Clinton will probably win this one, but she's still my least favorite candidate.

Can't wait to see what the media does with this one. Will the roll back from their anti-woman bashing that has been there theme of late?

As a democrat I'm not exactly thrilled by this. In a poll I looked at recently McCain showed up as the Republican candidate most likely to beat the Democrat front-runners. Comforting that the poll showed the Democrats always winning, I suppose, but that's not my favourite. In a general election, I'd like to have people not want to vote for a more radical Republican [Huckabee, for example] compared to a more moderate Democrat [since all of the Demoocrats seem moderate to me...] than look at Clinton [for example] and McCain and decide they're so similar that it might not even matter.
On the other hand, I'd rather have McCain as president than any of the other Republicans.

It's interesting to see that a lot of poll statistics have been wrong in determining the outcome of the first two primary states. At least the polls I've been looking at. Maybe that will make my above poll statistics wrong as well... ;P

a_human: Did you mean least favourite overall, or least favourite Democrat? She's definitely my least favourite Democrat. Not that I like any of them, really. Edwards is my fav of the front-runners, and Kucinich has not a chance in hell. :( But I like ALL the Democrats over ALL the Republicans, definitely

"Can't wait to see what the media does with this one. Will the roll back from their anti-woman bashing that has been there theme of late?"

I doubt it. There's still plenty of time to gender-bash Clinton. The nomination is far from decided. It might even make them more intense?

Sorry, least favorite Democrat, though the Republicans are all equally terrible.

Can it get more intense? This week has really sucked.

a_human: I saw you mentioned in another thread that you wouldn't vote for her if she got the nominee. I know you probably share my view that her stances on the issue suck, that she is not a radical candidate, and that other candidates are more like-mined to us... but in what is going to be a close election, are you really not going to vote for a democrat? Really? It makes me sad to hear things like that, because as much as I support radical politics, I feel like the Republicans are plunging us socially back into the stone ages. I'd rather just try to keep things from getting *that* much worse while I can, while simultaneously trying to promote more radical politics in the future.

MAC1973: So true. I bet it could get worse, though. I can think of a scenario where even more people come out with sexist things instead of some of the tired old anti-woman voices. They might be saying the same or similar things, but there could be more people saying them. UGH.

I turned off my TiVoed CSI rerun and saw her speech. I the proceeded to happy dance through my living room.

My Hillary dream speech: "Iron this, motherfuckers!"

I, too, did a happy dance for Hillary.

I THEN proceeded...duh.

I am in tears because I am so happy. I hope this is a turning point for us ladies.

My Hillary dream speech: "Iron this, motherfuckers!"

You do know that was a prank, right?

I'm evenly split between the two. I don't think people should assume that Hillary would be any better for women's rights than Obama simply due to her gender. In fact, I'm kind of leery of her due to her Clintonian triangulation and her Iraq record... but on the other hand, she does have more experience.

To tell you the truth, I'm just glad that Romney and Edwards lost :)

"My Hillary dream speech: 'Iron this, motherfuckers!'"

Maybe you should see if she's hiring speech writers.

If Hillary wins the nomination I'm writing in someone else.

To me, the only wasted vote is one that isn't honest to the heart.

I am personally pulling for Obama. That said, Hillary would not be a bad candidate. My world would not come crashing down or something. I think we're really in this for the long haul now. South Carolina and Super Duper Tuesday now mean even more than they did 12 hours ago.

I just read Emily Bazelon's post on The XX Factor about Hillary winning, and I think she hits on a lot of points (some) younger feminists have been drawing on-- loyalty for Clinton, but simultaneously feeling pulled towards Obama. A great read.

Also, on the topic of irons: we really just need to get Margaret Thatcher or another Iron Lady in to show the poster-waving fuckwit what women really mean by "iron."

This literally brings tears to my eyes. Ladies, this is such an amazing step! Whether or not Senator Clinton is your favorite candidate or not - a WOMAN taking a state in the primaries is a HUGE DEAL!!

I too, support more radical liberal politics but I don't find Senator Clinton's stances in this campaign to be detrimental to the things I believe and progressive for some of the ones that I find very important - and that is a HELL of allot better than any republican, I'll tell you that!

