Hillary Clinton says she wants America to have a woman president. Surprised?
She didn鈥檛 say she鈥檚 going to run for the White House in 2016. But, to many listeners, the latest words of Hillary Rodham Clinton certainly hint that it鈥檚 a strong possibility.
鈥淟et me say this, hypothetically speaking,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 really do hope that we have a woman president in my lifetime.鈥�
Members of the audience, at a women鈥檚 lecture series in Toronto, cheered.
To get beyond the 鈥渉ypothetical," a quick follow-up question: Isn鈥檛 it possible that, when voters get the opportunity to see a woman on the presidential ballot as a major contender, the initials of that nominee might be H.R.C.?
Answer: Yes, it looks very possible.
Mrs. Clinton currently gets a 鈥渇avorable鈥� rating from 6 in 10 Americans, is widely known, and has been making moves you might expect of someone positioning herself for a presidential run.
After being Secretary of State, she鈥檚 bowed out of public service for President Obama鈥檚 second term. She鈥檚 showing her interest in domestic affairs by engaging in an initiative for early childhood education. Having been a strong contender for the Democratic nomination back in 2008, she knows a lot about campaigning.
Some other major democracies have had female chief executives, including people like Margaret Thatcher in Britain and, currently, Angela Merkel in Germany. For more than two centuries, America hasn鈥檛 broken that gender barrier.
鈥淚 think it would send exactly the right historic signal to girls and women, as well as boys and men,鈥� Clinton told the Thursday crowd in Toronto. Video聽footage of the comments, captured by an audience member, was posted on YouTube.com by the Associated Press Friday.
鈥淚t really depends on women stepping up and subjecting themselves to the political process,鈥� Clinton added.
Quoting another former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, Clinton said women need Rhinoceros-thick skins to be in politics.
She also said electing a woman would require a 鈥渓eap of faith鈥� for US voters.
Some polls have found Americans saying they have no problem with the idea of a woman as president. A聽Gallup poll聽in 2006, for example, found 6 in 10 saying Americans are 鈥渞eady鈥� for that.
Will Clinton herself 鈥渟tep up鈥� for the 2016 contest? We鈥檒l see. Her popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, but since early 2008 a majority of Americans have given her a favorable rating in Gallup polls.
She has lots of fans. But as she departed from her role as Secretary of State, Clinton鈥檚 aura of success in that job was tarnished by聽controversy聽over the State Department鈥檚 handling of events in Benghazi, Libya, in which Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in a terrorist attack.
And she has long been a magnet for conservative criticism. On Thursday, the Republican group America Rising launched a聽StopHillary2016.org聽website to raise funds in opposition to her potential candidacy.
