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GOP Views Clinton As Virtually Unbeatable
The Politico ^ | 2/7/2007 | Carrie Sheffield and Jim VandeHei

Posted on 02/07/2007 5:48:59 AM PST by Mike Bates

What many conservatives regard as the nightmare scenario -- President Hillary Rodham Clinton -- is increasingly seen by veteran Republican politicians and strategists as a virtual inevitability.

In GOP circles, the Democratic front-runner is seen as so strong, and the political climate for Republicans so hostile, that many influential voices -- including current and former lawmakers, and veterans of President Bush's campaigns -- have grown despairing. These partisans describe a political equivalent of the stages of grief, starting with denial, then resentment and ending with acceptance.

For now, these Republicans say the party needs good luck, including a change of fortune in Iraq, and a revival of organization and leadership in the conservative movement to avert another Clinton presidency.

"If the conservative movement and Republicans don't understand how massive the Clinton coalition is, she will be the next president," former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said in an interview last week, after giving a private talk to GOP lawmakers. Clinton will win, he added, "if we don't use everything available to us and motivate our base, the people that believe in us."

In his closed-door comments to conservative House members, DeLay warned of the wealth and political potency of the Clinton fundraising network.

"We do have to get our act together, and I'd agree with Tom DeLay on that," said Rep. Steve King of Iowa. "At this point, short an inspirational Republican nominee, then I would agree that it's going to be very difficult to beat Hillary if she wins the nomination."

Those comments echoed those by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich last month on Fox News:

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; hillary; verrucktenfreude
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To: Beagle8U

* have = half


201 posted on 02/07/2007 7:38:16 AM PST by Beagle8U
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To: brownsfan

**And how exactly do you motivate a base that you've ignored and abandoned? Hmmmmm? **

Exactly.


202 posted on 02/07/2007 7:49:36 AM PST by EEDUDE
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To: linda_22003

Did I say that??? No.


203 posted on 02/07/2007 7:51:46 AM PST by auto power
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To: Churchillspirit
Duncan Hunter is a good man, as are Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul, though I have some reservations on the latter's foreign policy views, which are too idealistically libertarian. The problem is that the big money and the media publicity, even that of the conservative talk show circuit, are pushing "Rudy McRomney."
204 posted on 02/07/2007 7:54:34 AM PST by Wallace T.
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To: Mike Bates

**When she says she wants to confiscate profits, I don't think she's lying. She does.**

I agree.

When she made the statement "We are going to take things away from you for the common good", that's EXACTLY how I interpreted it.


205 posted on 02/07/2007 8:00:31 AM PST by EEDUDE
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To: Lazamataz
Believe none of this.

Including the quotes from DeLay, Newt, etc.?

206 posted on 02/07/2007 8:01:41 AM PST by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: Mike Bates

Seems to me that the bottom line is that there may be more "Liberal Democrats" willing to hold their noses and vote for Clinton than there are "Conservative Republicans" willing to hold their nose and vote for any of the likely Republican nominees. (Unlikely as it may seem to some here, many "Liberal Democrats' consider Clinton to be too "conservative" for their taste).


207 posted on 02/07/2007 8:02:29 AM PST by M. Dodge Thomas
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To: ichabod1
"end the war in Jan 2009"

Yesterday's "it's the economy, stupid" has morphed into today's "it's the Iraq war, stupid". She'll be rubbing this in the face of whoever opposes her on the right.

A stack of cream-pies will adorn her podium (?). We have to nominate a good 'ducker-and-diver". (Shucker and Jiver?, Tucker and Shriver?, McCain and McGuiver?:^)

208 posted on 02/07/2007 8:05:36 AM PST by budwiesest (It takes a lot of balls to golf the way I do.)
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To: pissant

You are forgetting the Gore effect. This cold wave up here in the blue state of WI is playing havoc with infrastructure and raising everyone's heat/electric bills. We are being told to limit electricity in the evening/overnight.

The reported temperatures are another 10-15 degrees lower in reality out here in the boonies. We have had 25-30 degrees below zero while the weather channel tells us it is -10.

I wonder if they can keep the hype on global warming going enough to get Al in. We aren't forcast to even get above freezing in the next 10 days. Let everyone think hard about which temperature extreme is the worst to live with.


209 posted on 02/07/2007 8:05:39 AM PST by reformedliberal ("Eliminate the mullahs and Islam shall disappear in fifty years." Ayatollah Khomeini)
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To: twonie
We cannot give up. She is beatable. She has so much baggage they won't let her in a good hotel. We have to take off the gloves and get in there and fight. Remember the swiftboaters? No Mr. Niceguys there.

I'm with you. I'm basing my opinion on the amount of anti-Hillary jokes, etc. I'm getting in my mailbox and it's a lot.

This woman is not likeable and I think she scares the daylights out of people. I want her for the nominee.

