If McCain loses in November there’s no guarantee that Sarah Palin will be a front-runner to secure the GOP nomination in 2012 (though I’d guess she will be a contender). But if McCain wins and, as seems possible, serves just one term then, clearly she would be. Equally, if Obama loses this year there’s no certainty that Hillary Clinton will automatically be the prohibitive favourite for the Democratic nomination in 2012 (though that too seems quite possible).
But, one way or another, the combination of Hillary’s near-miss this year and Palin’s presence on the GOP ticket makes me think that it is more likely than not that a woman, even if not necessarily one of these two, will be the Presidential nominee for either the GOP or the Democrats in four years time.
With women having come so close this year (whether on merit or not, and good people can disagree on this) I think we will find that there will be increased pressure to put a woman in the top slot next time.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in