Poll: Gender matters, but does it hurt or help?

DES MOINES, Iowa - There’s no “glass ceiling” keeping a woman from the presidential nomination anymore, but most Americans still think Hillary Clinton’s gender will influence the November election. They’re just divided on whether it’s more of a curse than a blessing.

According to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, most Americans see Clinton’s gender playing a role in the campaign, with 37 percent saying her gender will help her chances of being elected president, 29 percent arguing it will hurt her, and 33 percent thinking it won’t make a difference.

“I think it will help her in a way because we haven’t had a woman before,” said Nayef Jaber, 67, of San Rafael, Calif. “… Women can do the job as well as men and even better. Let’s give her a chance.”

Clinton, who officially clinched the Democratic nomination in July after a lengthy primary battle, has embraced the history-making nature of this campaign, compared to her 2008 presidential bid, which played down her gender. As she competes with Republican Donald Trump, Clinton has focused heavily on policies that appeal to female voters, like equal pay and paid maternity leave, and has stressed that she wants young women and girls to follow in her footsteps.

In contrast, critics say many of Trump’s attacks on Clinton look like gender bias. Trump has called Clinton weak and has recently started questioning her stamina. He has complained about Clinton’s voice, questioned her appearance and said she is playing the “women’s card” to win.

Women have made strides in elected office in the United States but still have not clinched the top job. The latest poll numbers show that many Americans still think women have fewer opportunities in politics compared to men.

Most Americans think women are tough enough to handle the challenges facing a president, but the poll shows that some remain unconvinced. Overall, 75 percent of Americans say they think men and women make equally good political leaders, while 17 percent think men make better leaders, and 7 percent say women do.

Still, about a quarter of Americans, including nearly half of Republicans and more than half of Americans who have a favorable view of Donald Trump, think a female president would not be tough enough to handle a military crisis or a terrorist attack.