The other day a friend brought to my attention an interesting observation from the Democratic presidential nomination contest between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. My friend, a male, was talking about the high female support Clinton has garnered across the nation and the excitement among women about the possible election of the nation's first female Commander in Chief. However, that excitement seems to drop off for women under 50.

A Saturday story in the Chicago Tribune perhaps best sums up the gender-age gap facing Clinton's democratic support. (See story at www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-gender-web-feb02,1,2676928.s...). While older women are flocking to Clinton, younger American women are seemingly less enthused about electing a female president and do not feel bound by their gender in their support for other candidates. Perhaps, we - I'm in the younger group - do not see it as the verification of women finally receiving our full rights, the culmination of years of the Women's Movement.

Electing a female President now is not a high priority to everyone. Unaware of the battles their mothers waged for equality, the younger generation isn't driven to the ballot solely with the dream of seeing a woman in the White House - though Clintons' gender, of course, is not the lone reason for her support. I’m sure the day of a woman President will surely come but there is little cause to hurry among the youth.

With the Democratic race tight between Clinton and Obama and the GOP still a three-man race after Super Tuesday’s results, this presidential nomination and election has a long way to go. And as the months drags on, the news stories, commentary, blogs and opinion pages will continue to find little parts of each candidate’s campaign to dissect and analyze until we’re all blue in the face.

With 10 months left until Nov. 4, we’ll have plenty of opportunity to choose which candidate is right for us and the country, no matter demographics.