Supporters laud Hillary Clinton’s presumptive nomination as historic, but their view is not in line with the rest of the country.
Only 38 percent of respondents regard her securing the nomination as “a historic moment,” according to a Vox/Morning Consult poll released Tuesday.
Forty-two percent of women find the nomination historic, compared to 33 percent of men. Unsurprisingly, a split emerges by party affiliation. “It might be tempting to think that women are willing to cross party lines on this front, but the poll didn’t bear this out,” Vox writes. Only 19 percent of Republican women regard the nomination as historic, which is slightly less than the 20 percent of Republican men who do.
Hillary is trying to reach out to Republican women, but as Vox says throughout, the view of Hillary and her nomination has more so to do with party than gender.
The poll also reflects a generational divide. Twenty-nine percent of those 18-29 think the nomination is historic. The percentages for those 30-64 are fairly steady, hovering between 34 and 36 percent.
When it comes to those 65 and older, 52 percent find the nomination historic. After the 58 percent of Democratic women who do, older voters are the most likely to view the nomination in this way, along with the 52 percent of Democrats.
These results follow a tense primary between older and younger women. Many young women were not amused by Hillary’s tactics during the primary, including her “Woman Card.” Now that Hillary is the presumptive nominee, conservative and progressive groups alike warn against her nomination.
At best, young voters may be bored or consider the nomination to be the norm. “The notion of the first female major-party presidential nominee is greeted with a collective millennial yawn,” writes Molly Roberts for The Washington Post.
Vox concluded that a Hillary win won’t be because of gender. This is refreshing for those who prefer living in a meritocracy and waiting for a more likable female candidate over bemoaning how many men there are in Congress.