During a visit to Iowa in 2017, I spoke to an experienced political activist in Des Moines who had had a pretty negative interpretation of the 2016 election. “I really don’t think nominating a woman is going to get us what we need,” she said. “The reality is we are an old state and it’s that lack of willingness to accept women in those leadership roles.” The results of 2016 suggested to her that it was risky to nominate a woman for president if the election was likely to be close.