Personally, I don't really like Obama. I think that religion should have ZERO place in politics and I cannot respect him after I heard his speech that his sense of social justice stems entirely from his religious faith. It would mean allot more to me that someone can have empathy and passion for their fellow humans, the poor and a sense of justice without relying on a dogma. I'd like to get behind him, honestly, but while he is an engaging speaker and charismatic man - I do am turned off by his words, even as I'm intrigued by his tone.

Arrrrgh!

Hillary Clinton is a hell of a lot better than any Republican, and I will noisily back her in the general. But its so frustrating to watch Edwards shoved off to the side while older voters opt for feeling secure in her experience defeat young voters hungry for change.

Thanks for posting that article, Bethora. I think it really hits my nail on the head.

I'm happy she overcame
Matthews crap coverage. So far, I'm prepped to vote for her.

You know, I thought I had been an ardent Obama supporter all this time, but when Hillary won this time around I was fucking BESIDE MYSELF! A WOMAN WON A PRIMARY! This is a great moment in history regardless of whether or not Hillary actually wins the presidency.

That being said, I think we should all learn a thing or two from Iowa and remember that the results we saw today don't really mean all that much; the next primary could once again have radically different results than this one. Of course, I'm guessing the politically savvy ladies & gents here at Feministing know this already, but I find it hard not to be incredibly happy every time a new primary election result comes in. Part of me wishes I could crawl under a rock and avoid the inevitable ups and downs of the next few weeks, then just find out who the winner is in the end...but that'd be no fun. :D

I've started seriously thinking about potentional P/VP duos - I tend to forget there will be 2 Dems on the ticket, not one. What would your ideal combos be in a fantasy world? And if you HAD to pick Republicans, who would you choose?

Mine would be Kucinich/Obama and Paul/Giuliani, if only to watch the hilary that would ensue with the latter ticket. :)

YES.

I really thought I was going to try to be blind to gender here, and I was rooting hard for Kucinich, the poor guy. His policies are much more alligned with my personal beliefs. BUT I have had an inexplicable turn for HILLARY - a joy and pride I didn't think I'd have.

Realistic runningmates: I'm hoping for Clinton/ Obama. I think that *together*, they could pull through the general election.

I've been thinking about possible running mates as well and I would love to see a Clinton/Obama ticket and wouldn't mind an Obama/Edwards one either. I honestly don't think I *can* pick any of the Repub. canidates. Most of them scare the shit outta me and I would much rather leave the country than sign on for four years with any one of them.

Oh yeah, Clinton/Obama! I could get behind that, definitely.

I wrote what amounted to an essay about this on my blog.

Check it out:http://antigeny.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/in-all-fairness-an-essay/

I think it's great to see a woman win a primary! Despite all the crap she's put up with she deserves it.

I agree that she isn't my ideal candidate, but it's good to see her pull out the victory in NH. If she gets the nomination I'd be proud to vote for her.

I freaking love John Edwards, but I'm starting to feel like votes for him just detract from votes for Obama, who i also prefer over Clinton. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about having a woman as a viable candidate, I just agree more on policy and overall message with Obama and Edwards than Clinton.
I am really liking the idea of an Obama/Edwards ticket... or if he could get Al Gore to sign on for another VP term... hmmm...
And even though Edwards is my man, I hope that if Clinton wins the nomination she will choose Obama as her VP because I think she'll need his pull to carry off a win in the general election.

I agree with the general sentiment posted before me. Whether or not Clinton is my candidate of choice (she is not), none of her views are fundamentally opposed to mine, and she will serve our nation effectively if elected President. I am somewhat disappointed that the horse-race aspect of this election has ruled out great candidates like Biden (my personal favorite) and Richardson, whose record is impressive and views progressive. Due to history, deals, and the complimentary nature of running mates, I could see Clinton seeking him out as a running mate.
Obama would serve well with Biden by his side, and I could almost see him with McCain (since they have been close colleagues in Senate).
I do not foresee Clinton and Obama running together for several reasons, one of which being that they really just do nothing for one another as colleagues. Neither of them compliments the other's experience or expertise and they are fighting for many of the same votes (i.e. they would not bring new supporters for one another).
I also have to agree with some previous posts regarding Republican nominees. I do not believe that Huckabee is electable on a national level, considering the fact that he is fundamentally distanced from the GOP base and few (if any) independents would vote for a theocrat. This would, of course, make him an excellent nominee if the strategy is to elect the Dem.
Assuming that the nominee is Clinton, Obama, or Edwards (who are relatively moderate across the board), McCain is trouble. He presents an option that is more experienced, more revered, and more effective (through Senate record) than any of them. Further, he is proving to be a force with the independents.

