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gulfnews.com | Monday, November 7, 2016 | Gulf News A26 Gulf News | Monday, November 7, 2016 | gulfnews.com A27 01 DAY TO GO @POTUS through the years AP ■■ Clinton applauds as singer Katy Perry arrives on stage during a Get Out the Vote concert at the Mann Centre for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia on Saturday. Clinton raises women’s hopes FOR US WOMEN, THE DEMOCRAT’S WIN COULD END A VERY LONG WAIT — TO SEE A LADY AS THE NATION’S COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WASHINGTON E stelle Liebow Schultz, who is 98, was born before her fellow countrywomen had the right to vote. Now she has proudly cast a ballot for the candidate she hopes will make history as the first American woman elected president. Hillary Clinton hopes to become that woman tomorrow, breaking the ultimate glass ceiling after having become, at the Democratic nominating convention in July, the first female candidate for a major party. Schultz was born in June 1918, two years before American women gained the vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. “To see such an accomplishment in my lifetime is momentous,” said the retired teacher, who lives in the Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland. Having cast an early vote — as several states permit — she hopes to see the inauguration in January of the first woman president, following the succession of 44 men that began with George Washington in 1789. It has been a long road, starting with the presidential campaign in 1872 of Victoria Woodhull — who at 34 was technically a year too young to become president — as candidate of the Equal Rights Party. History books list the vote totals won by her male rivals, but not hers. Britain, Germany, Croatia, Norway, Chili and South Korea have women leaders; Israel, Brazil, Argentina and Pakistan have been led by women. Very late to the party “We are very late compared to many other countries around the world,” said Jeanne Zaino, a political scientist at Iona College in New York. Only two women have made it onto major party presidential tickets: the Republican Sarah Palin, who was John McCain’s running mate in 2008, and Geraldine Ferraro, who joined Walter Mondale on the Democratic ticket in 1984. Both lost. Some women failed to survive the brutal primary election process, chewed up by the big parties’ political machines. Others became historical footnotes in the quixotic campaigns of splinter parties. “When you don’t support women in a structural way, you have fewer women who can rise to the top, in politics and other arenas,” Zaino said. Parliamentary or multiparty systems are more favourable to women, pushing parties to establish diverse lists of candidates, which helps women climb within a party to top leadership positions, said Robert Shapiro, a political scientist with Co- When you don’t support women in a structural way, you have fewer women who can rise to the top, in politics and other arenas.” Jeanne Zaino | Political scientist at Iona College in New York Rex Features ■■ Republican Sarah Palin was John McCain’s running mate in 2008. lumbia University in New York. Candidate Clinton has sometimes presented herself as a mother or a grandmother, but the 69-year-old has used the “woman card” sparingly, intent on being judged first for her competence and experience. At the same time, her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, has not hesitated to draw on stereotypes of women, describing the former First Lady, New York senator and secretary of state as weak and lacking stamina. Whether out of misogyny, partisan hatred or some combination of the two, supporters of the Republican regularly break into chants of “Lock her up” whenever Trump describes her as corrupt. “Hillary Clinton is consistently treated differently than just about any other candidate I see out there,” President Barack Obama said recently during a rally in Columbus, Ohio. Addressing himself to men in the audience, he asked them to “kind of look inside yourself and ask yourself if you’re having problems” with Clinton’s candidacy because she is a woman. “I’m proud to be a woman running for president,” Clinton recently told a New York radio host. “I’d be just incredibly humbled and honoured to be the first woman president ... “But I have a lot of work I want to do. And I hope that people will say, ‘Hey, she’s getting it done.’” The idea of electing the nation’s first woman president has generated less excitement than the election eight years ago of Obama as the first African-American president. Roughly half of Americans in a recent survey said they would have preferred that history be made by someone other than Clinton, whose popularity ratings are low. But if she is elected, “there will be many tearful faces,” Shapiro predicted. “Before I die, by God, I want to have a woman president. Yes, it’s very important,” 64-year-old lawyer Moira Hahn said. It would be “wonderful,” said Nancy Murphy, 58, a retired teacher, while worrying aloud: “I don’t know how a lot of the nation will feel about that.” If elected, Clinton hopes to celebrate in New York’s Jacob K Javits Convention Center — a glassenclosed building on the banks of the Hudson River. It would be a sly wink to