Opinion | Clinton changes the conversation | Seattle Times Newspaper

Opinion Clinton changes the conversation Seattle Times Newspaper: "Ellen Goodman / Syndicated columnist Clinton changes the conversation BOSTON — It has been almost a year since that well-known political pundit Sharon Stone explained why Hillary Clinton couldn't win the presidency. 'A woman should be past her sexuality when she runs,' intoned Stone. 'Hillary still has sexual power, and I don't think people will accept that.' I never figured out if this was a compliment or an insult to the 59-year-old senator. After all, Henry Kissinger once described power as the great aphrodisiac. Did aphrodisia shrink a woman's political power? Of course, this was only one of innumerable pink grids put over Hillary's campaign. Her announcement was preceded and followed by endless stories on whether America was 'ready' for a woman president. Every move she makes, every breath she takes, every outfit she wears, she is stalked by the media looking for clues to the female electoral cycle. This was an inevitable part of being the First Serious Woman Candidate for President. And Hillary has said repeatedly, 'The fact that I'm a woman, the fact that I'm a mom, is part of who I am.' Her candidacy was bound to have a 'You Go, Girl!' edge. It was no surprise that Hillary announced her candidacy in a Webcast from a living room decorated in Early Suburban Soccer Mom. It's no surprise that she has just launched a kind of girlfriends' social networking campaign. And it's no surprise to see her campaigning under the slogan: 'Let the Conversation Begin.' (Memo to the campaign: This female-friendly approach may strike terror in the hearts of husbands who cringe when their wives say, 'We have to talk.')"