IT'S A FEMALE PARTY:

Could Clinton Lose Because of Women? (Reid Wilson, 12/14/07, Real Clear Politics)

From virtually the beginning of her campaign, New York Senator Hillary Clinton has made every effort to maximize her advantages among women voters. It seems a natural constituency for the first woman to climb to the top of a presidential field. Polls throughout the campaign have showed Clinton earning the support of far more women than men, giving Democrats hope that, in a general election, she would enlarge the party's traditional gender gap and cruise to the White House with stronger backing from women than any other candidate in history.

But now, as polls show her once-strong lead in Iowa slipping, the once-inevitable Democratic nominee looks human again, vulnerable to defeat from Illinois Senator Barack Obama. If Obama pulls off the once unthinkable scenario of beating Clinton, a post-mortem analysis will show it is women, once seen as Clinton's key to a guaranteed victory, who caused her defeat.

To lose the nomination you have to lose women. Ms Clinton just needs to stop running for president and start running for her party's votes--as W had to do in 2000. She can do that by shifting to an economic security message and promising all kinds of social programs. Of course, that will get her 40% of the vote in the general.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 14, 2007 5:38 PM