Gillibrand is Out of Race for the White House — Why She Failed to Catch On
Many Americans heard that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) pulled out of the race for the White House this week and they simply shrugged. They did not know who she was anyway. However, those who did know her, seem to have shrugged too. She was certainly articulate enough and being the self-proclaimed candidate for women, certainly should have resonated, but she got very low traction. Now, with it clear that she wouldn’t qualify for the next debate, it was time to pull out rather than face that humiliation.
The Senator’s home state newspaper, the New York Times, had the following to say about her announcement:
“Kirsten Gillibrand Drops Out of Democratic Presidential Race The New York senator anchored her candidacy in issues of women’s equality, but she was unable to gain traction and her failure to qualify for the next debate convinced her to withdraw.”
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The article goes on:
“Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who presented herself in the presidential race as a champion of women and families, said Wednesday that she was withdrawing from the Democratic primary after failing to qualify for a third debate next month — a development she described as fatal to her candidacy.
“Ms. Gillibrand said in an interview that she would endorse another candidate in the primary but had not yet picked a favorite. Though she stopped short of saying she would endorse a woman, Ms. Gillibrand, who has made electing women to Congress a personal cause, said the next president had to be capable of uniting the country and suggested that a woman might be best suited for the job.
“’I think that women have a unique ability to bring people together and heal this country,’ Ms. Gillibrand said, adding, ‘I think a woman nominee would be inspiring and exciting.’”
“But she added: “I will support whoever the nominee is, and I will do whatever it takes to beat Trump.’”
We now know that Gillibrand will not be that woman.
The question for the Senator, her supporters, and those still pursuing the nomination is, why didn’t she catch on?
In spite of the fact that she has tried to etch herself an image as a true progressive, everyone remembers her past. When she was appointed to finish the term of Hillary Clinton, who was appointed Barack Obama’s Secretary of State, she had a difficult time moving away from the positions she had taken as a Member of Congress representing the 20th District of New York. She represented an area that was known for being very moderate, politically and her moderate (and some would say even “conservative”) past has largely haunted her.
In an article entitled “Gillibrand doesn’t shy away from her conservative past in Iowa,” the Senator has long had to deal with the moderate or even conservative label. Her recent more “hardcore” progressive views are in congruent to her past in the eyes of many. Check out that article for more information on her political evolution.
The article notes “Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand brought up the period in her life where she represented — and personally reflected — a conservative House district in upstate New York in response to the first question from a voter at the first event of her first trip to Iowa on Friday.
