The narrative about Hillary Clinton's 'enthusiasm gap' silences the political voices of women.

[sarae]

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-06-02/claims-that-clinton-doesnt-inspire-devalue-womens-political-voices

Hillary Clinton is on the cusp of securing the Democratic nomination, making her the first woman ever to be nominated to run for president by any major political party in the United States. Despite a formidable challenge from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton is significantly ahead in delegates, and has more votes than any other candidate in the race from any party – more than 13 million votes in all. Why, then, do journalists and pundits persist in asserting a lack of enthusiasm for Clinton, claiming that she does not inspire?

It would be one thing if the data actually supported this narrative. But polling data belies this enthusiasm gap. For example, a Gallup poll conducted in late March found that 54 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners are enthusiastic about Clinton, compared to 44 percent for Bernie Sanders. There are numerous other examples as well, from young girls awed by Secretary Clinton, to older women hoping to see a woman president in their lifetime, to bereaved mothers, to former staffers telling stories that illustrate why they admire her, to critics explaining how she won them over, to Democratic fathers of young daughters who support her candidacy.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. Another group thrown under the Bernie bus

[TwilightZone]

2. Yes, they're so unenthusiastic that they're unenthusiatically voting her in as the nominee.

The logic of that one never ceases to amaze me. She has more votes than Sanders or Trump, but nobody likes her and none of her supporters are enthusiastic. Uh, huh.

[Her Sister]

7. They even unenthusiastically vote for HER in primaries that don't count

in even larger amounts than the previous caucuses!!! Hello Nebraska and Washington States!!!

[NastyRiffraff]

3. Yes, according to the media

and the Sanders campaign, women's opinions don't count. Along with Blacks, Latinos and other "low information voters."

However, we will have the first woman president in January, 2017. So there!

[justiceischeap]

4. It's because she doesn't pull huge numbers to rallies is my guess

In some ways people, including the media, base enthusiasm on visuals and rhetoric. I think HRC supporters would rather work at getting her elected than go to huge rallies to hear what she has to say, hence we're not enthusiastic about her campaign or the candidate herself. Yet, as has been pointed out, the numbers tell the true story.

[forjusticethunders]

5. The thing about rallies is that it makes more sense

When you understand them as campaign ads. Once you realize that the rallies are essentially campaign ads, and not an expression of grassroots enthusiasm, you understand why the numbers show the opposite. Pay lots of money, waste it putting on these huge rallies that make Bernie look incredibly popular and create an appearance of passion, make it SEEM like a movement on the level of the great populist movements of the past. Again. Campaign ads. Of course, all political rallies are campaign ads, but Bernie and his "movement" is dependent on the optics of the rallies because that's what bolsters his image as this "radical grassroots leader".

[sarae]

6. That's a great point.

I wish the media would stop equating large rallies to more enthusiasm when the votes just don't bear that out.

[Her Sister]

8. Perfect article! Explains this whole primary year!

Women don't like being harassed for expressing their opinion/choice/enthusiasm ~and unfortunately, harassment has been pretty rampant and varied online and sometimes in person!

But no matter! We are enthusiastic and inspired! and Not matter we are VOTING! FOR HER!

[sarae]

9. Harassment keeps many of us silent.

Even on this website, we end up being restricted to just this group, while the BS people seem to have taken over the rest of the website. Though we're allowed to post outside the Hillary group, we face a barrage of insults if we do, and that's on the Democratic website.