Could men ruin Clinton's chance?

NEW YORK • Mrs Hillary Clinton has the biggest chance in United States history of shattering the ultimate glass ceiling and becoming the first female commander-in-chief. But could men spoil it for her?

On paper, few White House candidates have been more qualified: a two-time senator, a two-term first lady and a former secretary of state.

All but guaranteed the Democratic nomination, she is nonetheless losing more white male voters to her leftist challenger, Mr Bernie Sanders, than she did to Mr Barack Obama in 2008.

Sixty-eight per cent of white men have an unfavourable opinion of Mrs Clinton, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

Mrs Clinton lost seven out of the last eight primary elections and caucuses to Mr Sanders, who cornered the male Democrat vote 64 to 35 per cent in Wisconsin, according to CNN exit polls. Male voters gripe about her ability to revive the economy. They say she is opportunistic, not honest and does not care about them as she champions minority rights and gun control.

As for black voters, she has won the support of the majority of them in every state nominating contest so far.

But her husband, former president Bill Clinton, on Thursday faced protesters angry at the impact his crime reforms of 20 years ago have had on black Americans.

At a campaign rally in Philadelphia, they complained that the reforms had led to a surge in the imprisonment of black people.

Mr Clinton confronted the protesters and defended his wife's comments in 1994, when she used strong language to describe young black people in gangs.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 09, 2016, with the headline Could men ruin Clinton's chance?. Subscribe