How much of Hillary's support today is because she is married to #42?

[Clarkie1]

1. The idea of "political dynasties" in America really turns me off. I think it's unhealthy in a liberal democracy, frankly.

2. I'd like to see the first woman President achieve her dream independently of her husband's former achievements, popularity and name recognition. I think it would be a lot healthier and send a more positive message to young American girls that they don't have to be married to a President in order to become President (also see #1 in this regard).

3. I know they say all's fair in love, war, and politics, but Hillary is benefiting vastly from Bill's connections and $$$ raising capability. This just doesn't seem fair to other candidates who are "making it on their own," however the saying goes (see also #2 in this regard)

So now, back to the question....

[TwentyFive]

1. Your dislike of "political dynasties" seems to disqualify her. Kind of ironic comment.

She may benefit from Bill...but apparently you have a built in reason to look elsewhere first.

[Clarkie1]

2. I can't argue with that.

Guilty as charged.

[Clarkie1]

5. I just have to say...the people who are voting for "none" in this poll?

:think: :crazy:

[Richard Steele]

12. Same here. Whatever they're smokin', it's working.

[IntravenousDemilo]

10. Well, you did have a revolution to get rid of the monarchy, didn't you? That's also kind of ironic.

After the whole double-Bush fiasco, I think most people rightly find political dynasties off-putting.

[Clarkie1]

16. Yeah, the fact we've had a family dynasty on the other side recently makes it more disturbing

and strange.

We are a country of 300 million people! Why so much power and influence in the hands of two families?

[CarbonDate]

3. Why isn't "All" an option?

Seems like a fair option to me.

[lvx35]

4. Damn, point #2 is good.

She's sending the message that if you work hard, stay strait, and sleep with the president, you can accomplish great things. Maybe not the best message for America's young women. :)

[Clarkie1]

7. You said it even better than I.

What a wonderful message for young American women today...stand by your man (President) no matter what, and you can achieve great things. :-)

Ah, yes...

Sometimes its hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times
Doing things that you don't understand
But if you love him you'll forgive him
Even though he's hard to understand
And if you love him
Oh be proud of him
'Cause after all he's just a man
Stand by your man
Give him two arms to cling to
And something warm to come to
When nights are cold and lonely
Stand by your man
And tell the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your man
Stand by your man
And show the world you love him
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your man

Artist: Wynette, Tammy Lyrics
Song: Stand by Your Man Lyrics

[JI7]

6. maybe i underestimate her

but i think most of her support is based on her husband. i have never really been impressed with her in her appearances either.

that's probably why i don't worry too much about her and think once people actually see her in the campaign and compare her to others she will not be able to keep the support she has.

of course i could be wrong.

as for female Presidents or women who should run, Barbara Boxer always comes off really well. we have seen her on committees kick ass and been impressed. Janet Napolitano is another one. don't know much about her but her consituents seem to like her. and of course we have Nancy Pelosi .

as a female, i'm not too worried about the larger issues such as how other girls will look at it though. far more troubling is seeing someone like Laura Bush as a positive image of a woman.

[Erika]

9. New Yorkers love Hillary and love the job she's doing for them

Nothing to do with Bill.

[Erika]

11. New Yorkers love Hillary

as seen by her recent election.

[Erika]

8. I think Hillary can stand on her own quite nicely

Why do you think she can't?

[Clarkie1]

13. Oh, I'm sure she can. I'd just like to have seen the first woman President

achieve it independently of her husband. It is quite unlikely Hillary would be in the position she is now if it weren't for Bill, God bless him.

Nothing against either of them personally, but the idea of the wife of a President in America being favored to become President herself makes me want to :puke: and it would be the same if the situation were reversed.

Too much power in the hands of one family. We have 300 million people in America, who must our presidents be from the same elitist families?

[Erika]

14. I think Hillary would have been all the stronger without Bill

She had her own set of credentials. She certainly didn't need him. It seems it was the other way around.

[Clarkie1]

15. She wouldn't have had as good an oppportunity to win the presidency.

But that's really beside the point. The whole idea of political dynasties in America disturbs me. I'd like to see more diversity in the White House.

[zulchzulu]

17. I'd say she'd possibly be like Gloria Steinham without the Bill connection

Perhaps she'd be a policy wonk at a healthcare reform agency in DC without the Bill Connection...she wouldn't have nearly the recognition publicly otherwise. You might have seen her in an interview on the MacNeil News Hour once in a panel discussion about healthcare reform.

As for the two family choices, I'd rather not feel like I live in an oligarchical banana republic...even though we are closer to being that than most people think.

[patricia92243]

18. About the same as Bush's support was because his father was #41.

[Guaranteed]

19. Yeah, I think what I just posted kind of ties into this. nt

[election_2004]

20. She wouldn't even be in a position to run without Bill

If she hadn't been First Lady from 1993-2001, do you honestly believe she could have gotten away with waltzing into NY and running for Moynihan's vacancy?

[mtnsnake]

21. I look at her 8 yrs of First Lady as being one of the assets that makes her so strong

a politician today and the elite leader that she currently is. Instead of knocking her for it, those of us who aren't rejecting her should be touting her for those 8 years in the WH and using it to advantage.

[ElizabethDC]

22. Yes and no

She obviously gained her national recognition from being Bill's wife, but I don't think all of her support is *just* because she's married to him. I see Bill and Hillary as a team - in a healthy way, not a conspiring one - and they benefit from each other's expertise and they balance each other out some ways. It has been said that his political successes were in a large part due to her influences, and I think there's a lot of truth in that. But I think that had she not been married to Bill, she might have ended up being a senator anyway - she is not without qualifications or ability, and I think she can stand on her own. I don't think that most people have difficulty recognizing the differences between Bill and Hillary, but she undoubtably benefits from being married to him (though I think he has also benefitted from being married to her.)

[Clark2008]

23. You should have had an "ALL" category.

Honestly, she's not been a stellar senator. Not bad, but not great, either.

Mea Culpa on my part: She's still a better senator than any I've had since 1994.