John Major promoting the arms trade. That is definitely one to file away for a frank financial moment.

Henry Percy, London, UK

Surely America could elect a woman president, but one that's worthy... Empty believes, selling to the higher bidder, and vanity are hardly the attributes that people value in a head of state.

cucu, redmond, us

I saw Cherie interviewed on TV twice and was quite impressed. Can this be the same women that has been vilified in the media for the last ten years? Bias perhaps?

Al, Weybridge, UQ

The problem isn't that she's a woman; the problem is that she lacks certain moral and ethical qualities and she's not good at hiding it. She's not helping herself when she suggests that she's staying the race because Obama might get assassinated. This has nothing to do with her being a woman.

Jason, Beloit, USA

The problem with women in leadership is they get too emotional. One example is human rights for those poor, helpless folks in prison, oh boo hoo.......this is a Cherie Blair - can't control her emotions - policy. A man would see the foolishness of this kind of policy.

Mark, Maidstone, UK

Wow, I am amazed at the baby boomer women that keep saying Hillary has been treated in a sexist way. She was treated equally and in fact was the presumptive nominee for years and was the anointed nominee by all the party leaders. They say peole voted for Obama not because of Hillary, that is insult

EJS, Michigan, USA

At the risk of bursting the authors bubble, here is a wikipedia link that might interest her (or not): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_States_Senate

Jason, Las Vegas, USA

Cherie is not just hated by men, she is hated by everybody. She has led a pampered life funded by the tax payer and never stops whinging.

Peter Fordham, Pego, Spain

The most amazing thing about the reaction to Hillary's candidacy, from my perspective, is the number of women I meet who aren't comfortable with the idea of a powerful woman. Men may have been the ones chanting "iron my shirt," but I hear too many women say "get back in the kitchen."

Zach, Malvern, United States

We do not like these two because they have no female qualities and both would do anything for money and power. We do not like men with the same qualities. We do not like animals which are not 'honest' with us. Both of them are turn-off as characters.

savo, london, uk

What nonsense! Are men in the public free from criticism - have a look what's been said about G Brown lately. Hilary and Cherie grate because of their characters, not because they are women. So Cherie thought we'd be "charmed" by her tales? I would believe that if she donated the £1m to charity.

Tim, London,

Yes, a brilliant campaign move. Hillary staged the "iron my shirt" incident so that she could go on and cry on national television to motivate the middle aged female vote. We would expect nothing less from her campaign.

Mark, New York,

if a far less than perfect man can be president , a far less than perfect woman should be too. Women should not be subjected to any higher moral or behaviour requirement from their male counterparts. They are mere humans at the end of the day!

ugo, uxbridge, uk

Mrs blair is well known for her ' grab anything you can' mentality, including being the prime minister's wife, when she can earn some money out of it. Mrs Clinton is also known for her larcenous attitude. In my opinion she want to get back to the White House to remove the fixtures she left behind.

macnamara, PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND

How did other people, hampered by prejudices, break through to become senators, judges, etc.? Although it's true Hilary needs the male power behind her, the true test of a breakthrough figure is that they succeed largely based on their own ideas and energy which draw people to them.

Heather Rome, Maidenhead, Berkshie

Nothing these women have done wrong is any different from their male counterparts. At least both women are more intelligent academically than who the USA has currently as president. They do not have to be specifically nice people either as there are so many bad and corrupt male leaders in the past

ugo, uxbridge, uk

Bluntly we expected more from Cherie, as a top QC, who had worked hard to get to the top. However, time and again, she has demonstrated herself a typical male politician - arrogant, lacking in self-awareness & judgement - and greedy. It is disappointment that most women feel about her & Hilary.

Linda Thomas, Newton Abbot, UK

And yet, nowhere do you mention Thatcher, who won several general elections and was widely admired during the early years of her administration, especially just after the Falklands. Clinton/Cherie are unpopular simply because they are disliked for their political personalities, not their gender.

Nick, brighton,

Just wondering will this excoriation of Hillary cease once she has bowed out of a race - she had the utter 'gall' to enter .

However if her victories -by overwhelming margins -in WV and KY are any indication -the masses who voted for her certainly don't subscribe to the view expressed by Baker.

RJKT, Bangalore,

It's got nothing to do with the fact they are women.

It's HOW they conduct themselves that causes the problems.

That's why there is a lack of respect.

Whatever you think of Mrs Thatcher's policies, people still respected her because of the way she conducted herself.

Cliff, Marseille,

First one man became president and then another. Then the first man's son succeeded the second and now some want the second man's wife to replace him. A subject in a monarchy would find nothing wrong with the idea of entitlement. The USA is still a republic. This is nothing to do with Hilary's sex.

Mehul Kamdar, Des Plaines, IL, USA

I want to see a woman at the top, but not a Patriarchal woman who has sold her soul for money.

Let us have a down to Earth woman who is not afraid of what the media say about her.

After all, we have had enough ego trips from these so called top men and women to last a life time.

Catherine Mills, London, UK

Cherie would have had a lot more respect if she'd just got on with her career. Instead she used her position as the Prime Minister's wife to grab as much as she could get. And even after her husband left office, she still won't go away.

david, ely,

People don't trust her and why should they. Being a women has little to do about it. She is nasty and corrupted. We've had enough of both. America is ready for a woman President but just doesn't want this horrible selfish opportunist! She probably even outsourced the interns for Bill herself.

