The Voting Booth | Clinton’s perseverance stems from feminist determination

Allison Good Columnist

I was cruising the political blogosphere last week when I came upon some interesting developments concerning the upcoming presidential election. Endorsements, fundraising statistics and the usual accusations and denials all point in the direction of Senator Barack Obama, who is once again on top. Hillary Clinton is struggling in the polls and has had to deal with numerous crises in her campaign. However, she is staying in the race for the long haul, showing her spirit and courage against long odds.

It hasn’t been easy for Hillary to hang in. The “sniper fire” issue regarding how Clinton “misspoke” about her travels in Bosnia did not help her campaign. Bill Clinton has also started to stir things up again, continuously emphasizing in his speeches that Obama can’t win, a premature and irresponsible conjecture in the minds of many. Political analysts, politicians including Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy and hopeful Democrats are all urging her to exit the race gracefully for the sake of holding the party together. In their opinion, she is the obstacle to a Democratic presidency.

Clinton, however, is not backing down. Her campaign continues to run at maximum capacity. She shows no signs of slowing down and is determined to be America’s first female president. Chelsea Clinton is even getting into the game with a college and university tour.

Real Clear Politics reports at press time that Clinton’s lead in Pennsylvania is shrinking; Obama now trails her by only seven percent. Because the Pennsylvania primary is going to be the Ohio of 2004 (and the Florida of 2000)—and therefore the battleground where all may be decided concerning the Democratic nomination—it seems as though the stars may align in Obama’s favor. At the rate that Clinton’s Pennsylvania support is shrinking, Obama could very well take the lead by April 22.

Jimmy Carter has also all but officially endorsed Obama. Speaking to Nigerian newspaper This Day on April 4, the former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner said, “My town, which is home to 625 people, is for Obama; my children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama. As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess.”

Carter is what many call a super-superdelegate, and an endorsement from him is akin to a possible endorsement from Al Gore, who I reasonably suspect will endorse Obama unless he decides to stay out of the election. Things are certainly looking up for the Illinois senator.

Although it certainly does not predict the outcome of the popular vote, fundraising can be a good indicator of public support for a candidate. According to the blog Politico, Obama raised $40 million in March; Clinton only raised $20 million. Another sign that Clinton is running out of steam is that her campaign has not been paying its bills. A complete turnaround in time for the Democratic Convention would be a miracle indeed.

Something must keep Clinton motivated despite the increasingly depressing headlines and statistics. And I don’t think it’s a desire to outstrip her husband. Even if she wins the presidency, the fact remains that Bill was president first. She will always live in his shadow.

My theory, instead, is that it is her Second Wave Feminist that keeps her afloat. Older feminist activists are rallying around her, and she knows they believe in her and that anything is possible.

Unfortunately, America does not seem to be moving to share the opinions of middle-aged feminists. When it comes to elections, believing in yourself is not enough to win the race. Maybe it is time for her to bow out; maybe it’s just not her time and she should just wait until 2012.

But Clinton and her supporters believe in the power of the popular vote, and most Democrats think that she should not drop out just because delegate and superdelegate counts are not in her favor. Obama may very well be the right man for the job this time around, but no matter what happens, Clinton will be remembered for her endurance and unshakable determination.

—Allison Good ’11 is writing a weekly column about American politics, focusing on the 2008 presidential election and the primary process.