Interesting race thus far, and I look forward to Michigan, S.C./Nevada, Florida evening, when we can all pose new numbers and new questions!

Wow, as a Brit I must say I think the last thing you need is a woman in the mould of Margeret Thatcher for a President... She was terrible for women, terrible! I think Thatcher is a great example of why simply having a woman leader does not make things better for women. Although it was fantastic for me as I was growing up to see that it was possible for women to be Prime Minister, I would a million times wish we had had a sorted Labour man instead.

Wow. I'm feeling very conflicted this morning.

Up until yesterday, I was certain I'd be casting my vote for Obama in the primaries.

But after the latest slew of sexist attacks of Clinton, her victory in NH, and her subsequent speech, I am seriously considering voting for her instead. I have not made up my mind!

I know my vote is not going to be the deciding factor in the race, but I really don't know what to do. I had been in support of Obama for so long, but now I wonder if I didn't just get caught up in the excitement he stirs up when he speaks. I'd be delighted to have him in the White House, but now I am wondering if Clinton might not be even better.

Her politics aren't exactly like mine, but suddenly I really think she deserves to win.
I do think she'll stand up against Republican attacks more than any other candidate.

If she were to win, however, I am not sure I could deal with the guaranteed backlash that would ensue. The vitriol is bad enough as it is. (I am not saying this is any reason NOT to vote for her, but it's something I'm not looking forward to.)

We must also keep in mind that NH is sort of an anomoly. The voters in that state don't participate in politics the way people in other states do. A plurality of registered voters are independents (did I use that term correctly?). The voters there are not like the voters in Iowa. The voters in Iowa are not like the voters in California. And so on and so forth.

I was so happy, and I thought obama and clinton did an impressive job. I like both of them.

Honestly, and I'm serious about this, if a republican wins I'm moving to canada. Who's with me? :D

I would like obama/clinton.

By "don't participate in politics..." I mean they approach politics differently, not that they don't participate.

Right on. Go Hillary!

Kucinich is still my favorite (and he didn't come in last in NH! Alright!), and I'm still torn about how I will vote in the insignifcant DC primary, BUT as I was watching the coverage last night I couldn't help but be awed and excited that a woman and a Black man are the top contenders for the nomination. Things in this country are a long way from perfect, but it made me feel hopeful about the future. :)

It was incredibly moving to see Clinton win last night. I immediately donated to her campaign. While I like Obama, a lot of his plans are idealistic but not plausible. I'm not saying we should settle for the most realistic person rather than prioritize goals, but I think a campaign based on things that are unlikely to happen feels like false promises.

And let's remember that Clinton was a major force in getting OTC status for Plan B and she'd done TONS for getting funding for family planning. I know a lot of people have pointed out that just b/c she's a woman, she's not neccessarily better for women, but her track record is more impressive than Obama's on many of the issues.

As far as VP, I would rally behind a Clinton-Obama campaign.

And as far as John Edwards, he lost my support with his sexist reaction to Clinton tearing up where he defaulted to some real pig-headed logic. That was a really awful response.

As far as Repubs, he doesn't have a strong shot but Ron Paul is the best option I've seen. Huckabee and Romney terrify me. I think they have the potential to be worse than Bush.

It was incredibly moving to see Clinton win last night. I immediately donated to her campaign. While I like Obama, a lot of his plans are idealistic but not plausible. I'm not saying we should settle for the most realistic person rather than prioritize goals, but I think a campaign based on things that are unlikely to happen feels like false promises.

And let's remember that Clinton was a major force in getting OTC status for Plan B and she'd done TONS for getting funding for family planning. I know a lot of people have pointed out that just b/c she's a woman, she's not neccessarily better for women, but her track record is more impressive than Obama's on many of the issues.

As far as VP, I would rally behind a Clinton-Obama campaign.

And as far as John Edwards, he lost my support with his sexist reaction to Clinton tearing up where he defaulted to some real pig-headed logic. That was a really awful response.

As far as Repubs, he doesn't have a strong shot but Ron Paul is the best option I've seen. Huckabee and Romney terrify me. I think they have the potential to be worse than Bush.