Although Hillary Clinton is notorious for playing the gender card in politics, she's recently dropped the shtick on the presidential campaign trail. Why the sudden change? Apparently referring to herself as the "youngest woman president" (oh that Hillary -she's a funny one!), doesn't do a thing for her image according to a poll conducted by the EMILY's List, the PAC for pro-abortion female Democrats.
The Daily Caller explains Clinton's dependency on polls before making a decision -- on just about anything:
The decision to scrub her speeches of the gender reference -- which was reported by the Associated Press -- highlights the longstanding critique of the former first lady and her husband Bill that they rely heavily on results from political polls and focus groups before making the slightest political decision.
In the 1990s, Bill Clinton reportedly poll tested family vacation spots.
As the AP reported:
Clinton has stopped explicitly mentioning her role in history and joking about being the "youngest woman president." That's by design: Those kinds of direct appeals weren't working with voters.
"De-emphasize the 'first' talk," advised a research report done by Emily's List. "They already know she'd be the first woman president," the report said of donors, "but we don't get anything by reminding them."
By playing the gender card, Clinton has tried casting her potential general election challenger Donald Trump as a sexist, but focusing on the gender card could possibly turn off male voters, thereby helping Trump.
Trump, who has attacked Clinton by bringing up her husband's own infidelity, harassment, and alleged rape doesn't care about the gender card, and says his issue is with Clinton's character which "is rooted in her involvement in past efforts to discredit the women linked to her husband, while portraying herself as a champion of women's issues."
AP's story obsessed over "strident" Clinton critics and their reckless claims....and not about the proven claims about the Clintons and women:
Ed Klein, one of her most strident critics and the author of books spreading often discredited rumors about her marriage, had lunch with Trump this month.
Another influence on Trump, GOP consultant Roger Stone, is known for peddling conspiracy theories about the Clintons and recently came out with a book, The Clintons' War on Women, that outlines many of the allegations Trump has hinted at already.
None of that particularly bothers Clinton, say aides, who's fended off personal attacks for decades and has become disciplined at ignoring them. But friends say Bill Clinton has been bracing for a revision of some of the worst moments of his presidency, including his impeachment proceedings. While he's been looking forward to going after Trump, some worry that he won't be able to stay on message if Trump's attacks grow even more personal.
"He's despicable," said Susie Buell, a longtime Clinton backer, of Trump. "This is the reality and they know it, they don't go into it with blinders on."
Clinton responded to Trump's attack at a campaign rally earlier this month in Louisville, Kentucky, not by addressing her involvement with the discrediting of her husband's alleged victims, rather by turning the focus back to women in general: "I don't care what he says about me, but I do resent what he says about other people, other successful women, who have worked hard, who have done their part."
