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Hillary Clinton 'could cost Democrats dear'
telegraph.co.uk ^ | September 26, 2007 | Toby Harnden

Posted on 09/26/2007 6:44:16 AM PDT by John Cena

A leaked Democratic poll has suggested that Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner in the race for the party's presidential nomination, could lose the 2008 election because of her "very polarised image".

The survey by the Democratic pollsters Lake Research indicated that both Mrs Clinton and Barack Obama, second in the race, trailed Rudy Giuliani, the Republican front runner, in 31 swing congressional districts.

The private memo, leaked to The Washington Post, painted what researchers described as a "sobering picture" for Democrats who believe that President George W Bush's disastrous favourability numbers almost guarantee they will capture the White House next year.

All polls show that Democrats are much more popular than Republicans. But when the names of individual candidates are used, the gap narrows considerably.

"The images of the two early [Democratic] favourites are part of the problem," the memo said.

The leaked poll found that Mr Giuliani, a centrist Republican with liberal stances on issues such as abortion and gay rights, leads Mrs Clinton by 49 per cent to 39 per cent in the swing districts.

The former New York mayor enjoyed a much slimmer lead of just one per cent over Mr Obama. It has long been known that Mrs Clinton has "high negatives" among voters but the assessment of Mr Obama that his "image is soft, and one-fifth of voters do not gave a firm impression of him" was a surprise.

The poll found that Mrs Clinton, in particular, could damage the chances of congressional Democratic candidates on the ballot. The sensitivity of the issue was underlined by the reluctance of Democrats to discuss the survey.

"We're not commenting on this poll," said Daniel Gotoff, co-author of the memo accompanying the Lake Research poll. "It was leaked and obviously not by us."

advertisementBut Andy Arnold, a Democratic chairman in Greenville, South Carolina - a key primary state - said: "I'd be a little bit dishonest if I didn't admit that in some parts of the country, and probably my own, having Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket will have some impact further down.

"People have that concern and are voicing it. The thing with Hillary is that most people have their minds made up. There's a fundamentalist crowd who have an inordinate obsession with things sexual and what happened [during Bill Clinton's administration] played into that."

He added, however, that "whoever we nominate, the right-wing attack machine will make them into the devil by November 2008".

Frank Luntz, a leading Republican pollster, said: "This poll reveals what grassroots Democrats have been concerned about. Hillary is their choice ideologically but not necessarily politically and they're afraid she could lose.

"Democrats want to win more than anything else and they will compromise on policy to achieve electability." Mrs Clinton, he said, prompted a series of perceptions that could damage her.

"She never admits she's wrong. There's a lack of candour and a harshness to her. She doesn't have any of the typical challenges of a female candidate but that is in itself a challenge.

"She doesn't show heart. People see her as strong and a fighter, someone who is qualified and can get things done but she's missing that personal element, that emotional connection.

"Rudy does better among independents than Hillary does and in the end the candidate that gets the majority of independents wins the election."


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008polls; clinton; democratparty; electionpresident; elections; hillary
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1 posted on 09/26/2007 6:44:17 AM PDT by John Cena
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To: John Cena

heh heh


2 posted on 09/26/2007 6:46:41 AM PDT by Uncledave
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To: John Cena

Well, they’ll just have to work harder to count the votes right. ;)


3 posted on 09/26/2007 6:47:31 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("Wise men don't need to debate; men who need to debate are not wise." -- Tao Te Ching)
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To: John Cena

SHHHhh.. don’t tell them!!


4 posted on 09/26/2007 6:47:53 AM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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To: John Cena
All polls show that Democrats are much more popular than Republicans. But when the names of individual candidates are used, the gap narrows considerably.

You mean that the generic ballot changes when actual names are inserted? Who knew?!! /s

5 posted on 09/26/2007 6:48:22 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
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To: John Cena
Thanks to the FBI tapes the dims are stuck with her.

Mrs. Clinton lacks pizzazz, finish, and has zero charisma. Thus, despite the MSM spin Americans aren't buying Mrs. Clinton.

