Yes, a woman can be elected president of the United States.

It’s time to put that non-issue behind us.

One nearly was, and it wasn’t her gender that dealt her a loss.

(…) It used to be said that a Roman Catholic couldn’t be elected president. Then John F. Kennedy was.

Divorce was assumed to be a disqualification. Ronald Reagan disproved that.

Race was the next frontier. Then Barack Obama was elected.

(…) One reason is that it took time to break the glass ceilings in Congress, state capitals and the vice presidency, which are the traditional proving grounds for presidential prospects.

Since women were enfranchised 101 years ago, only five Democratic women and two Republicans have attained enough political exposure and stature to be taken seriously as candidates in the two major parties. Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was the first, opposing Barry Goldwater for the 1964 GOP nomination. Clinton gave Obama strong competition in 2008 before winning the nomination eight years later.

But only two women have been chosen as running mates, and both tickets lost — Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and John McCain and Sarah Palin in 2008.

Another reason is that many of those other nations, notably Great Britain and Israel, are parliamentary democracies that do not directly elect their heads of government. Their prime ministers have generally come up through party ranks, showcasing their talents. In our nation’s infancy, it was the party caucuses in Congress that nominated presidential candidates.

(…)So, can a woman be elected president?

Yes.

So can a man.

There is no material difference.

What really matters is who are qualified, competent and trustworthy.

— The (Florida) Sun Sentinel