Watching the 2006 movie of Alan Bennets play, The History Boys, the other evening, I was struck by the exchange between one of the boys and his female history teacher. Responding to her chiding about women's role in history, he answers an exam question by noting that Elizabeth I was less remarkable for her skills than for the circumstances which allowed her to use them.
In the midst of this presidential campaign season, I find myself pondering a similar proposition: Are the two remaining candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination less remarkable for their skills than for the circumstances which may propel one of them into the White House? Don't get me wrong. Both Obama and Clinton, like Elizabeth I, possess extraordinary talent and abilities, and each is qualified to be the party's standard bearer. But at least some of their popularity can be attributed to voters' disillusionment with the current occupant of the Oval Office. How much more of their success is owed to the coincidence of two out-of-the-usual-mold candidates in one year?
Certainly having a black man and a woman as serious contenders in the race seems to have given a jolt of new energy to the Democratic base. It particularly galvanized young voters of all races and female voters of all ages. Could one or the other have done that job as well on their own or do they owe something to the synergy created by their candidacies? Does having a black man as a serious contender make it seem ordinary to also have a woman's hat in the ring? And did having a woman as the clear front runner in raising a campaign warchest make it seem simply business as usual that an African-American would be her toughest competition? I can't help but wonder if either Obama or Clinton had faced only rivals with the usual white male faces , would he or she have been marginalized as the black or the women's candidate?
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
-
Why Snowflake Stock Is Still a Buy After EarningsSnowflake stock is surging Thursday after cloud company beat expectations for its third quarter and raised its full-year outlook. Here's what you need to know.
-
Tariffs Could Make Your Holiday Shopping Pricier in 2025Tax Policy Trump’s tariffs would drive prices of clothes, toys, and furniture higher, according to a new study.
-
AI Regulation is Looming: Kiplinger Economic ForecastsEconomic Forecasts Find out what Washington and regulators have planned for artificial intelligence.
-
The Biden Tax Plan: How the Build Back Better Act Could Affect Your Tax BillPolitics Depending on your income, the Build Back Better Act recently passed by the House could boost or cut your future tax bills.
-
Kiplinger's 2020 Election ForecastPolitics For nearly a century, The Kiplinger Letter has forecasted the outcome of presidential elections to keep readers informed of what's coming and what it means for them. Here's our call for 2020.
-
The 2020 Election and Your MoneyPolitics We’ve assessed how the presidential candidates’ stances on financial issues will affect your wallet.
-
5 HEROES Act Provisions with a Good Chance of Becoming LawPolitics The massive federal stimulus bill just passed by the House of Representatives is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But a few proposals in the bill have enough bipartisan support to eventually become law.
-
Vote by Mail: A State-by-State Guide to Absentee Ballot VotingPolitics With health authorities recommending people continue to social distance, the idea of voting by mail is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
-
9 Ways COVID-19 Will Change the 2020 ElectionsPolitics The 2020 election will be like no other in history, as the COVID-19 pandemic will upend the business of politics as usual.
-
How to Run for Local OfficePolitics If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.