Furthermore, Mrs. Clinton has lost her prized Oprah vote to Osama, so Mrs. Clinton MUST choose Osama as her running mate.

6 posted on 09/26/2007 6:48:45 AM PDT by BlabItGrabIt (He Became Poor, So WE Might Be Rich :))
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To: John Cena

“Hey Hsu.....I need more money to fool the fools”.


7 posted on 09/26/2007 6:49:23 AM PDT by Suzy Quzy (Hillary '08...Her PHONINESS is REAL!!!)
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To: John Cena

“She doesn’t show heart. People see her as strong and a fighter, someone who is qualified and can get things done but she’s missing that personal element, that emotional connection.”

I see her as a communist, global crook.


8 posted on 09/26/2007 6:49:50 AM PDT by Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: John Cena
"It was leaked and obviously not by us."

Yeah, like I really believe that. It was "leaked" on purpose...............

9 posted on 09/26/2007 6:50:09 AM PDT by Red Badger (ALL that CARBON in ALL that oil & coal was once in the atmosphere. We're just putting it back!)
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To: John Cena

Heck my mother voted for Bubba twice but will not consider voting for Hillary. I imagine there are quite a few voters like that out there.


10 posted on 09/26/2007 6:50:38 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
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To: John Cena

The MSM from across the pond shoving Julie down our throat.


11 posted on 09/26/2007 6:50:45 AM PDT by gathersnomoss (General George Patton had it right.)
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To: John Cena
This polarized image?

Is she ever red faced now.

12 posted on 09/26/2007 6:51:29 AM PDT by MrEdd (Keeping my foot on the necks of liberals since 1980.)
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To: John Cena
The sensitivity of the issue was underlined by the reluctance of Democrats to discuss the survey.

And further underlined by the reluctance of the US MSM to discuss the issue, which explains why this is in a U.K. newspaper.

13 posted on 09/26/2007 6:51:44 AM PDT by Plutarch
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To: John Cena
Telling my children that character doesn't matter, and my neighbor that I want to starve their child, is not the way to win my support.

Its the extremist in me.

14 posted on 09/26/2007 6:51:48 AM PDT by laotzu
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To: BlabItGrabIt
...Mrs. Clinton MUST choose Osama as her running mate.

I don't know if the image of a black man running in second slot to a white woman would set well with the "Oprah" crowd...............

15 posted on 09/26/2007 6:52:21 AM PDT by Red Badger (ALL that CARBON in ALL that oil & coal was once in the atmosphere. We're just putting it back!)
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To: Plutarch

I don’t think the MSM has a clue how despised she is outside of their circle.


16 posted on 09/26/2007 6:52:56 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
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To: John Cena
Interesting....

until this statement:

The private memo, leaked to The Washington Post...

Why would the WP run such an article that is seemingly unfavorable to Clinton?

Now, it smacks of suspicion, since implies that Giuliani might be the ONLY one who can beat Hillary.
17 posted on 09/26/2007 6:53:01 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: John Cena

The old ‘lipstick on a pig’ saying is still true despite the MSM yammering otherwise.


18 posted on 09/26/2007 6:55:22 AM PDT by Leg Olam (“I didn't know he was such a good shot.”~ Noel Coward, told that his CPA had blown his brains out)
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To: John Cena
The Republicans should nominate Alan Greenspan for President.

If he declines the nomination and says if elected he won't serve, we should elect him anyway, plop him in the oval office, and lock the door.

Andrea can go in, but we will xray all the cakes etc. she takes him.

19 posted on 09/26/2007 7:00:15 AM PDT by Savage Beast ("History is not just cruel. It is witty." ~Charles Krauthammer)
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To: John Cena
"She never admits she's wrong. There's a lack of candour and a harshness to her. She doesn't have any of the typical challenges of a female candidate but that is in itself a challenge. "She doesn't show heart. People see her as strong and a fighter, someone who is qualified and can get things done but she's missing that personal element, that emotional connection.

And that ain't the half of it!!!!

20 posted on 09/26/2007 7:01:24 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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