Posted on 09/03/2006 10:12:23 AM PDT by yoe
The Democrats’ chances of retaking the White House are doomed if they nominate Hillary Clinton in 2008, according to Boston Herald Business Columnist Brett Arends.
Several weeks ago Arends reported that 45 percent of Democrats in New Hampshire were telling focus groups “they hate her. Hate.”
Among the words used to describe Clinton were “evil” and “diabolical.”
“These people will not vote for her in a general election,” Arends writes.
“So you’d think the party would be throwing itself, right now, into a relentless quest for a more viable alternative...
“Instead the party establishment is pouring its time, money and effort into launching the USS Hillary – even though the ship is leaving port already holed below the waterline.”
The likely outcome, according to the columnist, is “a sudden, panicked reappraisal early in 2008, and a backup nominee picked in haste. As they did last time.”
Arends adds that considering the problems besetting the Republican administration – including the war in Iraq, the deficits and fuel prices – “you’d expect the opposition to be at 65 percent in the polls and heading for a landslide.
“Instead, there is still a real chance the GOP will keep one or even both houses of Congress this fall – and the White House in two years’ time.”
The only way the democrats can truly stop her, is to let the American people vote on her.
The Dems running Hillary would be like us running Ann Coulter. Certain members of the core would love it, but the rest would say "No way." And I LIKE Ann.
You can say the same thing about Rudy and Republicans. It should be an interesting election in 2008. If Hillary and Rudy are the candidates, expect several "third party" candidates and the winner receiving about 40% of the popular vote.
Run Hilary, Run. Republicans would Love for her to Run.
They'll vote for her...they hate Bush more - the fact that he ain't running again is moot.
I don't think any Republicans 'hate' Rudy. You may think he's too liberal on some issues (as I do), but the job he did as Mayor of NYC (BEFORE 9/11), as well as his demonstrated leadership during that crisis should bring at least grudging approval even from his detractors....
I think that the odds are 50/50 that the Hildabeast will fade EARLY in the 'Rat primaries, IF there is an attractive alternative....should she hang on, however, given her corner's Gestapo-like tactics, I'd hate to be her main opponent the rest of the nominating race...
I expect her to take a shot at the Dixie Chicks.
There's nothing these people won't do or say.
....... that's a good start.
;-)
I agree .. and even the recent love fest from Time or Newsweek (can't remember which one) was being questiond by other members of the media.
Think about this:
The Sunday Times September 03, 2006
Friends of Hillary hint she may pull out of presidential race
Sarah Baxter
FRIENDS of Hillary Clinton have been whispering the unthinkable. Despite her status as the runaway frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president, some of her closest advisers say she might opt out of the White House race and seek to lead her party in the Senate.
The former first lady longs to return to the White House with husband Bill as consort. Only last week she told television viewers America would be led by a woman one day. “Stay tuned,” she said.
First, however, she has to win the election. Some Democratic party elders — the American equivalent of the Tories’ “men in grey suits” — say Clinton may back out of the race of her own volition.
“I would not be surprised if she were to decide that the best contribution she can make to her country is to forget about being president and become a consensus-maker in the Senate,” said a leading Democratic party insider. “She believes there is no trust between the two political sides and that we can’t function as a democracy without it.”
As senator for New York, Clinton has forged alliances across party lines with leading Republicans such as Senator John McCain and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives. In the eyes of the electorate, however, she is a potentially divisive figure.
A recent poll for Time magazine showed that 53% of the electorate said they had a favourable impression of Clinton and only 44% viewed her negatively, figures that President George W Bush can only dream of at the moment. Even so, 53% of independent voters said they would not vote for her.
“The prospect of a Hillary for President campaign has put much of the Democratic establishment in a bind,” Time concluded. “The early line is that Hillary would be unstoppable in a Democratic primary but unelectable in a general election.”
The solution, insiders say, is for Clinton to take over as Senate minority leader in 2009 from the lacklustre Harry Reid, senator for Nevada. One well-respected blog, The Washington Note, recently claimed that Reid privately told Clinton the job was hers if she gave up her presidential ambitions.
Reid’s office denied it, but the claim made its way into the Los Angeles Times where it was suggested she would make a “superlative Senate leader” while keeping her options open for the 2012 presidential race.
Clinton has raised a whopping $33m for her Senate re-election campaign in New York, which is likely to result in an emphatic victory for her in November. The leftover sums can be switched to a presidential bid. The size of her war chest is a sure sign that she intends to be ready to campaign at full tilt the moment she presses the “go” button.
Her final decision is likely to be made next spring. One close friend of the Clintons said: “There is no way she won’t run for president.” According to a member of “Hillaryland”, her close-knit inner-circle, she would be letting herself and her supporters down if she declined to take a shot at the White House.
