Posted on 11/16/2004 1:45:00 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Hillary Rodham Clinton vs. Colin Powell in 2006?
That's the political heavyweight matchup envisioned by a Republican congressman who is urging the outgoing secretary of State to return to New York and challenge the first-term senator.
Rep. Vito Fossella of New York said he spoke to Powell on Tuesday and made the case for the retired four-star general to enlist in the Republican Party's effort to defeat Clinton, a standard-bearer for the Democrats.
``His roots and heart have always been in New York. I think he'd make a great representative and I urge him strongly to consider running,'' Fossella said.
The son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell was born and raised in New York City.
Clinton's 2006 re-election bid is already drawing national attention, in part because of its implications for the 2008 presidential race. The former first lady is seen as an early front-runner among Democrats.
Two names often mentioned as potential GOP challengers to Clinton in 2006 are also considered possible presidential candidates two years later: former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and New York Gov. George Pataki.
Fossella said he wants Powell to enter the race in part because he doubts that either Pataki or Giuliani is seriously weighing a campaign against Clinton.
``I don't see any inclination that either one will run at this point in time,'' Fossella said. ``Whoever wants to run has got to start laying the seeds and setting the stage to do so.''
A State Department spokeswoman cited Powell's comment Monday that he plans to return to private life. Officials in Clinton's office had no immediate comment.
Good. Send the Hill-de-Beast back into the forests of BOTSWANA.
Let's give it a rest, at least through the end of 2004, shall we.
Don't think Colin Powell is a good candidate..IMHO.
I am sure Shrillary will get the nom. but I seriously doubt she will put up much of a challenge.
I have only met one person who likes hillary (and I know a few dems)
At least with Kerry most of the country didn't know who he was, everyone knows Hillary and everyone hates her.
Don't think that Colin Powell's wife wants him to run for office.
Powell would beat her like a redheaded stepchild.
Could anybody coax Hillary into running against a wall?
Two women, no holds barred!!
RICE VS CLINTON !!!
It's going to be easy since he will more than likely replace Cheney in next couple of years.
Um, no. Powell is not what I would consider a viable Republican candidate. I'll leave it at that.
He's as good a candidate as NY GOP'ers could hope for. At the same time, it's a huge step down from being SOS to a US Senator and I'm not sure he'd want to do it.
General Powell may have made his mistakes but he wouldn't be that dumb. He is looking at a $10 million book deal; $100,000 lecture appearances and a stressless life.
He has served his time - let's give the guy a break.
06? Ahh good ol Newsmax, might as well read The Weekly Reader, its probably better researched.
Powell would cause me to stay home. I'm so sick of these armchair wanna be operatives pretend to know how to win elections. Anybody know what Powell stands for? What policies would he implement?
Powell's a good man, but I don't think he's Presidential material. Maybe VP. But it is time for the Repubs to start thinking about who will run for them in 2008.
this is nonsense. How about dealing with the challenges we face right now? Success in today's efforts is the best plan for 2008.
Colin Powell would never, ever run for President. No how. No way.
Dr. Rice does not hail from NY.
Sorry. I meant Senate. Not Prez.
I'd just a soon wait 2 more years!!!!!!
Enough already!!!!!!!
Ooohhh, this idea I like. :)
I agree. A better match would be Hillary against Condi.
General Powell strikes me as a RINO-type. He's in favor of racial preferences and discrimination.
What would he disagree with Hillary about?
Powell's views on abortion leave a lot to be desired, but he'd certainly be a lot better than The Witch of Washington.
Thank you Thank You, THANK YOU!
I am likewise sick of all of these Powell/Rice/Guiliani for Pres things, just I was sick of the Keyes for President things.
At least with Keyes, you knew where he stood on pretty much all of the issues. Lots of people here get all hot and bothered about Rice and Powell, and have absolutely no idea of where they stand on the broad range of issues that matter.
It seems that all that matters to many is that there is an R in the win column. Heck, even Specter, Snowe, and Chafee give us that -- better than nothing in the Senate, but not by much.
Let's stick to plotting ways to get good, electable real conservatives into office. I have no assurance whatsoever that Powell or Rice are either electable, or real conservatives -- even at the Senate level.
Convince me.
And for President, let's not even waste our time talking about anyone but conservative governors.
"06? Ahh good ol Newsmax, might as well read The Weekly Reader, its probably better researched."
