http://ricochet.com/conversations/Hillary-Clinton-2012-Because-Women-Make-Better-Leaders-During-a-Crisis A few months ago, as you'll recall, Rob hypothesized that Hillary Clinton will announce her intention to challenge Obama for the Democrat Party's nomination in 2012 sometime next summer. As supporting data points for his conjecture, Rob pointed to polls that showed Hillary Clinton's approval rating at 10 to 15 points above President Obama's.
I don't know who Rob is. Rob Lowe? Rob Zombie? But whoever he is, if he's saying Hillary will run in 2012 and has some evidence to back it up, I'll go with the flow...
Since then, not only has the gap in approval ratings continued to widen -- Clinton now polls at 66 percent approval, while Obama has fallen to the low 40 percent range -- but the country seems to have fallen deeper into crisis, rendering null the promises of hope and change. Which is great news for Hillary. The Wall Street Journal reports on a new study in the British Journal of Social Psychology:
"Times of crises change what people look for in a leader. And men don't fit the bill. A new study explores a phenomenon called the "glass cliff," in which female leadership becomes more desirable during times of uncertainty. Previous research has found that when women attain leadership positions, they are more likely to be asked to take over organizations in crisis."
Women are perceived as being better leaders during times of crisis. And we certainly have plenty of examples of women making great leaders during crises.
Consider that data point #3 in support of Rob's speculation.