“I think that the people who are against the United States will look at would-be President Clinton and think it opens new targets for attacks and new reasons, at that.” It’s official. The Republicans can justify anything in terms of the war on terror. I bet abortion and affirmative action are making us more vulnerable too.

I suppose what is still unclear is whether you think women are inferior to men or not. Also, there have been female heads of state in the Middle East before, like Benazir Bhutto. I suppose on a third note, the USA, especially the Republicans, have never really seemed very concerned about sucking up to the Middle East (except for Israel), so to me it just seems like a silly, spur of the moment argument that has nothing to do with politics. On that note, if you do want to base your presidential vote on getting accepted in the Middle East, turn left baby.

So in other words he did quote you correctly.

Signed,

Tammy Wynette

So we frame our choice of president based upon other cultural perpsectives? Wow

This response is not a good example of damage control.

I don’t see any difference between what you’re saying here and what you said in the article yesterday.

Sara, I am sorry you were misquoted. But your response irks me. Here is why.

"And nobody can really argue that in certain areas of the Middle East women are seen as inferior — how else could you explain men having the right to beat their wives, men being allowed to take multiple wives, female genital mutilation, fathers murdering their daughters because they were raped, etc, etc?"

You take isolated incidences and second-hand reports (sometimes decades old) to paint an uninformed, stereotypical and bias picture. If you believe these incidences are widespread, I implore you to take Religious Studies 370: Islam: Religion and Culture. Womens rights have grown exponentially within the Middle East. If you think female genital mutilation is conducted on even 1% of teenage girls within the region, you would be sadly mistaken. It is a different culture than our own, so before making statements about national public policy - get informed.

One thing everyone with a brain can agree upon: We really don’t need another 8 years of Billary running the show. Sara’s right, Hitlary is an inferior candidate.

So… who else just realized that there was no “misquote”?

“Womens rights have grown exponentially within the Middle East.”

Woman still can’t drive in Saudi Arabia and it was not so long ago that girls were burned to death because they they wern’t properly dressed to leave the burning school building. Temporary “marriage” (like for the afternooner) and multiple wives are still allowed.

….I get it! Because we're such a powerful country, compared to others with women presidents, a woman for sure couldn't take over. Because women aren't powerful enough to run such a powerful country successfully. And don't forget, a woman president would for SURE provoke attacks all over the world. Probably because, once again, a woman wouldn't be powerful enough to stop them.

I think Mikolajczak should stop buying into the stereotypes that she herself proves wrong. Woman can be successful in powerful positions (not arguing that Mikolajczak is successful). And perhaps her response is just in regards to Clinton and not other women who could fill the position, but I would ask her to think about what it would take for her to feel a woman is "strong" enough to fill the position. And how do these standards compare to how "strong" a man would have to be.

You will never admit it to yourself, Sara, but one of the main reasons you don't think Clinton is strong enough is because she is a woman. If she was the same person in a man's body, of course she could do it. And then you'd have to attack her based on her actual positions and policies, not on her gender. Scary!

Sara repeats that now is not the time for a woman president…where is the “misquote”?

Women don’t necessarily make better leaders, especially someone like Hillary Clinton. Nancy Pelosi has been a total letdown. And what the heck is Diane Feinstein doing that makes her stand out above the rest?

I wouldn’t vote for a woman candidate just because she’s a woman. I vote for people who make sense and stand up for what they believe in after they’re elected.

Ron Paul in ‘08!

Pelosi and Feinstein have been letdowns, yes, but not because they’re women. It’s because they’re democrats. The entire democratic congress has been a huge disappointment, worse in fact than Wisconsin’s defense the first half of the season. So why single out two women when the same claim could be made about 50 other senators and over half of the House?

And about Ron Paul, the man spent most of his life playing with babies and vaginas, that almost qualifies him as a woman.

Pelosi and Feinstein have been letdowns, yes, but not because they’re women. It’s because they’re democrats. The entire democratic congress has been a huge disappointment, worse in fact than Wisconsin’s defense the first half of the season. So why single out two women when the same claim could be made about 50 other senators and over half of the House?

