The Woman Card

("What My Mother Sees in Hillary")

While this is a touching tale of one woman's struggle to overcome the prejudices that pervaded her existence, it makes me wonder why we have such a hard time elevating Hillary's candidacy based on her gender.

Is it because this is a fight some consider a relic, something that was of the time of burning bras and Gloria Steinem? Is it because Hillary has been in our conscience for so long in so many different roles that we have wearied of our consideration of her worth as a representative of all women? Is it her toughness that makes her seem, well, less feminine to some? Is it because of 2008 and the emotional election of an African American that we find this story, Hillary's story less compelling, less interesting?

I do understand that Mr. Trump inspired much backlash with his Megyn Kelly, Carly Fiorina gratuitous demonstrations of Alpha male idiocy. And his "there Hillary goes again playing the woman's card" did generate the production of the Woman Card. But really, apart from the self destructive behavior of the Republican presumptive nominee, there is little excitement for the "first woman" role in this campaign.

In fact, the negative response to the comment from Madeline Albright of a special place in hell being reserved for those women who did not vote for Hillary, sent a strong signal to the Democratic front-runner to downplay this as a focal point of her message.

Whatever the underlying basis, there is scant connection between the story of Ms. Gutting's mom and the saga of the first woman with a serious chance to break this most incredible glass ceiling. If Hillary wins it will be for many reasons, but bringing this particular saga to a conclusion is not high on that list.