Re ZD's comment below, I think there's been a sharp increase in the quality of both female [vice-]presidential candidates and non-white.
Think back to 1984: Was Geraldine Ferraro (of all people) really the best available female Democrat? (Given that Paula Hawkins and Nancy Kassebaum were both Republicans, and that with Barbara Jordan or Shirley Chisholm there may have been reluctance to cross two barriers at once...)
Elizabeth Dole was a perfectly cromulent second-tier candidate; somebody will be the next Liddy Dole before someone else actually does break the female nomination/election barrier.
Meanwhile, Jesse Jackson? Al Sharpton?!? I love the conceit that someone can plausibly go from community activism direct to the White House.
Posted by Matt Bruce at February 15, 2008 03:38 PMWhile both were senators, which means they outranked Congressmen, Paula Hawkins was a lightweight and a joke who couldn't win reelection, while Nancy Landon Kassebaum was the daughter of a former Presidential candidate and a Republican icon, which is the sort of thing that tends to grate people about Hillary.
Good point otherwise, though.
Posted by: M.S. at February 15, 2008 08:54 PM