It's impossible to say how big a factor Mrs. Clinton's gender has been in this election cycle. To do that, one would have to compare her performance with that of a male candidate of similar political philosophy and credentials. Bernie Sanders, her only serious primary opponent, was an outsider who represented a very different philosophy. Her general election opponent is the worst candidate in the history of US politics. If a mainstream male Democrat like John Kerry or Joe Biden had run against her in the primaries, or if the Republican nominee were a human being, instead of Donald Trump, maybe the importance of her gender would be more apparent.