Oh, yes.  It was ladies’ night, and it felt just right and all of that.  Women candidates from South Carolina to sunny California clocked their brethren solidly in primaries.  Some were close, but others weren’t even a contest.  Not to mention that some of these candidates were subjected to character assassinations that would make an Obot blush.   As I sat and watched the pundits marvel over how well the ladies did, I had to wonder if they thought about Hillary Clinton.  Amazingly, many (including Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough and Chuck Todd) gave a great deal of credit to Mrs. Clinton for clearing the way for these candidates.

Let’s start in the east.  Republican Nikki Hailey trounced three of the Republican party’s finest ol’ boys in one of the nastiest primaries on record. even by South Carolina srandards.  Her 49% wasn’t quite enough for the outright nomination, so she will have a run-off with Rep. Gresham Barrett who garnered 21% or so.    I will be interested to see if the SC patriarchy recovers its footing, pools its resources and manages to overtake her. 

Moving on to Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln arouse from the dead with the help of Bill Clinton, and eked out a victory over a more progressive candidate funded by the unions.  I am  conflicted on this one.  My own union poured a barrel of bucks into this, and I understand why.  Primary-ing candidates does increase compliance, but it works a lot better when you win.  A lot of Southerners are not particularly pro-union, not are they particularly fond of outsiders “meddling” in their affairs.  I’m sympathetic to the union’s motivations, but this wasn’t a great starting place.  Even more distressing is the White House’s reactions to labor’s efforts – perhaps they have forgotten who helped them get there??   At any rate, Blanche will live to fight another day.

Ah, California.  Meg Whitman got a great return for her 80+ million dollar investment, and will face off with Jerry Brown for the Governor’s mansion.  Carly Fiorina will square off with Senator Barbara Boxer for the right to represent California.  Both ladies left their male opponents in the dust.   (Rep. Jane Harmon also survived her primary, but the opponent was also female.)

Then there was Nevada.  Sharron Angle (Tea Party favorite) bested Sue Lowden (Republican establishment chicken-barterer).  A distant third was the only male in the race, Danny Tarkasian.  As Ms. Angle wishes to repeal Social Security, disband the Department of Education and prohibit the sale of alcohol, Harry Reid could not be any better off if he tried. 

Now, I’m not saying that I agree with a whole lot that many of these candidates espouse. Nor I am saying that gender equity is my sole issue here.   However, I think that it is more than academically interesting, more than  purely coincidental, and more than statistically possible  that so many women triumphed.  I haven’t seen any statistics germane to this particular primary season, but we do know that more women vote than men.  Could it be?  Dare I hope?  Did the wimmenz get a bellyful , and decide that 2010 is “The Year of The Woman”?  We’ll have to see.   I guess that my ultimate goal is that an individual be judged more on the contact of her character than the composition of her chromosomes. 

This is an open thread.