Obama Emerges From White (Frat) House

She doesn't want the No. 2 job, writes Dowd. She wants you to lose.

(NEWSER) - "What does Hillary want?" Hillary Clinton asked rhetorically last night at her rally in New York. Still a good question, writes Maureen Dowd, since apparently she's not going away anytime soon. Having given her surrogates the green light to push for an Obama-Clinton ticket, the New York Times columnist asks why Hillary is promoting herself for the vice-presidency—"a job she's already had and doesn't want again." More»

Maureen Dowd thinks Republicans have a bout of 'mass misogyny'

(NEWSER) - On Saturday, Hillary Clinton took a resounding shot at Republicans. "Why extremists always focus on women remains a mystery to me," she said. "It doesn't matter what country they're in or what religion they claim. They want to control women." Clinton isn't supposed to get involved in domestic politics, "but this was a moment pregnant with possibility," writes Maureen Dowd of the New York Times . "The attempt by Republican men to wrestle American women back into chastity belts … has roused and riled Hillary." More»

And unlike Bill, he's not looking over their shoulders for bimbos

(NEWSER) - Unlike the Clinton White House, which courted Hollywood, Obama hasn't had movie stars in the Lincoln bedroom—he's the star, Maureen Dowd says in a chat with movie columnist Patrick Goldstein. Dowd says Obama reminds her of a gorgeous actress who insists on being taken seriously for her brains, not her body. And unlike the men who run things in Hollywood, he respects women. “Obama loves smart women,” Dowd says, calling out Janet Napolitano, Kathleen Sebelius, Claire McCaskill, and Hillary Clinton specifically. More»

If Barack can do it, anyone can—except Muslims, gays, atheists ...

(NEWSER) - A self-described “black man with a funny name” is now the most powerful person on the planet. So which minority group will next see one of its own in the Oval Office? Mark Oppenheimer considers the contenders in Slate:

• Women: Not technically a minority, which means that if “they choose to unite behind one of their own—as many of them were inclined to do in 2008—they'll be the not-so-little voting bloc that could.” Candidates: Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Sebelius, Claire McCaskill. Not a chance: Sarah Palin.

What's the etiquette for a mixed-gender ticket?

(NEWSER) - In 1984, Walter Mondale had a strict "hands-off" policy with running mate Geraldine Ferraro, never even putting his palm on her back when they waved to crowds. Two decades later, times have changed: John McCain and Sarah Palin have been embracing on the campaign trail, forgoing handshakes for a series of somewhat stiff hugs. But etiquette for female politicians remains delicate, reports the New York Times. More»