Female, mother, politician — a name that might spring to mind is Hillary Clinton. But what if the candidate was from France? Segolene Royal, a member of the Socialist Party ran during the French elections in a bid to become the first French female president in 2007. She lost to Nicolas Sarkozy, the current president of France. With the US elections currently underway and the two Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama locked in battle, it seems that history might be repeating itself.
Do you think so?
The US electorate would most likely vote in a black male US president over a woman.
I don't think that voters are concerned about the colour of the candidates' skins or their gender. It is a multi-cultural country so they would most probably look at something else before making a decision. Every time the results of the polls are released, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are neck-to-neck, so either one has a chance of winning.
– Neil Venter
Abu Dhabi
I think that it would most likely be the other way around. I think that the American public would be more comfortable with a Caucasian female instead of an African-American male. I have been to the US and noticed that there still seems to be some discrimination, so I do not think that they are ready to have an African-American as a president.
– Tarek Yahya
Dubai
It does not really matter. It is about who is playing the political game smarter and is able to convince people about their views so they vote for that candidate. But I think that Hillary Clinton would have an advantage over Barack Obama because of her experience during her husband's presidency. She knows what should be done and how to go about achieving it.
– Tarek Abu Samra
Dubai
The most important thing about a candidate is whether or not they are qualified for the position. If a candidate knows the political system and can give the public what they want or need, then that candidate is best suited for the job. I would like to see a female president for a change, so it would be nice if Hillary Clinton won.
– Marwan Abu Lawi
Abu Dhabi
The American electoral battle of racism against gender bias will see both lose.
It is not a battle between race and gender. I do not see Hillary Clinton as fighting gender bias — she just wants to become president. Both candidates will do whatever they can to get as many votes as possible. Some might be annoyed at their use of gender versus race, but I think that overall they would vote for who they want as president.
– Mike Lomax
Abu Dhabi
I do not think that Hillary would lose because she has both her husband's name and her experience during his administration. Also, if you look at history, African Americans were not very successful whenever they tried to run for a position. Either might win because politics is generally about using what you have in order to win — all's fair in love and war.
– Linford D'Souza
Dubai
I think that Hillary Clinton has a better shot at winning because she is Caucasian. She was doing better than Obama before Oprah endorsed him. Unfortunately, there is still some racism in the world so she might be elected instead of Obama. Both candidates are always very close, so it's a 50-50 chance that one would win — but I would like to see Hillary be elected president.
– Ali Raza Somji
Dubai
I doubt that both would lose because each has their own appeal. Hillary appeals to certain groups within the American public and Barack has his own group of supporters. In the end the public would vote for the person they believe in and whom they think would be best for their country. It would be unfair to judge them solely on that and not their records.
– Symone Sequera
Dubai
Having either a female or black US President would mean true victory for human equality.
I think that while it would be a victory for human equality, we would have to wait and see how they deal with different issues during their term. Usually, if candidates were successful in politics then they would be relatively successful during their time as president. But if they elect a person who ends up looking weak in office then it would all backfire.
– Paul Nnoka
Abu Dhabi
It would be good for both sides. If Hillary Clinton won, then she would be the first female US president. If Barack Obama won then not only would he be the first African-American president, but he said that he would pull the American troops out of Iraq and that is very important. But either candidate would be a huge step forward for the American people.
– Jude Al Khatib
Dubai
If that happened then it would show that all races and genders are equal. It would also reflect the cultural diversity of the United States. If either one becomes president, then they would also bring more help and awareness to the issues that their demographics constantly face. It would be a step forward because that never happened in their history before.
– Hassan Mohammad
Sharjah
There is still too much bias for either one to be chosen as president. Also, they come from two very different communities. If Obama became president then it would be a good thing but I doubt that it would really happen — the Americans would most likely end up voting for a Caucasian male. They might elect one for the publicity of it but the government policies would stay the same.
– Warda Faiiaz
Sharjah
The American people are finally ready to make a giant leap towards change.
If Barack Obama became president it would be a good step for the American people. But even if they start changing by electing him, I think that there would not be any major changes in the policies of the White House or the US government. There always seems to be behind-the-scenes activities happening that could affect the policy decisions that every president makes.
– Laith M.
Abu Dhabi
I think that the American public would be willing to elect either as president. If Barack Obama won, then the African American community would be given a stronger voice. As far as women are concerned, there should be equality so it would be good if Hillary were elected president. It would be a nice change to see someone different as president, instead of the usual Caucasian male.
– Shehyar Ameen
Sharjah
The US economy is currently declining rapidly and that is affecting many countries around the world. The American public is probably ready to elect someone who is more open like Hillary Clinton. Since she is a woman, she would be a more effective listener and so would make wiser decisions about situations. If Benazir Bhutto can be a famous female leader, then why shouldn't Hillary?
– Samiullah Vohra
Dubai
Americans are ready for change. They would vote for whoever they felt was the most qualified for that position. They might choose Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton because they might be more comfortable to still have a male as president.
– Hamada Osman
Sharjah
