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According the theory of social visioning (see pages 168-170 The Wave Principle of Human Social), it is very possible that cultural images can "reflect mood quite immediately, before the public" mobilizes "itself enough to act in the economic and political arenas." In this case, the new bearish mood appears to be expressing itself in the popularity of Commander and Chief, a new hit TV show about the first female president. The success follows perfectly from The Elliott Wave Financial Forecast 's September Cultural Trends section, (see excerpts below) which pointed to the potential for a strong presidential run by Hillary Clinton. It also suggests that the trend means the Republican's best answer might be a run by Condolezza Rice. In a new book, political commentator Dick Morris speculates, "There's only one force on Earth capable of of preventing Sen. Hillary Clinton from winning the White House in 2008 - and her name is Condoleezza Rice." In another sign, of the emerging trend Germany  just elected its first women chancellor.

EWFF, September 2005
The July issue cited a rise in the “feminine, caring” male role models and noted that the drift toward less stereotypically masculine fashions and lifestyles is a classic response to a bear market in social mood. When The Elliott Wave Theorist first identified this correlation in 1985, it also noted that a rise in “masculine,” “liberated” women is the flip side of this bear market trend. So far, it’s been a relatively quiet assault, but, in many areas, women have already moved beyond the in-roads created with the help of the women’s lib movement back in the 1970s. A highwater mark for female athletes during the last bear market, for instance, was Billie Jean King’s exhibition tennis victory over Bobby Riggs. In 1973, as the biggest bear market since the Great Depression was getting underway, King defeated Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes.” Women are challenging men on their own turf, once again. But this time it’s not an exhibition. “Female athletes—from golf’s Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam and auto racing’s Danica Patrick to bowling’s Liz Johnson and minor-league hockey’s Angela Ruggiero—are taking on the men and receiving their greatest receptions.” With a fourth-place finish in the Indy 500 and a subsequent spot on Sports Illustrated’s cover, Danica Patrick replaced Janet Guthrie, the first female Indy car driver (also during the last Cycle-degree bear market of the 1970s), as the most accomplished female car racer in history. A USA Today headline reveals that 15-year old golfer Michelle Wie is “No Sideshow But A Real Threat to Gender Line.”

It’s not just the playing fields, as Bob notes in Prechter’s Perspective, but “In every field, women gain dominance in bear market periods.” The extension to the highest levels of society is evident in a full color picture of Hillary Clinton in a recent issue of USA Today. She’s standing confidently in front of two GIs in a pose that all but declares the former first lady fit for the role of commander in chief. As “the first female presidential frontrunner in history” she’s already the most accomplished female candidate for the presidency in history. Clinton’s ability to secure the 2008 Democratic nomination remains an open question, but with “tough talk on defense” and an array of “pro-military” stances, Clinton has solidified her prospects. If the Republicans are smart they’ll push their own iron lady, Condoleezza Rice, to the front of the pack.