GLASS CEILING CRACKER

Clinton’s Current Public Image

Hillary Clinton’s twitter bio defines her as mother and wife before all other titles. This construct is imposed to allow readers to perceive the candidate in a way that asserts her femininity over her professional career. While I understand that being a wife and mother are important, I do not think that her male peers feel the need to assert their masculinity. Clinton’s image is built around being an advocate for women and children. Stereotypes tell us that by nature, women are more nurturing than men. In a gender schematic world, it is imperative to assert the titles mother before lawyer and wife before politician in order to follow the gender roles placed on our society. 

In order to become successful and taken seriously as a politician, she creates the image that says, “While I am just as successful as every man running against me, I am a woman first.” In my opinion, this is just sad, but it is an essential factor needed to become successful in a gender schematic society.  Although her image has evolved throughout the years, she is still seen as one of the most powerful and successful women in American history.

Strengths
She’s financially stable and she obtains a perspective of politics that other candidates cannot grasp. She has served under two presidential administrations. Clinton is experienced, honest, successful, innovative, and intelligent. Her credibility is confirmed by her ability to shatter the “glass ceiling” that separates men from women with her endless amount of determination and intelligence. While she’s had setbacks, Benghazi for example, she is able to own up to those mistakes and become a leader that the people can trust.

Weaknesses

Some speculate that because she would be coming into office as the first ever-female president, she would work harder to be seen as forceful leader to combat stereotypes that define women as more passive. This elaborated need to display forcefulness could be viewed as a weakness. Also, while her some of the population see her taking responsibility for the attacks in Benghazi as trustworthy; others use this as a blueprint as to why she would be an incompetent leader.

Opportunities

Hillary is a woman working in a more masculine field during a time when women aren’t equal to men in our society. This external issue holds endless opportunities for the 2016 candidate.

Threats

Threats of this campaign lie within the fact that people who do not support Obama will relate her policies to Obama’s policies and, in turn, not support Hillary.

Issue Positions of Hillary Clinton

• Generally pro-choice
• Supports same-sex marriage
• Supports death penalty with restrictions
• Opposes "corporate welfare"
• Supports minimum wage increase
• Supports public school choice, but not school vouchers
• Supports cap-and-trade carbon programs
• Supports voting rights for Washington, D.C.
• Supports universal health care, but not single payer system
• Opposes local police enforcement of federal immigration law
• Supports UN sanctions on Iran 

In 2016, minority issues should be the focal point of her campaign. She should allow support for LGBTQ to be a main focal point as well as the opposition for “corporate welfare.” Basically any issue that supports the middle class and minority groups should be her focal issues. Currently her campaign is based off of women’ and child avocation.

Sources: 

http://www.livefreeordiealliance.org/ElectionCentral/USOfficial.aspx?cs=/Clinton/Hillary///&gclid=COTUh_jG2sMCFQeNaQodop4A9g

https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton

http://www.people-press.org/2014/03/04/hillary-clintons-strengths-record-at-state-toughness-honesty/

http://www.forbes.com/profile/hillary-clinton/

http://www.biography.com/people/hillary-clinton-9251306#benghazi-testimony-and-resignation

http://www.quora.com/What-would-be-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-Hillary-Clinton-becoming-president