Gavrilo Prinzip, Bromley, Uk

Continuing jocular tone. A stride around Canary Wharf reveals that grooming, dress and manner are keys to the cash box. For gals i'ts also giggle and hair flick on his every word and maybe a hand on knee. The guys flaunt power symbol braces. Red for senior. Yellow for junior. They also talk loudly.

Boris, Belgravia, London

I would vote for Hillary so now I'm not sexist,Right?I would never vote for Obama so I guess that makes me racist. If I don't vote for McCain am I ageist?I wouldn't vote for Gordon Brown on a dare and I don't care what ist that makes me.I wouldn't vote for you either.

ron, toronto,

Oh, how my heart bleeds for Hilary and Cherie, poor defenceless lambs!! Hilary Clinton is only in the race for nomination because of the man who married her. She has no talent. As for Cherie, I cannot imagine why anybody would want her at the G8 summits at which she imposed herself!

Dan, Cardiff,

Did it ever occur to anyone that the hostility may be because they aren't particularly nice people, and have nothing to do with their gender? Or is it, because of their gender, it is against the (feminist) law to hold them to the same standards as men? How come Thatcher succeeded? Just askin'.

Bill, Belfast, N.I.

And didn't Mrs Thatcher get hammered ? The Anglosphere does not like women as leaders. They have to have the asbestos hides the men have to but they still have to be better than a comparable man. Look at the leaders we have now in the UK and USA . Could women have been worse???

Adam S, Hartlepool, UK

You say 'Outspoken Women', its not the 'women' part people object to its the 'Outspoken' and not everybody objects to the 'Outspoken' part. If you're argument was to hold any water people would object to 'women' in the public life whether they held 'outspoken' views or not

tara, london, uk,

So, Janice, a voter can't judge the content of a candidate's character without making due allowance for gender?

douglas wainwright, london,

I was not a great fan of Clinton but the way she has been treated by pundits is terrible. She is horrors, "ambitious" and says things to get elected. Like many men did not do the same thing? Obama is not ambitious? She should quit when the race is so close? It makes me want to vote for her.

Claudia, Atlanta, USA

Surely America could elect a woman president, but one that's worthy...

cucu, redmond, us

As to qutting the race, Huckabee and others stayed in till the end, and no one clamored for them to quit. Why does Hill have to? As to MI and FL, no one thought prior the vote would matter. But now it's so close, Hill's right to say their say should count. That's being reasonable, not duplicitous.

Claudia, Atlanta, USA

The reason the public do not like Cherie and Hillary is simply because they are not nice people. It certainly is not a question of their sex. They are public figures because of their husbands. People want to see sucessful people in their own right; not because of who they are married too.

lindiwe, sevenoaks,

As a woman, I am offended that Hillary now cries sexism as a desperate attempt to garner the sympathies of her female supporters. Obama has never declared: "I'm a victim of racism!" even when he has been one. Also, "sweetie" is endearing while "boy" is derogatory in America. No comparison.

Christine, Atlanta, USA

Both the Queen and Dame Thatcher are true powerful women leaders, Clinton and Blair don't come close.

Michael Pettett, Melbourne, Australia

I am begining to thing man hate Hillary because she wants to be the head of one of the oldest boys club, (DC). The woman hate her because they know they do not have the guts to do what she has or they do not like sharing.

Judy, Chesapeake, USA

I find it incredibly amusing that the press is so supportive of Hillary and quick to say/imply negative things about Obama and still the American public is not fooled - a majority supports Obama. Are uneducated people racist? Is the press that powerful? They would like to think so it seems.

Amy Brown, Kalama, Washington

Okay, Guys...time to regroup.

Obviously, letting them drive and vote were our first mistakes; but, now THIS??

(Um, ladies....put the guns down...I'm just kidding, really! Cherie...put the knife down, Hill...don't do that you know that I've always...ARRRRGGHH.

[...and somewhere, a bugle sounds...]

Dan'l, Portland, US

A "potential female president" of the United States would be a great thing, if she is the right person for the position.

Having shown herself to be unprincipled, dishonest and untrustworthy, she's clearly NOT that woman/person.

Suze, IN, USA

Well said Saurabh. Despite what Ms Turner might think, the reason men dislike these two ladies is because of what they stand for besides gender. Amorality and deceit on the one hand and blatant self-aggrandizement on the other. I would have equal contempt for males with the same characteristics.

Billy Barnett, HK,

Most of the approbrium directed at Cherie Blar seems to have come from female, not male journalists. As for Clinton, the attacks on her character seem to come fairly evenly from women and men. And in her case she seems to get a surprisingly easy ride from both!

David Space, London, UK

A lot of men (and women) might hate Hillary is that she is unprincipled - making rules for others to follow while flouting them herself. Cherie just comes across as cheap, common and ungraceful in demeanour. Men don't hate outspoken women who can carry themselves with grace & there are many such.

Saurabh Sircar, Philadelphia, USA

Hillary Clinton and Cherie Blair hardly make appropriate comparisons. Brilliant is hardly an expression that could be used to describe Mrs Clinton. Her latest act of 'brilliance' is to use the Robert Kennedy assasination as a reason to remain in her debt ridden quest for the democratic nomination.

Donovan Wright, Reading, Berkshire,