Would Pussygate have been more damaging against another candidate?

[Adam Griffin]

I think had Trump been running against another male candidate, it would have been more effective. As f[inks]d as it sounds, the fact that Hillary was a woman (and the fact that so many disliked her) contributed to a climate of dismissal and reactionary response, leading to a more overtly sexist reaction to it. Basically, "well, she's a woman, so of course she's going to have a problem with it".

A better yet less stark contrast (a male sex predator versus a male who isn't a sex predator) could have addressed this in a way that wouldn't subconsciously seem like it was a personal reaction. People are generally more responsive to criticisms and policy changes in the political arena when the people who are advocating for it aren't directly affected by it (for better or worse).