Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently reflected on her 2016 presidential campaign, expressing her views on why female voters deserted her in the final days of the race. In an interview with The New Times, Clinton attributed this desertion to the expectation that as a woman, she had to be “perfect.”
According to Clinton, female voters were unwilling to take a risk on her, despite her qualifications, because of the pressure for women to meet an unrealistic standard of perfection. She contrasted this with the willingness of voters to overlook former President Trump’s flaws, citing a double standard based on gender.
Clinton’s sentiments echo those expressed by her allies during the 2016 election cycle, who argued that she faced sexist criticisms and questions that male candidates would not encounter. She also highlighted the sexist attacks faced by other female politicians, such as former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who was referred to as “Dick Cheney in three-inch heels” during a Republican primary debate.
In addition to discussing gender dynamics in politics, Clinton criticized her own party for what she perceived as a failure to adequately defend abortion rights. She argued that Democrats underestimated the threat posed by anti-abortion forces, leading to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Clinton emphasized the importance of recognizing the existential struggle for the future of the country and urged Democrats to take abortion rights more seriously. She suggested that more could have been done to fight against the erosion of reproductive rights and emphasized the need for greater vigilance in defending these rights.
