Poll shows U.S. ready for a woman president

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 the four should run for president.

Clinton was the clear front-runner — almost four years from Election Day 2008 — with 53 percent of those polled, including half of the men and 26 percent of the Republicans, saying she should run. 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.

Friday, she talked about her intentions. "I am not running for president but I do believe that the country is more than open to seeing a woman as chief executive," said Boxer.

One-third of the respondents said Dole should make a run for office in 2008. But almost half said she shouldn't run.

"In my ideal world in 2008 we would have two or three women at least on both sides of the aisle running, so it became less about their gender and more about what agendas they bring to the job," said Marie C. Wilson, president of The White House Project, a nonprofit New York City-based group whose goal is to get more women involved in politics.

For Presidents Day, the group is starting a campaign asking women to encourage other women to run for office.

The poll was conducted by Siena Research Institute in anticipation of Siena's upcoming "First Woman President" Symposium, March 4-5. The event will draw academics, political activists and others from around the nation to talk about the issue of women in political leadership.