Her response was a little bit longer, it concluded with a quippy comment that got a little chuckle from the audience.

Is that like, the one thing not on YouTube re: this debate?

Text = not as sexy as YT but it'll do in a pinch:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/23/debate.transcript/index.html

CLINTON: Thank you, John, and thank you for your service to our country.

You know, when I was first lady, I was privileged to represent our country in 82 countries. I have met with many officials in Arabic and Muslim countries. I have met with kings and presidents and prime ministers and sheiks and tribal leaders.

And certainly, in the last years during my time in the Senate, I have had many high-level meetings with presidents and prime ministers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Pakistan and many other countries.

I believe that there isn't much doubt in anyone's mind that I can be taken seriously.

(APPLAUSE)

I believe that other countries have had women presidents and women prime ministers. There are several serving now -- in Germany, in Chile, in Liberia and elsewhere -- and I have noticed that their compatriots on the world stage certainly take them seriously.

I think that it is...

COOPER: Time.

CLINTON: It would be quite appropriate to have a woman president deal with the Arab and Muslim countries on behalf of the United States of America.

Thanks for posting the text, Erin, but it's nowhere near "Fuck you Muslims! America rocks!"

SarahMC, it's true. I might have been projecting a bit.

Haha

In reality, America does not rock all that much. If anything, she was saying women rock. Clearly, America is too stupid to realize that women are people - just like men.

Also, just so no one gets the wrong idea. I said "fucked up Muslims" as in, within the Vinn diagram of fucked up people some of them are Muslim and some of those people are leaders who might have a problem talking to a female leader.

And those are the people who are free to suck my dick.

In all honesty, other countries laugh at our political standing right now just as much as we do, and how in the world is "other countries not taking a woman present seriously" a consideration when they have more woman leaders then we ever have had. It just makes me laugh how desperate the excuses they're using now days to ruin her election.

Although I would not vote for Clinton, my decision has nothing to do with whether or not she would be taken seriously by leaders from the Middle East, or anywhere else for that matter. Who I vote for as MY leader has nothing to do with what the leader of SOME OTHER country thinks about the candidate.

Yes, Erin, thanks for finding and posting the whole thing!

Thing is if there are politicians in the middle east who don't take women seriously - that's all the more reason why a female US president is a good idea - because that would force them to take women seriously.

The better question might be "How does CNN take its women viewers seriously?"

There are already anough reasons for middle-eastern countries to acknowledge the absurdity of the U.S. government. I doubt a woman president would be high on their list.

The better question might be "How does CNN take its women viewers seriously?"

There are already anough reasons for middle-eastern countries to acknowledge the absurdity of the U.S. government. I doubt a woman president would be high on their list.

The better question might be "How does CNN take its women viewers seriously?"

There are already anough reasons for middle-eastern countries to acknowledge the absurdity of the U.S. government. I doubt a woman president would be high on their list.

I agree with the comments previously stated. America is the country that is supposedly winning the race in freedom and equality, yet we're making lame excuses for why a woman shouldn't be president. Other countries with female leaders obviously didn't spend time questioning about if other countries would take them seriously.

I was just going to make a comment about George W. "Yippy Kai Yay" Bush being "taken seriously," but I think tofutti's covered it well. So seconded to tofutti.

Um, Benazir Bhutto, who as far as I know is a woman, was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988, and again in 1993.

I particularly like the part where she reminds the questioner she was the First Lady for 8 years. She's pretty familiar with the process of the President meeting with various heads of state.

Over all, a classy answer.

Pastormaker's on the right track... I think there's a need to point out that women have been in powerful positions in Arab and Muslim countries (let's remember that not all Arabs are Muslim and vice versa), at time out shining the U.S. Probably the question should have been something like 'how will you get mysogynists of all religions/races/ethnicities/countries of origin to take a woman leader seriously?' but that doesn't have quite the same anti-Muslim, anti-Arab sentiment now does it?

She gave the nice answer, the one that plays to all the better angels of female leadership. Good for her. Of course, had she wanted to play up a different aspect of her media persona, she could have said this, which would have at least been satisfying and entertaining, even if it would have killed her chances at winning:

"Listen here, John. I'm a humorless feminist -- how can anyone not take me seriously? I mean, I'm a super serious ballbuster who strikes fear into my own husband -- a man who was POTUS himself -- on a regular basis. I murdered Vince Foster -- that's how fucking serious I am, okay? If you think someone isn't going to take me seriously because of their religion, well, they'll take me seriously, because I haven't got a lighthearted bone in my power-hungry body. All of that laughter and kindness that I put on from time to time? Everyone knows that it's insincere and coached and just grist for the mill of Q ratings and pollsters and other media wonky types. The only time I really laugh is when I stand on the bones of my enemies.

"I voted for this stupid, pointless war in Iraq, because I knew it would get me more power and put me in line for the Presidency, and I knew I'd be walking over dead bodies to do it. Is that serious enough for you? Think that will be serious enough for Mohammed Q. Muslim? I think it will.

"In summary, the real me would kill -- and has killed -- anyone who stands in my way with my bare hands, so if the Muslims think they can get away with not respecting me for my womanhood, they'll learn to respect me for my willingness to kill for more power. Does that answer your question?"

Iran has had a female vice presiden (Masoumeh Ebtekar) which is certainly more than the US has ever had....

Iran has had a female vice president (Masoumeh Ebtekar) which is certainly more than the US has ever had....