Others are not so sure. If she balks at the presidency, “she can win a huge amount of goodwill by donating her money to colleagues in the Senate,” another associate said.
Terry McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a close friend of the Clintons, believes she will be able to see off all challenges in primary elections should she stand. “She is very tough and very determined. Nobody is going to think she is not strong enough on national security. If she decides to run, clearly she will have the necessary resources and she will give people reasons to vote for her.”
Among them, McAuliffe believes, will be former President Bill Clinton. “He is a gigantic asset. He is probably the most popular politician in the world.”
On one subject, Clinton’s friends are united. They all believe that Bill, her closest adviser, wants her to go for it.
> ... if they nominate Hillary Clinton in 2008, ...
As if the rank & file have anything to say about that.
Shrillary has learned well at the knee of Uncle Joe [Stalin].
"It does not matter who casts the votes.
It only matters who counts the votes."
If Her Heinous want the nom, she'll just take it.
and I wonder how the democratic party will try and reconcile "hate for H" with "send us money"?
Don't underestimate them though, if the republican party can back Rudy, the democratic party can weld together behind the "H".
It will fun to see if they can dispense with the Dean wing espeically after Dean has spent tens of millions on local party organizing. That will buy alot of loyalty for local power brokers.
My thoughts exactly, only I think the case is that they hate us more and we'll still be around. And all she has to do is make a few appropriate noises and that mob of goose-steppers will fall right in line.
Assuming Hillary does get the nomination, I expect to see a major third-party candidate to split the Republican vote...that's her best chance for getting a majority in the electoral college.
And I plan to put 'supportive' signs around town saying "Vote HilLIARy -Let's impeach ANOTHER Clinton"
If she had not come on so strong she may have had a chance.
McCain may likely be that third party candidate.
Hillary vs. McCain vs. Giuliani -- the Republican vote is split and we're sunk.
We need a candidate who can split the Democrat vote -- by taking female and minority votes from Hillary. Condi Rice could do that -- as a female, as a black and as a speaker of Spanish (along with four other languages).
Count me as one of the few who fear that she just could win. I am not convinced her defeat is a certainty. I do hope I am wrong.
McCain and Giuliani are not good enough Republican alternatives to assuredly prevent Hillary from winning.
Doug, we're seeing more and more articles whispering that The Hildabeaste may not run.Ya reckon the suit filed by Peter Paul has much to do with this?
Maybe the Mighty (second only to The Hildabeaste, of course :) David Kendall suggested she back off?
Now that's funny. Ping.
Like all good psychopaths, got to have that "Sistah Souljah" moment.
Hellary is a Bust...
Unfortunately for the 'rats, "the world" doesn't get a vote.
"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you...We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)"
So would a lot of us Dems :)
The American body politic needs a good Toon exorcism.
Anti Clinton Sarcasm Torpedoes ARMED.
FIRE ONE!!
She has *Friends* ??
FIRE TWO!!
When was the last time you heard of any Clinton "pulling out" ?
Cheers!
Now, if you could ONLY get the OTHER half to...
Not all of us :)
In effect, she has lost the liberal base. Her moves to the center don't fool the center, who know she is being cynical and manipulative, but she has the war chest. We should all pray that she wins the nomination. It will probably be a 40 state win for whomever the GOP puts up against her.
Too bad the Dem Establishment Elites took that choice away from them, by moving the 2st Primary to a Dem Machine State, eh?????
once shrillary gets in front of a camera under an uncontrolled news conference or debate her numbers will become teenytiny
I used that line as a tagline, but retired it (see profile). Maybe it is time to resurrect it?
Ah, but dems are dumb enough to think she'll win.
There really isn't much difference between them... liberal New York lawyers... different Madison Avenue designer labels...
Giuliani is perfectly happy to have Mrs. Clinton remain as his senator and has not lifted a finger to unseat her.
Why should any Republican trust that incompetence? (And it is incompetent to let her retain that seat to use as a launch pad for a presidencial campaign...)
I agree. It's always been a myth; but it's also a party trying to buy an election that should never happen.
I honestly have no idea how she'd do as a candidate- there's a ready made legion of Clinton-worshippers who would jump at the chance to return to the Golden Age of Clinton ( hattip: Wes Pruden, Wash Times ) and the "It's a Woman's Time!" useful dupes- then, there's this:
I don't think either McCain or Giuliani has a chance of winning the Republican nomination in 2008. I doubt Rudy would run as a third-party candidate but McCain might, given his boundless egotism.
Nope, this is more of the Hillary strategy. She is putting that stuff out there so she can remain coy through this November's election. She will tell the voters of NY that she will serve the full six years. The day after the election, her presidential campaign begins.
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