Powell's wife will not agree to his run for the Presidency. Our choice will be Frist or Rice. I say, "Make it Rice!" This campaign has exhausted me, but I salivate at the thought of a campaign of Condi vs. Hillary! Bring it on!!!
"Dr. Rice does not hail from NY."
Who said she was?????
No, in the 2008 Democratic Primary. ;)
My bad, I'm so used to knocking poor old Newsmax I don't even give them a fair shake anymore.
We need to stick together on these threads and fight these empty headed fan-boys. They are so childish and emotional they threaten to make FR into a fan fiction forum of triangulation dreaming. As we get closer to 08, watch out for the tantrums against anyone who opposes.
I am likewise sick of all of these Powell/Rice/Guiliani for Pres things
Absolutely, Rice is just as nebulous as Powell is. All these guilty white conservatives on here are just itching for a chance to pander to black community to prove how they are NOT racist, as if the black Dems care for one instant about anyone who has an 'R' in front of their names. If they knew all the nasty things Powell and Rice are called by them...of course, just like emotional liberals, these "conservatives" don't care one whit about the practicalities, it just FEEEEELS good to run a black candidate, and feelings are all that matters.
As for Guiliani, there is some of that fan fiction going on, but we do know more about him, after all HE'S HELD POLITICAL OFFICE BEFORE. He's liberal on a lot of value issues, but he's very conservative on defense, except he's an open borders cheap labor whore like the rest of the GOP leadership.
I have no assurance whatsoever that Powell or Rice are either electable, or real conservatives -- even at the Senate level.
Somebody isn't thinking with their hearts here. If they don't get elected, we'll just blame the GOP base for not rallying around a moderate...and if that fails we'll just call the Republicans in their district racists. That's always a get-out-of-jail-free card.
RINOs RINOs and still more RINOs.
depressing.
Well-stated! You'd think that conservatives would have better things to do than mimic Clinton politics. Really, I've never had one person I've challenged about Rice come back with anything substantive other than it would drive the Dems crazy for us to run a black woman. What an absolutely stupid way to look for a nominee, even if she could win a nomination, let alone a general election.
You are right that Guiliani has held elected office -- he won an election in NYC. Period.
He has never been tested in the down and dirty of even a statewide election. Rice and Powell haven't been tested at all. Would they be able to hold up under an election season, or would they crump? We have NO idea, even if they were conservatives, which they are not.
I see three viable names: Barbour, Sanford, Pawlenty. They don't have big name recognition and star power? Well, that means we need to start gaining name recognition for them, and whomever else is a viable conservative governor.
"Don't think Colin Powell is a good candidate..IMHO."
I doubt he'll run. But if he did, he's got the "moderate" reputation a republican would need to win in NY, no?
See post #10 that I was responding to. It's tough coming in at the middle of a conversation....
Particularly since this article is about the NY senate seat in 2006.
you have that right.
Although it's far too premature to be speculating on this, if I had to pick the ticket that has the best(any) chance of beating the Clintons(Bill & Hillary), I would say:
McCain & Rice. But we shall see.
Against Hillary? No. No way.
I keep hearing from blacks that they (Colin & Condi) aren't REALLY black!
I am not kidding. Guess you have to be chillin on da stoop, hip hop, crackin, rappin, unemployed to be black in their eyes. Hell, according to them Bill Cosby is not black...
Hillary would wipe the state with him. Or anyone else, for that matter.
Forget NY. We win by getting 100% of our base to vote, and they also know that. That is why hilda is pretending to move to the center.
With the media's blessing, and by stiff arming the Moore types, well, there is the recipe for success.
Best that we understand and prepare.
Its up to all of us intelligent conservatives on here to continually challenge our lesser cohorts on this site whenever their emotions about race and sex get the better of them.
I see three viable names: Barbour, Sanford, Pawlenty. They don't have big name recognition and star power? Well, that means we need to start gaining name recognition for them, and whomever else is a viable conservative governor.
We'll probably fail at that, and the fanboys wanting to run Rice, Guiliani, McCain will help stop us.
My great hope is that Karl Rove will care about the Bush legacy, and spur Bush to promote someone like Barbour or Sanford well before the primaries start. I think he will. What I worry as much or more about is the possibility that we might get a no-kidding pro-choicer in the Veep slot. This, as you know, is important, since the Veep is the presumptive heir in the GOP, unless he self-implodes, like Spiro Agnew.
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