Politics, like baseball, is about how you finish the season

The New York Daily News ^ | DEcember 5, 2007 | Mike Lupica

[libstripper]

Rudy Giuliani was always going to fade like a New York baseball team once the country got to know him, and got to know this: That 767 airplanes don't carry around as much baggage as he does.

Sen. Hillary Clinton fading like this wasn't supposed to happen, in Iowa or anyplace else, not with the huge lead she once held in the polls. But it does happen right now, in lights as bright as the ones that just went back up on Broadway.

Giuliani, romantic devil that he was as mayor of New York, the only guy running who once had police protection for a wife and girlfriend at the same time, wasn't ever going to be elected President. Hillary Clinton was. Only now she is in some trouble, all of her own making.

And if it keeps going this way for her, in Iowa and New Hampshire and then maybe into the Super Tuesday states, she could be about to hand the Democratic nomination over to Sen. Barack Obama, who has found his voice lately, and his footing.

She was supposed to run away with this. She had the name, Clinton. She had all that money behind her. No one can remember a time since this insanely long, insanely dreary race began when she was behind. Only now Obama, with Oprah Winfrey running interference for him, and that is some interference, has passed her in the Iowa polls, and if he stays ahead of her and wins the Iowa caucus, no one knows how volatile the polls in New Hamp

[padre35]

Hilde is the candidate of the Democrat Machine, she will win the nomination no matter what happens.

The dead shall arise and vote Clinton in NH...

[cinives]

I’d rather see Edwards as nominee than either Clinton or B. Hussein Obama.

[Disciplinemisanthropy]

yankees suck

[yoe]

”…this insanely long, insanely dreary race began when she…”…….was the Arkansas Governor’s wife making cattle futures rather than cookies, shopping for land deals…..to first lady of the 42nd president….eight years of scandal and legal entanglements, shredding our Constitution with WACO, Ruby Ridge to little Elián González, a glitzy exit worthy of third world dictators, while the new President took over…..do we really want to go through all this again? Just watch Hillary’s eyes as she shakes hands and greets people on her campagin, her disingenuousness is so apparent with her bug eye approach. Having had the Clinton name rammed down our collective throats by the MSM and the Clinton machine daily for so many years, their message (power, $$$) is rotting on the vine. Lit it wilt and die!

[untrained skeptic]

The Clintons have lots of friends among Democratic power brokers. They also have lots of enemies. Most of their powerful friends are also friends of convenience. If it looks like Hillary has foot in the mouth disease too badly, they won't risk her destroying herself in the general election. From what we have seen so far, she has great difficulties answering unscripted questions. She also has an extremely high unfavorability rating.

Bill could talk himself out of problems. Hillary talks herself into problems. A lot of people just liked Bill's personality, they found him lovable despite his many faults, and that sways a lot of Democratic voters. Who would describe Hillary as lovable?

The powers that be in the Democratic party want a candidate that can win the general election, and if they have half a brain, Hillary's debate performance has to scare them.

I think Hillary is going to go the way of Howard Dean.

[padre35]

I would like to agree with you untrained, it just seems to me that the Democrats are locked into the Clintons, even if Hilde’s loses in Iowa, there will be a massive busing in of Democrats from MA to vote Hilde in NH.

[RayChuang88]

I personally think that the Democratic political "machine" in Chicago, IL--lead by Mayor Richard M. Daley, the son of the legendary Mayor Richard J. Daley--has realized Senator Hillary Clinton is a target rich environment for a Swift-boating by too many critics (pun definitely intended!). Senator Clinton has a huge amount of "skeletons in the closet" that could embarass her--and possibly get her into legal hot water. As a result, this political machine--who is pushing Senator Obama because he's lived in Illinois for many years--is quietly nudging along a few things that will eventually "do in" Senator Clinton.