Madame President?

March 6, 2007— -- As soon as Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., jumped into the presidential race in January, she acknowledged the historic nature of her candidacy and has mentioned it on the campaign trail ever since.

But on Tuesday Sen. Clinton plans to place her role as the first female presidential candidate with a serious shot at winning the White House front and center in her campaign.

Recent polls show that the country appears open to electing a woman president, but as Sen. Clinton is fond of saying on the trail, "We won't know until we try."

Emily's List Supports Clinton But Will the Nation's Women Follow?

Sen. Clinton has already received an endorsement from Emily's List, the nation's largest political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic women in federal, state, and local government positions. (As a source of campaign cash, Emily's List support for Clinton should not be underestimated. Donors gave $11 million to the group's endorsed candidates in the 2006 cycle.)

It remains an open question, though, if women are willing to rally around her candidacy in significant numbers simply because she is a woman.

"We're supporting Hillary Clinton because she would be the first woman president, but I also think she would be the best president," said EMILY's List president Ellen Malcolm.

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"She's got more experience on the international stage for the last 15 years and has met with foreign leaders and knows the ins and outs of foreign policy," Malcolm added. "Sen. Clinton is well suited to protect our country."

Clinton Launches Outreach Effort, Calls on Ferraro, Albright, King

When Sen. Clinton takes the stage at EMILY's List's annual fundraising luncheon -- this year to honor the first female U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her history making rise to power -- she plans to launch her campaign's "Women for Hillary" effort aimed at mobilizing women voters on behalf of her candidacy.

According to the Clinton campaign, the "Women for Hillary" effort will connect with women voters through an outreach effort on the Internet, inviting women to join the "Women Leaders Network," and local events held by Clinton supporters.