The White House Project's Marie Wilson on Clinton Remaining in the Race

The White House Project is a nonpartisan organization that "aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency. By filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women, we make American institutions, businesses and government truly representative." I've been a supporter of their mission for several years now, and I'm impressed by how they have grown and the work they do.

Their blog, "Change Everything", includes their thoughts and activities, and this week's post by their founder, Marie Wilson, cuts to the heart of the issue on why Hillary Clinton is still in the race. "An Army of Women" explains (paraphrasing Eric Boehlart of Media Matters) that "numerous [recent] precendents exist for nominees to continue to duke it out until party conventions: Reagan and Ford; Kennedy and Carter; Hart and Mondale." Wilson writes of cultural fears of "feminist fury."

In an earlier post about questions to ask Hillary Clinton, the discussion led to me commenting on this issue. I do believe that Senator Clinton is staying in the race partly because she has the opportunity no other woman has had, and to continue means continuing to forge that path for all women. I also believe that if you look at the numbers, although she has a very small chance of winning, she still has a chance. I read somewhere it's 4%. That's probably a better chance than she had of getting into Yale, but she did.

Wilson's post is a reminder that women have a lot at stake in this election. I still believe that Clinton is courting the moderate vote because that's historically been the way to the White House. It was a risk she took at the possible expense of winning the party nomination, so we may never know if she could beat McCain if she doesn't get that nomination. If you only had a 4% chance of getting a job you really wanted and you knew was the best opportunity of your life, would you throw in the towel? I wouldn't. Let precedent stand. And check out The White House Project.

Sarah Granger graduated from the Emerge California political leadership training program, along with the EMILY's List Political Opportunity Program for Democratic women. She may never run for office, but she staunchly defends all women's right to do so in a fair and equal manner.

Comments

[Kristie]

Sounds like a terrific cause.

[Daisy]

Win or almost-win, next time a woman is a viable candidate her gender won't be news. And that will be thanks to Hillary.

[PunditMom]

The head of EMILY's List has a similar op-ed in the Washington Post Today.

My daughter has already wondered why so many of the other candidates have dropped out of the race before the end, so I would love to see Hillary stay until the end of the primaries to show women everywhere that there's no need to quit just because the boys say so.

[Chantelle]

First, a caveat. I think Hillary has every right to stay in, because it is within the rules of the game and it is a decision that she along can make.
Now here is my BUT...the difference between the presidency and other jobs is that one major prerequisite is that you have to believe you are doing what is right for not only you but for the country, and I think she needs to look deep in herself at this moment and consider if continuing to run at this point, and continuing to support policies that are pretty darn close to those supported by McCain is really what is best for the country. Sometimes you have to do something not because the boys say to, but in spite of that fact, because it is maybe the right thing to do.