I think the women who unquestionly support Hillary, and others who simply hate her, are missing the complexity of her character.

True, she is an older woman who had to break barriers, put up with jerks....etc. However she is a far more complex character.

There are few who did not notice that on the path to the Presidency, Hillary often acted like a bit of a jerk herself.

This isn't an insult against her, but an indictment against politicians of her age. Ever since Bush I put on those Willie Horton ads, the body politic have demanded that real leaders be tough SOBs that aren't afraid to get dirty.

Hence, the race baiting, overplay on Obama's "bitter" comments, suggestion that Obama's not fit to be commander, etc, isn’t' Hillary being a mean bitch...but simply Hillary playing the game the way politics are supposed to be. She was the one strong enough to take on the Republican slime machine.

Obama however, marketed himself as the candidate of change and rejection of old style politics. He projected an image of reconciliation and dialogue over conflict. Whether he was actually a boy scout, is open to interpretation. However that was his marketed image.

The rejection of Hillary of younger voters (both male and female) is, in my view. A rejection of old style politics. They don't want mean SOBs running things anymore.

But there's more

I first noticed it during the back and forth about Iran. Hillary and McCain took the traditional male attitude of threatening and wanting to "wipe Iran off the fact of the map". In this exchange of ideas, it was Obama who was the "woman"...preferring to dialogue and understand first before taking action.

It struck me then that the Obama campaign is the real feminine one. He's trying to change the rules of the game, so that the biggest meanest Jerk doesn't get to be voted King (or Queen).

In my view, the Democrats ultimately picked the feminine candidate. After 8 years of GWB's chest pounding and incompetence, the nation seems open to trying the other approach.

What's laughable is that may of these older (and some younger) pissed off candidates, are now rushing into McCain's arms and effectively trying to return the culture back to a conflict oriented male one.

We live in interesting times.

Yep..if the meanest dog always get the attention..you'll never have anything but a dogfight.

I think you make a sexist mistake when you decide Obama is the feminist candidate. Just as Hillary should be allowed to be tough as nails as a woman, so should Barack be allowed to be conciliatory, willing, preferring a dialog and understanding etc. etc. as a man.

I think it is stupid for me to say so. But the almost absolute degree to which this comes at us (men) from the other direction is really quite tiresome.

And just to be clear - women are very capable of being conflict oriented themselves. Margaret Thatcher attacked the Falkland Islands. Hillary voted for the war, as they say (I think that is not actually true tho, to be honest**). As women are coming more into play, breaking all those glass ceilings, so are they becoming more aggressive, including violence, killers, even, finding out how nasty it is - can be - out here in the supposed "real" world. Welcome to the (dirty) club.

**Okay, so I'm arguing against myself here...