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Can Hillary Clinton win? - Opponents try to cast doubt on her electability
Chicago Tribune ^ | October 20, 2007 | Jill Zuckman

Posted on 10/20/2007 2:48:28 PM PDT by neverdem

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo.—Steve Valdez, a retired high school history teacher, is keeping an eye on the presidential campaign and wondering about Sen. Hillary Clinton's chances.

"Is history ready?" asks Valdez, an independent voter, unsure whether voters will embrace the controversial former first lady for president.

With Clinton consolidating her lead over Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards, her Democratic rivals are increasingly questioning her ability to win the White House in a general election. They say her polarizing persona will keep her from defeating a Republican, hoping the seeds of doubt they plant now will cause voters to look their way come primary or caucus day.

Ever since Clinton stepped onto the presidential stage with her husband, she has been a lightning rod on the right and sometimes the left. She offended some women when she defended her decision to work, saying, "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas." She raised eyebrows when the public learned she had turned $1,000 into $100,000 from cattle futures trading. And she became a political target when she tried to overhaul the health-care system with closed-door meetings.

Her opponents argue that Clinton engenders such hostile feelings that she will energize Republicans against her and other Democratic candidates, particularly in swing states like Colorado. Already, the Republican National Committee is taking aim at Clinton multiple times a day while virtually ignoring her rivals.

The question of electability is often tied up in a candidate's likability, and in Clinton's case, it could also be an alternative way of asking whether a woman can be elected president. It is a loosely defined but fundamentally important part of the formula for a winning candidate.

"I think there's no doubt that she carries some significant baggage," said David Axelrod, Obama's chief...

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: hillaryclinton
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To: neverdem

IMO, it’s still a tossup. Barring any stunning primary results, she remains the heir apparent to the DNC nomination.

So far, the Republicans have yet (still IMO) to field a candidate with sufficient vision and appeal to attract the majority of the conservative base. Withe the likes of Lou Dobbs threatening to try to sway his followers to vote 3rd party should a Giuliani, Romney, or McCain become the GOP nominee, we could well face another 1992 election when Perot returned to the campaign trail (after pulling out) to split the conservative vote and hand the WH to the Clintons. He returned in 1996 against an ineffective (but well-respected) Bob Dole to do it again!!

Dobbs could end up causing history to repeat itself if the GOP doesn’t get its act together and push a candidate who can appeal to and unite the base.

If not, we could end up having to grow accustomed to seeing “President Hillary Clinton” all over the news.


21 posted on 10/20/2007 4:24:48 PM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: neverdem
she can't win a fair election with high turnout.

But the real question is, can she be prevented from becoming president?

22 posted on 10/20/2007 4:24:56 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand
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To: the invisib1e hand
But the real question is, can she be prevented from becoming president?

She can't be prevented as long as she and her husband are under the protection of the current occupant of the white house.

23 posted on 10/20/2007 4:52:48 PM PDT by varon (Allegiance to the constitution, always. Allegiance to a political party, never.)
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To: varon
She can't be prevented as long as she and her husband are under the protection of the current occupant of the white house.

yeah, whatever.

24 posted on 10/20/2007 4:55:46 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand
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To: Cicero
Most Democrats I have spoken with like Obama much better than hillary, but the guy is a lightweight idiot, half privileged American hippie child and half African Muslim. Great. So that leaves hillary.

Here in Manhattan, I have yet to see one bumper sticker, button or tee shirt for Mrs. Clinton. Maybe I should go down to Chinatown. Oh, tons for Obama. I even spotted a car with a perfectly new "Dukakis for President" bumper sticker...I thought, is he running again? Must be the car was locked away in the garage for 20 years.
25 posted on 10/20/2007 5:06:07 PM PDT by Miss Didi ("Good heavens, woman, this is a war not a garden party!" Dr. Meade, Gone with the Wind)
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To: DustyMoment
Dobbs could end up causing history to repeat itself if the GOP doesn’t get its act together and push a candidate who can appeal to and unite the base.

Poll finds Thompson appeals to churchgoers

26 posted on 10/20/2007 5:20:50 PM PDT by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: neverdem
You're welcome!!! Send it along to anyone you know who comprehends English...........but Bubba Leroy Post #12 - hits this nail squarely on the head re: Hillary! The real danger with her are the SCOTUS appointments which probably will come the way of the next POTUS
27 posted on 10/20/2007 5:34:46 PM PDT by soozla ("It is God's job to judge the terrorists....it is our job to arrange the meeting" - U.S. Marines)
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To: varon

No, I think she’s under the protection of the “power behind the throne” of the Democrat party! You know, the George Soros type!


