Clinton Embraces Her Gender

"Well, I think that's pretty obvious," she said when asked how her presidency would differ from a third Obama term. "I think being the first woman president would be quite a change from the presidents we've had up until this point, including President Obama."

Clinton engaged in a similar diversion on why Democrats, in the year of the outsider, should embrace the ultimate insider: "Well, I can't think of anything more of an outsider than electing the first woman president" -- although she went on to say that was not the rationale for her run.

There is an obvious risk here -- that if Clinton underplayed her gender hand in 2008, she might overplay it this round. One Democratic strategist described being astonished at two focus groups of white, college-educated women who repeatedly offered "liar" as a Clinton description and rejected the notion that having the first woman president was a big deal.

"She's got to earn their trust a little more before they let that be something that matters to them," this strategist said. "She's not a cause for women -- yet ... I wouldn't say they felt betrayed but they were angry at her. It didn't feel like they were ready to forgive or let her into the sorority yet."

Expect to hear more Clinton as sorority sister -- a pitch aimed not only to women but to the fathers of those daughters. Expect, too, to hear more misogyny, although probably not quite as overt as the rapper T.I., who said last week, "Not to be sexist, but I can't vote for the leader of the free world to be a woman" because "women make rash decisions emotionally."

T.I., not to be rude, but next time, think about your daughter, would you?

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Clarification -- In a recent column, I wrote that Rep. Paul Ryan backs the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Ryan's office says he has been "very supportive of the goal of getting a TPP deal" but has not taken a position on the final agreement.

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Ruth Marcus' email address is ruthmarcus@washpost.com.