Posted on 08/13/2007 1:53:18 PM PDT by Baladas
WASHINGTON - Looking past the presidential nomination fight, Democratic leaders quietly fret that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the top of their 2008 ticket could hurt candidates at the bottom.
They say the former first lady may be too polarizing for much of the country. She could jeopardize the party's standing with independent voters and give Republicans who otherwise might stay home on Election Day a reason to vote, they worry.
In more than 40 interviews, Democratic candidates, consultants and party chairs from every region pointed to internal polls that give Clinton strikingly high unfavorable ratings in places with key congressional and state races.
"I'm not sure it would be fatal in Indiana, but she would be a drag" on many candidates, said Democratic state Rep. Dave Crooks of Washington, Ind.
Unlike Crooks, most Democratic leaders agreed to talk frankly about Clinton's political coattails only if they remained anonymous, fearing reprisals from the New York senator's campaign. They all expressed admiration for Clinton, and some said they would publicly support her fierce fight for the nomination — despite privately held fears.
The chairman of a Midwest state party called Clinton a nightmare for congressional and state legislative candidates.
A Democratic congressman from the West, locked in a close re-election fight, said Clinton is the Democratic candidate most likely to cost him his seat.
'She's so damn unpopular' A strategist with close ties to leaders in Congress said Democratic Senate candidates in competitive races would be strongly urged to distance themselves from Clinton.
"The argument with Hillary right now in some of these red states is she's so damn unpopular," said Andy Arnold, chairman of the Greenville, S.C., Democratic Party. "I think Hillary is someone who could drive folks on the other side out to vote who otherwise wouldn't."
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I’ve never understood the idea that the Hillary Juggernaut was unstoppable. It’s possible that her candidacy will be disaster of monumental proportions for the Dems.
Now the Dims have become a class of victims....of the Hill...oh the irony!
Wun Hill wun, Forrest Gump supports you.
Maybe Hillary will not run? If she doesn’t run does she get to keep all her campaign money????? Hmmmmm ?
I’ve long believed that the democrats are sick of the toons.
This guy has apparently never heard of “broken glass” Republicans. You know, the ones who would leave their own death beds and crawl across broken glass to vote against She-Who-Must-Not-Named.
The Rodent operatives are overacting to having Hillary at the top of the ticket. Whatever negative coattails she has will be offset by the anti-GOP sentiment right now. Thus the political climate in 2008 could be a wash with neither party having a big advantage over another.
Wishful thinking ont he maybe she won’t run! She is consumed with wanting more power-it’s what she lives for. I wish she & Bill would go rule some small island in the middle of the ocean-far away! If we never heard from either of them again would make me ecstatic!
You underestimate her at your own peril. Her organization, including plants in the media and all government agencies, is like nothing we have ever seen. She has been building it since 1992.
FIRST-Half the voters in the country will not vote for her under any circumstances.
SECOND-She’ll get 99% NYC, San Fran, 95% LA Philly, Boston.
But how many Southern, mid-western, and true western (not the coast) states will she get?
Some how, that picture says it all, it’s a perfect fit.
Ya know, there's a support group for people like you.
It's called Everybody With At Least a Modicum of Sense. They meet here daily...
Does this mean that Vince Foster will have lots and lots of company besides Brown?
They know it and the Hollywood folks for Osama know it.
I fear anything “from Clinton”...
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