History: Hillary Clinton’s Predecessor From 1872 | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008

The First Woman to Run for President

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Mainstream suffragists like Anthony and Stanton, once delighted by this mystical upstart, supported New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley for the White House against President Ulysses Grant. And they watched in dismay as a scandal about sex put her in jail.

The scandal involved Henry Ward Beecher, a famed Brooklyn preacher and the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Bothered by Beecher's condemnation of her "free love" attitudes—"I have an inalienable and natural right to love whom I may, to love for as long or as short a period as I can, and to change that love every day if I please," she said—Woodhull published reports in her newspaper that the moral prig himself had an affair that led to the breakup of a marriage.

In response, Beecher directed what might be called a "vast right-wing conspiracy" against Woodhull. Anthony Comstock, a prude, prodded federal prosecutors to charge Woodhull with obscenity for her published accounts of Beecher's affair.

With the charges, Woodhull fell as ferociously as she rose. She lost her home twice and once found herself living on the streets. Judges set bail at $16,000 for the sisters, an absurdly high amount for the day. Her former friends ignored her plight, underscoring the verity that the way you treat people on the way up affects how they treat you on the way down. Woodhull spent Election Day in cell 11 at the Ludlow Street Jail.

After the election--in which she received thousands of write-in votes—Woodhull prevailed in the obscenity case and resumed her lucrative speaking career, giving speeches titled "The Naked Truth" and "Moral Cowardice and Modern Hypocrisy."

And then in 1877, she left. With $100,000 Vanderbilt left Woodhull and her sister in his will, the sisters moved to England to begin a new life. Victoria lived until she was 90, beloved by all who knew her there. Toward the end, she denied that she had ever espoused the free-love ideas that caused such controversy in America. In her new life, she reinvented herself the way she once tried to reinvent American politics.

Victoria Woodhull and Hillary Clinton are completely different women from different times. But the way they stirred ideas and emotions tells us something important about American politics. Both were charismatic stars and the subjects of rampant gossip. Both were hated by their opponents and subjected to constant personal attacks. Both were ridiculed for their attitudes about monogamy—Woodhull for her "free love" notions and Clinton for "standing by her man." Both embraced a goofy spiritualism—remember Clinton's séances with Eleanor Roosevelt—and radical new theories about the family.

Both were driven politically by their husbands and were attacked for those relationships. They were both criticized for shady-looking stock deals. Both bewailed the hypocrites of their time who preached rigid values but could not uphold those values.

bnnews, ou cannot fault someone for continuing to grow and expand thier wings in their chosen career. There is no lie in that. I'm sure at time this was said, he probably had every intention not to run, but knowing how politics are played in this day and age, I'm sure there were many roadblocks and redtape that affected his efforts to ensure a better Illinois. It's very disheartening to learn that no matter what you do at the state level, it really has little consequence as opposed to what can be done at the federal level. To not only make Illinois better, but to also make the country better, to me is not a lie, but the truth! It would have been more of a lie to stay where he felt a difference was not going to have a large impact as it would being the president of the United States.

And as for experience, look how Hillary's experience has revealed itself during this primary season. You have numerous defections, low moral, dissension, finger-pointing, she is no longer able to raise money from donors who no longer believe in her, superdelegates (her peers) are abandoning her and all she can think to do right now is pour more gasoline on the fire by coninuing to be negative and selfish at a time when our country has had enough of negativity, low moral, tightneing of wallets and the attitude of "I can do whatever I want to do" This sense of entitlement could be viewed as a serious character flaw, because as you and I know, no one is entitled or given anything, You must earn and work for it. She has worked for it and has run a great campaign, however Obama has worked for the same prize and has earned it outright! Who are you and Hillary Clintonto say that he should not get based on his "experience". If nothing else, Obama has demonstrated his leadership, experience and vision by how he ran his campaign this primary season. Don't try and minimize what this man has had to endure, show grit and wisdom, and ultimately get knocked and punched around only to get back up, take a lickin, but continues to keep tickn while styaing on his message and running on his platform. He runs a very tightly managed and effective team of individuals. This is experience. Hillary strategies are based on what is politically convenient at the time, instead of what is best for the country and all people. She runs on what is best for her. She is showing this to you right now!! Oh, and don't forget the Oprah factor to help cross over white women!! Why do you think Oprah did not endorse HIllary Clinton? Character judgement and wisdom will always trump experience any day! The truth will always set you free and lead you on to success.

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Posted By: VenusMuse @ 05/10/2008 9:46:08 AM

There is a great PBS featured documentary on Victoria Woodhull; AMERICA'S VICTORIA, REMEMBERING VICTORIA WOODHULL . Kate Capshaw performs the role of Woodhull. Historians and feminis Gloria Steinem offer great commentary.
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Posted By: VenusMuse @ 05/10/2008 9:45:25 AM

There is a great PBS featured documentary on Victoria Woodhull; AMERICA'S VICTORIA, REMEMBERING VICTORIA WOODHULL . Kate Capshaw performs the role of Woodhull. Historians and feminis Gloria Steinem offer great commentary.
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Posted By: Yes! We ALL Can @ 05/09/2008 11:19:22 PM

bnnews, ou cannot fault someone for continuing to grow and expand thier wings in their chosen career. There is no lie in that. I'm sure at time this was said, he probably had every intention not to run, but knowing how politics are played in this day and age, I'm sure there were many roadblocks and redtape that affected his efforts to ensure a better Illinois. It's very disheartening to learn that no matter what you do at the state level, it really has little consequence as opposed to what can be done at the federal level. To not only make Illinois better, but to also make the country better, to me is not a lie, but the truth! It would have been more of a lie to stay where he felt a difference was not going to have a large impact as it would being the president of the United States.

And as for experience, look how Hillary's experience has revealed itself during this primary season. You have numerous defections, low moral, dissension, finger-pointing, she is no longer able to raise money from donors who no longer believe in her, superdelegates (her peers) are abandoning her and all she can think to do right now is pour more gasoline on the fire by coninuing to be negative and selfish at a time when our country has had enough of negativity, low moral, tightneing of wallets and the attitude of "I can do whatever I want to do" This sense of entitlement could be viewed as a serious character flaw, because as you and I know, no one is entitled or given anything, You must earn and work for it. She has worked for it and has run a great campaign, however Obama has worked for the same prize and has earned it outright! Who are you and Hillary Clintonto say that he should not get based on his "experience". If nothing else, Obama has demonstrated his leadership, experience and vision by how he ran his campaign this primary season. Don't try and minimize what this man has had to endure, show grit and wisdom, and ultimately get knocked and punched around only to get back up, take a lickin, but continues to keep tickn while styaing on his message and running on his platform. He runs a very tightly managed and effective team of individuals. This is experience. Hillary strategies are based on what is politically convenient at the time, instead of what is best for the country and all people. She runs on what is best for her. She is showing this to you right now!! Oh, and don't forget the Oprah factor to help cross over white women!! Why do you think Oprah did not endorse HIllary Clinton? Character judgement and wisdom will always trump experience any day! The truth will always set you free and lead you on to success.