Clinton camp quietly worries it's alienating men by touting historic moment for women
Nobody is claiming Hillary Clinton's nomination isn't a historic moment for women, but some in her campaign are concerned that all the "ra ra feminism" might be alienating another important group of voters: men.
For the length of her campaign, Clinton has struggled to make inroads with men; male support of Clinton lagged in a recent New York Times/CBS News poll by 13 percentage points (women, on the other hand, supported Clinton by that same margin). And at the Democratic convention, her campaign has attempted to find a balance between celebrating her historic moment and sidelining those to whom the gender of a candidate is less of a motivating factor, including younger women. As campaign spokesman Brian Fallon dryly told The New York Times before declining to comment, "It will not be lost on anyone that she is a woman."
Already the tricky navigation has begun, with Clinton's campaign launching from New York City, as opposed to the modern women's rights epicenter of Seneca Falls — a location that had been kicked around by some of Clinton's advisers. Likewise, just as Clinton's story is inevitably tied up in the women's movement, at the convention organizers have aimed to address more universal experiences too, such as Clinton's work with the Children's Defense Fund.
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That might not be enough for some people, still. "She drives me crazy with this woman thing," said Misty Leach, 43, a Sanders supporter. "'I'm going to be the first woman president' to me just feels like she's entitled."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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