There’s a first time for everything: Nevada’s response to a woman in office
The 2016 presidential election is monumental. Never before has a woman made it as far as Hillary Clinton has in the race for the presidency. The fact that a woman has come this far is a milestone in itself, regardless of the results on Tuesday. However, Clinton is not the only woman to hold a high power position in politics.
Many women throughout the United States and locally, hold powerful positions and are entrusted with that power to make decisions and evoke change for the betterment of their city, state and country. Catherine Cortez Masto, the Democratic candidate for the 2016 U.S. Senate election in Nevada is just one of the many strong and independent women in Nevada’s politics.
According to the Center for American Women and Politics and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, in 2015, 20 of 100 members of the U.S. Senate and 84 of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are women. These numbers represent an increase since 2004, when women held 14 of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate and 60 of 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. (1)
The local and surrounding area response to a woman in office is generally positive, according to several local and surrounding area voters. The political affiliation of these voters was a fair mix of Republicans and Democrats, and the majority believes that America is ready for a woman president.
When Hillary Clinton accepted her party’s nomination for presidency on July 28, 2016, she became the first female candidate to be a major party’s presumptive nominee for president. (2)
According to the New York Times, Clinton currently holds 45.9 percent in the national polling average against Donald Trump’s 42.7 percent. Also according to the New York Times, Clinton has been leading in the polls against Trump by up to five percent according to some polls conducted by ABC News, UPI, IPSOS and others. (3) The chance of America’s first female president is plausible according to recent polls, but the problem is how society will respond to a woman in office.
The local response to the idea of a woman president comes from two business owners, and a registered republican who are all excited for the prospect of a woman president, and finally, two government contract employees who do not have an opinion based on the gender of the president.
“I believe that most of our country is more than ready to accept a woman as president. If Hillary didn’t have the baggage she has and was more removed from much of the decades-long, status-quo political system, I think she’d be much more embraced and celebrated,” said 51 year-old Jim Zbella, registered Republican and owner of My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Café. “It’s unfortunate that the negative aspects of this campaign and its candidates have overshadowed the excitement of this significant accomplishment.”
Zbella’s statement is similar to the other local responses, as 29 year-old Laura Meyers, registered Democrat, and co-owner of Halo Salon, said that she is excited that her daughter and son get to grow up in a world where a woman can be president, and that they will be able to take that for granted.
“I hope this is the last dying cry of the old, white boys club in D.C. and the rest of the United States,” said Meyers. “This election has been the most stressful in my memory… I hope Clinton, the House and the Senate will be able to enact the changes we need in our country by working together.”
52 year-old Michael Falconer, an independent, who works for Dyncorp International on the base of the Naval Air Station in Fallon, believes that people in this country will not initially accept a woman as president because they may think that she cannot handle the position as a man does, when in fact there have been men who could not handle the position in the past.
Leanna Falconer is a registered Democrat who works as a communicator and scorer for the pilots when they do bombing practices on the base of the NAS in Fallon. She said that for many years, women around the world in countries such as Germany and England have been in control and have done a very good job. She further said that there is no reason why we cannot catch up to these women-led countries.
The Falconer’s response to a woman president is similar, as they both are not swayed by the gender of the president, just by how the president runs the country. However, Leanna said that she will benefit by a woman president.
“I’m not going to back her just because she is a woman,” said Leanna. “However, I do believe that as a woman, she will represent me better than a man could.”
According to 34 year-old Natalie Savidge, who is a registered Republican, people base their votes on issues other than what candidates can do for our country.
“In our country where racism, sexism and many other discriminations and prejudices seem rampant, I am not at all surprised of the notion that people either would or would not vote for someone based on their sex,” said Savidge. “I don’t think a lot of voters truly understand, read or research candidate platforms to vote on issues or policies, so they vote much more on surface issues.”
Clinton’s controversial past does leave a metaphorical thorn in the side of many voters. Zbella said that if Clinton did not have said baggage, that she would be much more embraced as a presidential candidate. Savidge’s opinion on Clinton mirrors Zbellas.
“As more scandal, lies, cover-up and deceit have now, again, been surrounding a member of the Clinton family, I just find it hard to support her and her campaign and will always think of her, and her husband, as someone I can’t trust,” said Savidge.