the “glass ceiling” she would be breaking on that momentous day. — AFP Meet the Presidents of the United States (POTUS) who have led the nation in times of war and peace, from the youngest to the oldest George Washington (I) 1789-1797 George Washington led the colonial forces against Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). Following victory, he presided over the convention that drafted the United States Constitution and became the first and only president to be unanimously elected, receiving all 69 electoral votes in 1788. John Adams (F) 1797-1801 A signatory of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Adams, as a diplomat in Europe, helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris (1783), which officially ended the Revolutionary War, and he became the first US ambassador to Britain. Upon his return to the US, he served two terms as vice-president, before his own election to office in 1796. Thomas Jefferson (D-R) 1801-1809 Jefferson is recognised as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and a visionary among the Founding Fathers. He served as the first US Secretary of State (1789-94) and as the country’s second vice-president under John Adams. His presidency is marked by the purchase of Louisiana Territory from France (1803). James Madison (D-R) 1809-1817 Known as the Father of the Constitution for his role in drafting the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. With Jefferson, Madison founded in 1792 what was to become the Republican Party and later served under Jefferson as Secretary of State. During his presidency, Madison led the US into the War of 1812 against Britain. James Monroe (D-R) 1817-1825 The last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, Monroe oversaw rapid westward expansion of the country. He issued a key foreign policy declaration in the Monroe Doctrine (1823) — a warning to European nations against interference in US interests in the western hemisphere. John Quincy Adams (D-R) 1825-1829 The son of former president John Adams is recognised as one of America’s greatest diplomats, negotiating many international treaties before his presidency and formulating foreign policy as Secretary of State under James Monroe. Adams developed into an outspoken opponent of slavery during his political career. Andrew Jackson (D) 1829-1837 Known as the People’s President, Jackson became a war hero after defeating the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. He is known for founding the Democratic Party, but is also remembered for his role in implementing the “Trail of Tears” — the forced removal of Native American people from the southeast to new lands. Martin Van Buren (D) 1837-1841 Van Buren served as Secretary of State and VP under Andrew Jackson before being elected president in 1836 — he was the first president to be born a US citizen rather than a British subject. He is credited with playing a key role in organising the Democratic Party but his reign was marred by financial panic in 1837. William Henry Harrison (W) 1841 Best known for his military service against Native American tribes on the US frontier, Harrison had the shortest tenure of any American president. He delivered the longest inaugural speech — lasting nearly two hours — in rain, and died of pneumonia 32 days after being sworn in. He was the first US president to die in office. John Tyler (W) 1841-1845 John Tyler was the first vicepresident to succeed to the office of President due to the death of his predecessor. A political maverick, he refused to give allegiance to any party and finished his presidency as an independent. He annexed the Republic of Texas, making it the 28th US state. James K. Polk (D) 1845-1849 The first “dark horse” candidate to be elected to the presidency, Polk became one of the most successful US presidents, keeping all of his campaign promises. During his tenure, the US increased in size by over a third as a result of securing the Oregon Territory from Britain, and victory in the MexicanAmerican War (1846-48). Zachary Taylor (W) 1849-1850 Known as Old Rough and Ready by the men under his command, Taylor had a 40year military career in the US Army and became a war hero as a result of his leadership in the Mexican-American War. Elected president in 1848 as a result of his extreme popularity, he died only 16 months after taking office. Millard Fillmore (W) 1850-1853 Became vice-president under Zachary Taylor, assuming the presidency after Taylor’s death in 1850. He was the last member of the Whig party to hold the office of president. Although personally opposed to slavery, Fillmore signed the controversial Compromise of 1850 in order to preserve the Union. Franklin Pierce (D) 1853-1857 Coming to office in a period of growing tension between the North and South, Pierce failed to deal effectively with the crisis over slavery. His signing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 — which undid previous legislation limiting the expansion of slavery — outraged many Northerners and set the nation on a path to civil war. James Buchanan (D) 1857-1861 Served as Secretary of State under James Polk and appointed ambassador to Britain by Franklin Pierce before being nominated for president in 1856. Buchanan’s efforts to maintain peace