One magazine I recommend is World Press Review, a publication of the Stanley Foundation -- its contents are exclusively of the foreign press, translated into English when necessary. A nice complement to Time Magazine and all other American media outlets.

India is about to elect its 13th President.

Pratibha Patil, might become the first woman to serve as president.

I understand India is having an unusually "nasty" campaign season. Apparently, they've been watching us for too long.

http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2859.cfm

I understand that Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister of India, but I'm not sure if she was "elected," or "appointed" ... she was later ousted, and became Prime Minister again in 1978 by election. She was assassinated in 1984.