Boxer Who?

Isn't this funny: all the stupid political stunts in the world can't make people aware of Barbara Boxer!

Forty percent in a new survey of potential female presidential candidates had never heard of the Queen of Marin County Flaky White Liberals.

Music to Hillary's ears has got to be poll results showing 53% feeling she should run. Forty-two percent felt Condi Rice should give it a go. Both had relatively high negative ratings as well.

Rice is better positioned for '08: not everyone has a firm, inflexible opinion of her yet. As Secretary of State she will have an opportunity to be more high profile and win over potential swing voters.

Hillary, however, is stuck. Everyone knows her, you either like her or you don't. All the money in the world isn't going to change that more than a point or two.


(Albany Times-Union, Eric Duggan)

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A majority of Americans say the country is ready to elect a woman as president in 2008 -- and even more said they would vote for one.

The candidate's portrait as painted by 1,125 registered voters in a nationwide Hearst Newspapers/Siena College poll shows that she's likely a Democrat and is viewed as being at least as capable as a man on foreign policy. She's stronger on health care and education, but somewhat weaker as commander in chief of the military.

The poll listed four prominent women -- Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- and asked whether any of them should run for president.

Clinton was the clear front-runner with 53 percent of those polled, including half of the men and 26 percent of the Republicans, saying she should run. The telephone poll was done Feb. 10-16, surveyed 1,125 registered voters and covered all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of the total, 39 percent were registered Democrats, 30 percent were registered Republicans and 3 percent were from other parties. The rest, 28 percent, were not affiliated with any party.

Following Clinton was Rice, who first captured the national spotlight as President Bush's national security adviser. Forty-two percent of respondents said she should run in 2008, including 30 percent of Democrats.

Although only 49 percent of Republicans said the United States would be ready for a female president in 2008, 58 percent said they would vote for Rice. Rice, however, had almost as many people saying she should not run -- 41 percent compared with 42 percent. Clinton had 37 percent saying she shouldn't run.

Boxer had 13 percent of voters saying she should run, but nearly 40 percent said they didn't know who she is.