between the North and South alienated both sides and the Confederate States of America was born in 1861. Abraham Lincoln (R/NU) 1861-1865 One of America’s greatest presidents and heroes, Abraham Lincoln led the nation through the Civil War — its bloodiest conflict — preserving the Union and bringing about the emancipation of slaves, while promoting economic modernisation. Lincoln was fatally shot by Confederate sympathiser John Wilkes Booth. Andrew Johnson (D/NU) 1865-1869 Became the 17th president of the US upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in April 1865. Johnson was the first US president to be impeached, in 1868, after falling foul of the Republican-dominated Congress over his efforts to quickly incorporate the southern states back into the Union. He was acquitted by just one vote. Ulysses S. Grant (R) 1869-1877 US general and commander of the Union armies during the late years of the American Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant — at the age of 46 — was the youngest president elected up to that time. As president, Grant worked to reconstruct the nation and protect the rights of newly-freed slaves. Rutherford B. Hayes (R) 1877-1881 Hayes is best known for winning one of the most controversial elections in US history, which had to be determined by Congressional commission, giving Hayes the presidency by just one electoral vote. As President, he brought an end to the period of reconstruction after the Civil War and took steps to deal with civil service graft. James A. Garfield (R) 1881 Garfield served as a general in the Union army during the Civil War and a Congressman from 1863-81, but his tenure as president was the second shortest in US history. In July 1881 Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a mentally deranged lawyer. He survived for almost three months before succumbing to his injuries. Chester A. Arthur (R) 1881-1885 Elected vice-president in 1880, Arthur acceded to the presidency upon the assassination of President James A. Garfield. As president, Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883), which provided for the open appointment and promotion of federal employees based on merit rather than patronage. Grover Cleveland (D) 1885-1889 Grover Cleveland is the only US president to win two non-consecutive terms, and also the only Democrat to become president during the era of Republican domination that lasted from 1861-1913. Cleveland continued the civil service reform of his predecessor, and distinguished himself as a politician of integrity. Benjamin Harrison (R) 1889-1893 Harrison was the only president whose grandfather (William Henry Harrison) had also been president, and his administration is chiefly remembered for the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 — the first legislation to prohibit abusive monopolies. Harrison was a protectionist who favoured high tariffs. Grover Cleveland (D) 1893-1897 Two weeks into Cleveland’s second term, the stock market crashed, sparking a four-year economic depression, the worst the US had ever experienced at the time. Unemployment soared as thousands of businesses went under, and Cleveland’s popularity waned. William McKinley (R) 1897-1901 McKinley’s administration ushered in a new world order — with the US becoming increasingly active in global affairs and acquiring an overseas empire — including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines — after a brief war with Spain in 1898. The economy was booming again and McKinley was easily re-elected in 1900. Theodore Roosevelt (R) 1901-1909 At age 42, Teddy Roosevelt became the youngest man to assume the US presidency, following the assassination of McKinley. Roosevelt aimed to balance the needs of the working class with those of business. He ensured the construction of the Panama Canal and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his part in ending the Russo-Japanese War. William Howard Taft (R) 1909-1913 Chosen by Theodore Roosevelt to succeed him and carry on the progressive Republican agenda, Taft won an easy victory in his 1908 bid for the presidency. However, he alienated many liberal Republicans contributing to a split in the party ranks in 1912. In 1921, Taft was appointed Chief Justice of the US. Woodrow Wilson (D) 1913-1921 A scholar and university professor, Woodrow Wilson enjoyed a meteoric rise to the nation’s highest office. He guided America through First World War and helped to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles, which provided for the League of Nations — a precursor to the United Nations. Warren G. Harding (R) 1921-1923 A successful newspaper publisher, Harding promised a postwar “return to normality” in his 1920 campaign and was elected by an unprecedented 60 per cent of the popular vote. As President, he reduced the national debt and immigration, but served for less than three years, dying suddenly in 1923. Calvin Coolidge (R) 1923-1929 Coolidge took office on Harding’s death, continuing the conservative pro-business policies of his predecessor. Nicknamed “Silent Cal” for his quiet demeanour, Coolidge restored public faith in the White House after the scandals of the previous administration and remained popular throughout his presidency. Herbert Hoover (R) 1929-1933 Renowned