28 posted on 10/20/2007 6:25:24 PM PDT by dsutah
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To: All; Sig Sauer P220; Richard Poe; ExTexasRedhead; reformjoy; Calpernia; Clinton Is Scum

.

NEVER FORGET

.

In another time of war in a another century HILLARY RODHAM & WILLIAM CLINTON supported our terrorist Communist North Vietnamese enemy’s push to take over the then Free South Vietnamese People, horridly bringing down on the once Free:

.

Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education (SLAVE LABOR) Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts

.

..”JOURNEY from the FALL”.. MoviePremieres = Fall of Saigon CLARITY..

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1806248/posts

.

What price is left for the still Free, that’s US, to pay now...
...in a new time of war against terrorists
...in a new century
...with our own Freedom
...directly at stake
...right here at home..?

.

Signed:..”ALOHA RONNIE” Guyer
Veteran-”WE WERE SOLDIERS” Battle of IA DRANG-1965, Landing Zone Falcon

(”WE WERE SOLDIERS” Photo Collection)
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm

.

NEVER FORGET

.


29 posted on 10/20/2007 6:30:04 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: wardaddy; Joe Brower; Cannoneer No. 4; Criminal Number 18F; Dan from Michigan; Eaker; Jeff Head; ...
HILLARY! UNCENSORED documentary to debut at Harvard University on Oct. 26, tentatively 8pm

Anthropogenic Climate Change Theory and Busted Sod

Gore's Inconvenient 9/11 Truth

The Real Al Gore (An attack from the left!)

From time to time, I’ll ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

30 posted on 10/20/2007 7:41:21 PM PDT by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: neverdem

This thing is over.

Hillary wins in a blow out, and we are all in for a serious dose of pain.

It is so very maddening.


31 posted on 10/20/2007 7:54:16 PM PDT by Radix (When I became a man, I put away childish things)
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To: neverdem

Short answe......................NO!


32 posted on 10/20/2007 8:06:04 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: neverdem
Jill interviewed me for an hour a few months ago and did a hitpiece on Hillary haters. Here is today's communication.


33 posted on 10/20/2007 8:06:29 PM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: neverdem

Testing. Copyright Uncle Miltie.

34 posted on 10/20/2007 8:38:37 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Mitt bit the apple. Hillary will stuff it down your throat!)
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To: neverdem

Thanks for the ping!


35 posted on 10/20/2007 9:24:23 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: neverdem
Poll finds Thompson appeals to churchgoers

Thompson may emerge as the savior of the Republican Party but, in his early campaign so far, he has stumbled several times. Whether he can recover remains yet to be seen. Support for Thompson seems to be wavering as the result of his early missteps. Clearly, he can't afford any more miscues if he is to become the GOP nominee.

36 posted on 10/20/2007 9:37:08 PM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: DustyMoment
Thompson may emerge as the savior of the Republican Party but, in his early campaign so far, he has stumbled several times.

What are these missteps? He doesn't have a rip roaring speaking style, and he still believes in states rights about marriage?

37 posted on 10/20/2007 9:57:17 PM PDT by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: DustyMoment
From my perspective I don't really see Fred as stumbling. Fred is being Fred and he is letting us know who and what he is about. This comes out in all the various clips I have seen of him

Of course the media wants to force a candidate into the mold of a hollywood entrance, and then sprint away in the horse race and if they don’t hew to that line then the msm labels them as a failure.

As dark as it looks with hilary seemingly ordained, I see some strength and wisdom in our crop of repubs (with all their failings), and I don’t think they will cannabise each other like hrc will do to her opponents. I also think that our guys will save their heaviest guns for the end-game against her. And no matter who our nominee is, our Potus/cabinet will look hugely better than hers.

38 posted on 10/21/2007 4:34:54 AM PDT by valkyry1
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To: neverdem; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...

I sure hope she does win. The Republican party is just a bunch of liberals and RINOs. I’m so sick of politicians who blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...

Yeah, nothing daunts a bunch of leftists like a disunified opposition. They are really intimidated by that.

Thanks neverdem.


39 posted on 10/21/2007 4:49:37 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Profile updated Tuesday, October 16, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: neverdem
As evil, conniving, backstabbing, and ruthless as she is, you’d better believe she can win.
40 posted on 10/21/2007 4:51:34 AM PDT by MissEdie (On the Sixth Day God created Spurrier)
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