Democratic Women Keep Hearing About ‘Electability’

New York Times: “Three years after nominating the first woman in history to head a presidential ticket, nearly six months after a wave of energized women swept Democrats into power in the House, and as a record number of women run for president, the party finds itself grappling with the strangely enduring question of the electability of women — and with the challenge for the candidates of refuting it before it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

“Privately, Democratic strategists, candidates and officials say they’ve been alarmed by how deeply doubts about female electability have taken hold. In polling, interviews and focus groups, a portion of the party’s voters suggest they’re eager to see a woman on the ticket but fear that putting her in the top slot could cost them the White House — again. The question comes up frequently in early primary states, including at events organized for female voters.”

“Much of the concern centers not on what Democratic voters themselves say they want but a prediction of what they believe others will support.”

David Wasserman: “Democrats at risk of learning absolute wrong lesson from 2016. The prospect of being the first female president is a general election asset.”