for his humanitarian work during the First World War, and for his role in the construction of the Hoover Dam as US Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover was elected on a wave of popularity which lasted just seven months — wiped out by the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) 1933-1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only US president to be elected four times. He led the US through the Great Depression, implementing a programme of federal aid and reform known as the New Deal. During the Second World War, he was the principal architect of the alliance between the US, Britain and the Soviet Union. Harry S. Truman (D) 1945-1953 Truman led America during the final months of Second World War, making the decision to use the atom bomb against Japan. Truman agreed to help rebuild postwar Europe through the Marshall Plan, but increasing tensions with the Soviet Union led to the Cold War and US involvement in the Korean War (1950-53). Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) 1953-1961 Eisenhower came to the presidency as a war hero, having commanded the Allied forces in Europe during Second World War. In office, he helped bring about an end to the Korean War, but the Cold War continued to intensify, along with a nuclear arms race. At home, America enjoyed a period of relative prosperity. John F. Kennedy (D) 1961-1963 John F. Kennedy was the youngest man elected to the presidency, at the age of 43. Less than three years later, he became the youngest president to die in office. Kennedy faced mounting Cold War tensions. Among his achievements were the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and federal support for the civil rights movement. Lyndon B. Johnson (D) 1963-1969 Lyndon B. Johnson took office upon the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November 1963, completing Kennedy’s term and being elected President in his own right in 1964. He signed the Civil Rights Act (1964) and implemented social reforms, but his popularity plummeted as a result of increasing American troop losses in Vietnam. Gerald Ford (R) 1974-1977 Following the resignation of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford became the first unelected president in US history — having been appointed vice-president in 1973 under the terms of the 25th Amendment when Nixon’s original vice-president resigned. Ford worked to restore public confidence in the presidency after the Watergate scandal. Jimmy Carter (D) 1977-1981 Jimmy Carter was elected to the presidency without any previous federal government experience, and at a time when the country was facing a number of challenges — including an energy crisis and a deteriorating economic situation. Carter’s main achievement was the 1978 Camp David Accords. Ronald Reagan (R) 1981-1989 At 69 years of age, former Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to be elected president. America prospered under his leadership, experiencing economic growth and strengthened national defence. He improved relations with the Soviet Union. He survived an assassination attempt in 1981. George H.W. Bush (R) 1989-1993 A naval aviator during the Second World War, Bush held many government posts before becoming president. His presidency was chiefly consumed with foreign affairs, with a successful military operation in Panama (1989) and the campaign to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain from Kuwait (1990-91). Bill Clinton (D) 1993-2001 The first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term, Clinton presided over the country’s longest period of peacetime economic expansion. In 1998 he became the second US president to be impeached — over a scandal involving a White House intern — but was acquitted in 1999. George W. Bush (R) 2001-2009 Eldest son of the 41st US President, George W. Bush won the presidency in an extremely close and controversial race against Democratic challenger Al Gore. Bush’s time in office was defined by the attacks of September 11, 2001, and his subsequent global war on terror, and costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Barack Obama (D) 2009-2017 With a campaign message of hope and change, Barack Obama became the first African American to serve as president, focusing on health-care reform at home and the fallout from the global economic crisis. Key achievements included brokering a nuclear deal with Iran, and the rapprochement with Cuba. Hillary Clinton (D) or Donald Trump (R) 2017 Either Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump will be elected as the 45th President of the US. Clinton would be the first woman President, while Trump comes with no prior experience of political office. The successful candidate will be sworn in on January 20, 2017. Richard Nixon (R) 1969-1974 Nixon served two terms as VicePresident under D. Eisenhower and finally made it to the White House after narrowly losing to Kennedy in 1960. Nixon ended US involvement in Vietnam, improved relations with Russia and China, and presided over the moon landings, but his administration ended in disgrace over the Watergate affair. Key: (I) Independent, (F) Federalist, (D) Democrat, (R) Republican, (D-R) Democrat-Republican, (W) Whig, (NU) National Union ? Graphic News/©Gulf News