For the first time, a major American political party has a woman as its candidate for president. The Democratic Party officially nominated Hillary Clinton for the presidency three months ago. But why did it take so long for a woman to be nominated in a country that works to empower women around the world? And, do feelings about the place of women affect how Americans react to a female candidate? Clinton’s aides believe some people will not vote for her because she is a woman. Michele Swers is a professor of American government at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She co-wrote a book called “Women in the Club.” Swers says many people are likely to consider only men when they think about strength and the ability to lead. “And woman travels in a narrower lane, so that women in politics have to prove both that they hold masculine qualities of leadership, but still also hold feminine personality traits that people assume women have.” Swers says Hillary Clinton is often criticized for showing a lack of warmth in her dealings with others.
