I'm Voting for Hillary Clinton Because She is a Woman

Possibly the Dumbest Thing You've Heard Today

"I'm voting for Hillary Clinton because she is the first woman to run for president." This quote comes from the other side of a recent conversation I had. It got me thinking two things. Those who don't know their country's history are easily manipulated and some people shouldn't be allowed to vote. I'm not 100% serious about the latter, but the former is becoming increasingly obvious. The media coverage of the Clinton campaign leads some to believe that this is a uniquely, pivotal election in U.S. history.

The expression "all politics are local" takes on a new meaning when one considers the myopic view some voters have. "All politics are current" may be more accurate. Those who vote in the here and now, detached from history and the history of their party, can be swayed to believe anything. The case in point, many people truly think Hillary Clinton is the first woman to run for president.

Nothing is further from the truth. Hillary Clinton isn't even the first woman who has a realistic shot at the oval office. There have been several main-party female candidates in U.S. history. There were even more fringe-party candidates. Some were historic firsts. Others were completely ignored. In this regard, the history of female presidential candidates is no different than their male counterparts. Save the minor point that one has yet to be elected.

Who was the first woman nominee?
In 1872 and again in 1892, Victoria Woodhull was nominated by the Equal Rights Party. Her running mate in 1872 was Frederick Douglas, famous abolitionist and former slave. Woodhull's nomination marked the first time a woman ran for the highest office in the land. Keep in mind, women did not have the right to vote in 1872. A white woman and a black man on the same ticket? Is this foreshadowing the 2008 campaign? Could we see a Clinton-Obama ticket this November? It wouldn't be the first time. It would be history repeating.