I look forward to the day when it will be unremarkable for a woman to run for, and win, the Presidency. At the conclusion of Senator Clinton’s long campaign for the Democratic Party nomination, I cannot help wondering whether or not her candidacy has brought us closer to that day.

In her closing speech, Senator Clinton declared: “There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in 21st century America.” The trouble is, her campaign did not always act in accordance with this declaration. I was deeply disappointed that Clinton’s campaign operatives were so willing to pit women’s rights against civil rights, as if one group’s gains come at the expense of another’s. As many pundits noted, it seemed like a replay of the tensions between nineteenth century abolitionists and suffragists, recalling the moment when Susan B. Anthony suggested that white women deserved to get the vote before black men did.

In order to slow Barack Obama’s momentum, the Clinton campaign tried to convince Democratic Party leaders that only she could win white working-class voters in the general election. At the same time, her campaign argued that sexism is more prevalent than racism. According to the campaign’s logic, only sexism could explain why Party leaders would choose a black man over a white woman.

Obama could have suggested he was the male alternative to those who don’t want to vote for a woman, but he chose not to. Edwards was uncomfortable with the way he was attracting voters who did not want to vote for a woman or an African American. Clinton did not have to (or need to) present herself as the white alternative. It undermined all that was good about her positions and proposals – many of which were pretty progressive, especially her response to the mortgage crisis.

Hillary Clinton very likely will be a force within the Democratic Party for a long time to come. It is possible that she could learn some lessons from all of this and become a better leader. Or, maybe not. Her speech on Saturday contained hopeful language, and signaled a willingness to work toward greater unity. Progressives within the Democratic Party should insist upon it.

--Sandra Hinson