Over the past months, Hillary Clinton has shared, again and again, the anecdote of the elderly woman who tells her, "I was born before women could vote, and I want to live long enough to see a woman in the White House." Now The New York Times' Patrick Healy has tracked down the actual lady featured in the stump speech, 87-year old Ruth Smith of Iowa. A lot of attention gets paid to Barack Obama's challenge in mobilizing his young supporters to actually attend Iowa caucuses. But Clinton is also looking to get first time caucus-goers out on Jan. 3, many of them women in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Healy's reporting confirms some stereotypes about female voters -- that they pay more attention to personality than to policy. But he also shows that although Clinton's gender might be a liability among some voters, her campaign has the potential of turning some female Republicans into Democratic voters:
In interviews with 20 women in their late 70s and 80s, most said they supported Mrs. Clinton based on qualities they saw in her -- intelligence, confidence and capability -- rather than her positions on issues. Many also said that her qualities would help her cope with challenges."I think a woman, as head of the military, would be more apt to keep our boys at home than a man," said Dorothy Weddell, 85, who attended a Clinton event Saturday in Sac City, Iowa. "I'm a Republican, but I vote for the person. And she seems more willing to work things out and compromise."
--Dana Goldstein