210 posted on 02/07/2007 8:06:50 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Churchillspirit
The swiftboaters managed to sink Kerry.

Yes, but it was on "new" information.

Everything on Hillary is "old" information. The MSM will assure everybody knows it and that it has been "discredited" years ago.

There will be no swiftboating for Hillary. People know all about her and Bill and don't care.

Women will vote for her in droves simply because she is a woman. Liberals will vote for her because she is a Liberal. Moderates will vote for her because it is Politically Correct and the Clinton War Room has turned her opponent into a monster or a Foley. Illegals and the stupid will vote for her because she will give them "free" health care. The dead will vote for her because they are all Democrats.

There is no silver bullet here, I'm afraid.

211 posted on 02/07/2007 8:07:32 AM PST by Gritty (Under Bill Clinton the White House didn't need the Secret Service; it needed a vice squad-Norm Liebm)
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To: Mike Bates

The proper way to defeat Hillary is for the Republican to run as the "change" candidate.

Hillary will certainly claim trhis position for herself. However, it could very easily be nuetralized with the position that "20 years of Clinton/Bush is to much all ready. It is time for a change!"

The change card will win the White House. The victor will be the one who plays it most convincingly.


212 posted on 02/07/2007 8:07:54 AM PST by getitright (Liberalism is irresponsible.)
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To: traditional1
"With the lack-luster field of Republicans currently running,..."

Are you insane?
It is two years before show time.
Do you honestly want our contender bloviating at this stage?
Good lord, have some patience. This is to all on this thread, not just traditional1. Why are we even discussing the nominees for the 2008 election in the beginning of 2007?
213 posted on 02/07/2007 8:11:50 AM PST by getitright (Liberalism is irresponsible.)
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To: Mike Bates
2 years before the election....

Let's see:
1990 - Nobody had a chance to beat George H. W. Bush (lost in 1992).
1994 - Bill Clinton was unpopular and could be easily defeated (won in 1996).
2002 - Nobody could beat Howard Dean for the Dem nomination (lost to Kerry in 2004).

I'm willing to see this play-out before we start to panic.
214 posted on 02/07/2007 8:14:32 AM PST by ILikeFriedman
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To: Wallace T.

"Duncan Hunter is a good man,"

Yes, he is. That is why I would like to see a Thompson/Hunter ticket, and I'll explain why...

Both are good conservatives that wont turn off half the base by being far left on social issues.

Fred Thompson is more well known and would assure that they got both the cash and media coverage.

Neither one of them have tons of baggage that would come back to bite them.

Both are sharp on the issues and few, if any, can match Thompson as a speaker.

Hunter's position on borders and trade will appeal to blue swing state voters in the rust belt. ( Mi,Pa, Ohio )

Hold Ohio, and flip Michigan and Penn. WITHOUT losing a single red state on the social issues.

The RATS can't beat that ticket!


215 posted on 02/07/2007 8:18:49 AM PST by Beagle8U (Fred Thompson......Your party needs you !)
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To: Mike Bates
Including those quotes.

Leftists lie.

216 posted on 02/07/2007 8:19:07 AM PST by Lazamataz (You are not your mind. You are not your emotions. You are not your pain. All you are is love.)
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To: slowhand520

Wouldn't that be an excellent debate?
Hillary has never permitted herself to be questioned. She has made it through an assault on national health care and two senate campiagns this way. But can not get through a run for president without answering questions.

Her voice is unbearably repulsive. It has to make even her most loyal supporter's skin crawl with revuslion. No way no way I'll say it again no way would even Democrats sign up for four years of that voice. No way.

If she does win the White House it will be due to manueverings at the top levels of world power- not by the wishes of the American voter.

Honestly- isn't 20 years of Clinton/Bush enough? The instant that Poppy Bush checked his watch during the town hall debate with Willy Clinturd, I suspected a collusion between the two. -"Slick gets this one if my boy gets the next two." Nothing else makes since.


217 posted on 02/07/2007 8:20:30 AM PST by getitright (Liberalism is irresponsible.)
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To: brownsfan

What did he say and when did he say it?
Goes along with my posts...


218 posted on 02/07/2007 8:24:07 AM PST by getitright (Liberalism is irresponsible.)
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To: Mike Bates
On the otherhand if Newt won in the primarys..
The democrats would be singing another tune..
They would be screaming, bloviating, hyperventilating..

Newt is everything Hillary is not.. meaning Gramskian socialist..
Everyone who is NOT a socialist would VOTE for him..
That means other than ALL democrats and ALL RINOS..
Those two groups HATE Newt Gingrich...

Ugh Oh! theres the rub.. America is going socialist..

219 posted on 02/07/2007 8:25:00 AM PST by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
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To: RockinRight

Tancredo or Hunter


220 posted on 02/07/2007 8:34:38 AM PST by antisocial (Texas SCV - Deo Vindice)
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