On many fronts, Americans think women have an edge over men. For example, Pew found that female leaders are perceived as more honest and ethical. (Fortunately for Clinton, the poll did not ask specifically about her.)

So it’s perplexing why Clinton has made her gender a centerpiece of her campaign this time around.

“Obviously there was discrimination against women once upon a time, but the feminist movement has kind of clung to that,” said Carrie Lukas, managing director at the conservative Independent Women’s Forum. “They’ve been allowed to get away with this idea that the sexes are interchangeable, but at the same time claim it’s a legitimate idea that we need a woman to change things.”

The Clinton campaign seems to want things both ways. Either women should be treated the same, and we are just as good — if not, better — than men, or we are we inferior and in need of special consideration to reach the same milestones as our male counterparts. But we can’t be both.