And about Ron Paul, the man spent most of his life playing with babies and vaginas, that almost qualifies him as a woman.

you are all idiots. her theory makes perfect sense:

-men in middle east see women as inferior. its ok to beat them up. -u.s. has woman president. -middle east already hates u.s. and its ok to beat women up. -u.s. gets beat up again b/c of woman president lacking efficacy to prevent it, in there eyes (9/11 part 2)

what is so hard to understand?

maybe the u.s. is ready for a woman president but the rest of the world, esp. our enemies, is not.

that is all, you dumbfucks.

@1:11,

So to whom do we vote our president. us or the balance of the planet? Your use of the f word was magically ignorant.

“but one of the main reasons you donâ??t think Clinton is strong enough is because she is a woman.”

Actually, a strong woman wouldn’t have put up with Bill’s shenanigans. It’s not just the Middle East - what’s aguy like Putin going to think he can get away with?

11:15 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1874471.stm

Yes, the incident did occur. And how did the public react? General outcry for women’s rights and overall negative criticism of the government.

Was this horrible. Yes. But in the last 5 years the country has progressed. The cultural progression will not be smooth. Look at the women and African American movements of our own history. Nevertheless it has nothing to do with Clinton being a woman.

“-men in middle east see women as inferior. its ok to beat them up. -u.s. has woman president. -middle east already hates u.s. and its ok to beat women up. -u.s. gets beat up again b/c of woman president lacking efficacy to prevent it, in there eyes (9/11 part 2)”

I think you just proved that George W. Bush is a woman.

Hmm. Let me see…Clinton-, Serbia,Kosovo, Northern Ireland,Oslo Accords, Vietnam, Haiti,CTBT paying back dues to the UN…Bush…O that’s right, he hasn’t succeeded at anything!!!..You know why conservatives hate the Clintons? Because of third way politics. The Republicans crap their khakis anytime third way politics is used to carve out inroads in formerly red states.Just compare the Clinton electoral maps of 92 and 96 to Bush the 1st, and you will see that many states that where red in 1988, are blue in 1992 and 1996. Republicans no that their intolerant, harsh, immoral rhetoric will not play in democratic strongholds in the coastal areas and the Midwest. Yet, third way politics can convince red state voters, southerners in particular, who make up a large part of the republican voting block, that democrats actually stand for something and will protect their civil liberties and their nation, as well as promote social welfare, without losing the surplus.O that’s right, the surplus that Clinton left in office,was turned into a huge debt by Bush. As for Iran, where a reformer came to power during the Clinton years, and oddly enough during the Bush years they elected a maniac bent on destroying the world.Hmm I guess that would mean Bush is a threat to democracy everywhere. As for the world and women leaders, let’s see 9 women are heads of government which including my goddness!!! the head of Ireland,Germany,Finland,Chile,Argentina,New Zealand,Liberia,Mozambique,The Philippines…So lets see, that three NATO nations,Two members of the OAS and reforming African nations…O i know why you conservatives think their weak!!! They were elected as center left politicians, o i get it,only manly testosterone filled estrogen lacking conservative women can be heads of government!!!Call me when you stop being sexist and hmm, polarizing like Hilary!!!

Wait a minute — we have credibility in the Middle East?

Actually, we don’t. And stupid arguments like Sara’s are a big part of the reason why.

He said…

"According to (UW College Republicans Chair Sara) Mikolajczak, it would not be a good idea to elect a woman as president while women are still seen as the inferior sex. This would only make the United States lose credibility in the Middle East, she said."

you say …

“Perhaps, what Mr. Harris misunderstood was when I said that having a woman commander in chief at a time when we're in a country (namely, Iraq) where women are seen as inferior could cause us to lose what little credibility we do have in the Middle East…I am not against the thought of a woman president; I simply don't think that, given our current situation overseas, it's the greatest thing to be doing right now.”

Not seeing the misquote, honey. Perhaps you could write a letter tomorrow showing exactly how you would quote your opinions based on what you have written in today’s letter.