AP-NORC Poll: Gender matters, but does it hurt or help?
DES MOINES, Iowa — There’s no “glass ceiling” keeping a woman from the presidential nomination anymore, but most Americans still think Hillary Clinton’s gender will influence the November election. They’re just divided on whether it’s more of a curse than a blessing.
According to a new poll from the Associated-Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, most Americans see Clinton’s gender playing a role in the campaign, with 37 per cent saying her gender will help her chances of being elected president, 29 per cent arguing it will hurt her, and 33 per cent thinking it won’t make a difference.
“I think it will help her in a way because we haven’t had a woman before,” said Nayef Jaber, 67, of San Rafael, California. “Israel had Golda Meir and Britain had the Iron Lady (Margaret Thatcher) … Women can do the job as well as men and even better. Let’s give her a chance.”
Clinton, who officially clinched the Democratic nomination in July after a lengthy primary battle, has embraced the history-making nature of this campaign, compared to her 2008 presidential bid, which played down her gender. As she competes with Republican Donald Trump, Clinton has focused heavily on policies that appeal to female voters, like equal pay and paid maternity leave, and has stressed that she wants young women and girls to follow in her footsteps.