Comments on: Er, Wait A Sec

By: Quietus

Quietus — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:55:45 +0000

Wait, what if Condi was the GOP frontrunner? Would the U.S. lap the world twice?

By: Julian

Julian — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:40:27 +0000

What I find funny about that comment is that in Argentina not only do we have a female president (which wasn’t that big a deal because as long as she knows what she’s doing no one would really care if she were pirate monkey zombie or whatever) but she is a former senator who… wait for it… is married to an ex-president

By: Dane

Dane — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:21:07 +0000

This is what bothers me the most of the Democratic elections. I get this huge undercurrent feeling that Hillary and Obama are getting attention partially because of the novelty of their gender and race. I actually like Obama (though I should do more research on the Democrat contenders in general), but I don’t want to vote for a guy just make America look better to the world.

I suppose this sort of thing is needed, though. It was only forty years ago when black kids coming into public schools was a big outrage. Maybe getting Obama or Hillary in will at least have token symbolism for political opportunity, and down the road we’ll get more options for candidates.

By: IslandLiberal

IslandLiberal — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:47:53 +0000

Re: Kim Campbell; she didn’t last because she was saddled with a horrible legacy from Bry-Bry, and ultimately proved a poor politician in a general election.

At the federal level, Canada’s not had non-white leaders, but there have been some at the provincial level, three as Premier; Dosanjh out in BC (who lost, like Campbell, because of his predecessor, not because of anything he did), and PEI (the whitest jurisdiction in North America, probably) have had two Lebanese Arabs, including the current Premier (and Joe Ghiz being Lebanese was a big deal in the 80s; Robert, following in dad’s footsteps, it wasn’t, because it had been done) (we also elected the first and only woman premier; go PEI!).

By: Ambition

Ambition — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:21:07 +0000

@The Imp:

That’s because politics outside the US are far less entertaining.

By: The Imp

The Imp — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:04:36 +0000

Well, you have to remember the audience that Hillary is speaking to. Many Americans are not aware of politics outside America.

By: Zenrage

Zenrage — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:53:22 +0000

meh

By: Ken Lowery

Ken Lowery — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:39:53 +0000

Just real quick here: Can we please fucking outlaw the use of the word “meh”? It makes me want to start punching people.

By: Reasons why I am voting for Obama for President [tripp millican] | madeofglass

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:03:28 +0000

[...] mightygodking mentioned last night how the rest of the world views this race — that woman in leadership is old (world) news, but a black man in office is still a rariety the world over. This isn’t why I am endorsing him, but he’s right — it would make me proud in a way that Hillary wouldn’t. [...]

By: NCallahan

NCallahan — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:30:12 +0000

What worries me about Clinton is this notion spreading around that we must have a woman president, that it’s somehow a moral imperative. I’ve never known Clinton to take any particularly strong lead as a feminist, so (in terms of the presidency) her gender is a purely cosmetic detail. Which means a bunch of the nation is convincing themselves to vote for a candidate because it feels right, because they like the candidate aesthetically. Maybe I’m wrong; maybe there’s serious potential in forwarding the women’s rights cause with a Clinton presidency. Maybe there’s some facet of her career I’m overlooking. Please, tell me if I am. But if she hasn’t been vocal in that arena yet, but I doubt she’ll pick it up with any gusto once in office.

By: Paul R

Paul R — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:26:52 +0000

Having lived through the Thatcher years, I have to say that having a woman prime minister/president is not necessarily a good thing. Spitting Image used to take the mickey out of her by portraying her as more masculine than her cabinet.
Doesn’t mean that women heads of state are bad things, just that Thatcher was and dont beleive anyone who tells you different.
Being in Scotland I am watching the USA political race with passing interest. I would like to think that the best person will end up getting the job but thats the optimist in me.

By: Kira

Kira — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:00:35 +0000

Although non-white population is growing in Europe, it’s no comparison to the US – Maybe 5 to 10% of Europe are not-white. In the US….what? 60%? So it’s really no surprise that the US does it first. Actually, it would have been pretty darn ironic (and sad) if Europe, home of the white people, had a not-white leader before the US.
And I beg to differ concerning the female leads. Lets take the big 8: Half of them never had a female lead, while the other had a female lead ONCE. I can’t think of any First World nation that had a female president twice. So having a woman as president? Still very much of a big deal.

By: Peppy

Peppy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:24:14 +0000

I was 4 years old when she got elected so I can’t really remember that time. :p

I do recall classes being canceled a lot because of all the coup attempts during her term.

By: Flidget Jerome

Flidget Jerome — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:01:43 +0000

I think PI does pretty well now but back when Corrie Aquino first took power it was over twenty years ago and things weren’t that good yet.

By: Peppy

Peppy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:48:42 +0000

Actually, the Philippines is does pretty well with gender equality. At least, according to a news report I heard on the radio back in December. We’ve had two female presidents but neither have been particularly effective. But then Philippine politics is a joke, anyway. Our previous president robbed the country, was judged guilty in court and yet spent less than six years in jail.