Hillary Losing Ground

Townhall.com ^ | June 8, 2015 | Rich Galen

[Kaslin]

NOTE: I missed writing Wednesday night because I was under the weather. Way, way under it. Because of modern pharmaceuticals I'm much better now and it's back to the normal cycle.

To the Hillary Clinton campaign's great credit, they have gone a long way toward not just making it illogical for any Democrat to mount a campaign against her, but political treason.

We saw this same model in the 2000 cycle. How many times were we told, "If Hillary runs, she'll be President"?

A funny thing happened on the way to the West Front of the Capitol.

We've gone through this before, but it bears repeating.

The 2008 Democratic Iowa caucuses were essentially a three-person race between three sitting U.S. Senators: Hillary Clinton (NY), Barack Obama (ILL), and John (Big Daddy) Edwards (NC).

In the end, Obama won Iowa with 37.6 percent of the vote; Edwards barely edged out Clinton for second 29.7 - 29.5 percent.

The third place finish in Iowa was not a surprise to the Clinton campaign. Writing in the U.K. Guardian in June, 2008 reporter Suzanne Goldenberg wrote:

"By mid-2007 Clinton's former deputy campaign manager, Michael Henry, grew so concerned at her prospects in Iowa that he wrote a memo, later leaked in the press, suggesting she skip the state and focus on the next contest in New Hampshire."

After limping out of Iowa, the Clinton campaign was confident they would right the Good Ship Hillary in New Hampshire. She won there, but because the margin was so small over Obama (39.1 - 36.5) it only served to show that her campaign might be in even bigger trouble than anyone thought.

Here's a tip: 2016 is not 2008, not the least because there don't appear to be any Barack Obamas on the horizon.

Nevertheless, the inevitably card that she dusted off from the 2008 effort, might still not have the magic she wants us to believe it does.

Two polls released last week show Hillary's popularity is slipping again.

In the Fox News Poll 57 percent of Democrats said they would vote for her to be the nominee. Pretty good number, except that that same question, three weeks earlier, showed that 63 percent said they would vote for her. That is a drop of almost 10 percent in less than a month.

Meanwhile support for Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) who is an announced, if largely uncovered, candidate grew from 6 - 11 percent of Democrats. An increase of 83 percent.

Over on the CNN poll, the news for Clinton was marginally worse. Last month 69 percent said they favored her for the nomination. This month? 60 percent, a drop of 13 percentage points in a month.

In that CNN poll Sanders, who is a serious man, but not a serious contender for the nomination, saw his support double, from 5 percent to 10.

In that poll, by the way, Vice President Joe Biden's support - even though he has not been considered a candidate - grew from 11 percent to 14.

What does all this mean? It means there appears to be a real chance of Democrats who could be serious contenders to begin reassessing the whole coronation thing.

Because Barack Obama has had coattails as long as American Pharoah's tail, there are only 18 Democratic Governors across America so the pickings there are thin. Democrats still have 45 Senators and one of them is already in the game.

If just one of those Governors Senators, or another well-known Democrat decides that the nomination is up for grabs, I'm pretty certain that six to eight others would gather their campaign staffs and start making phone calls.

Hillary, it seems, is losing ground.

[camle]

when is she gonna bow out and endorse warren?

[IamConservative]

Interesting that the establishment ranks in both parties are trying to cram a candidate down the throats of their base.

Hillary has long been more popular when not running for office.

[petercooper]

She sold 631 books, or something like that. Easiest opponent to beat.

[samtheman]

Hillary has an Alzheimer problem. Have you heard her speak lately. She was never very good, but she’s getting progressively worse in a way that looks to me like failing mental acuity.

[USS Alaska]

Have you heard her speak lately.

Not if I can help it.

[SMARTY]

Either that or else she has told so many lies that it's impossible for her to open her mouth about ANYTHING.

She probably can't ‘recall’ whether or not she'll contradict herself....so she's doing ‘rope-a-dope’ to give the MSM time to parlay her name into votes. The MSM is being coy and once the Republican field firms up, they will make their move one way or another.

[Liz]

Hillary’s dubious list of qualifications to be president:

<><> married an ex-used car salesman who became a governor, president, and foundation billionaire.

<><> served less than two terms in the US Senate; authored no legislation of note.

<><> struck a deal w/ Obama, dropped out of the primary, and got the Secretary of State prize.

<><> set records no SoS has matched for frequent flyer miles.

<><> set record for collecting billions from foreign govts by selling out US ntl securty interests.

======================================================

Oops, I almost forgot---the personable Hillary made great friends while in the US Senate (/snix).

Then-US Sen Clinton and Sen Corzine. Corzine was fresh out of Goldman Sachs executive suite, buying his NJ Senate seat office for $65 million; then buying the NJ governorship. Out of office, he ran a hedge fund where $1.5 B went missing.

And when Chelsea's husband started a hedge fund, he gained access to investors who had ties to the Clintons and Goldman Sachs. Back in 2011, Mezvinsky, now 37, and two former Goldman Sachs'ers — Bennett Grau and Mark Mallon — began raising money for Mezvinsky's Eaglevale Partners LP hedge fund.

Some of Mezvinsky's investors included Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Blankfein, a slavish Democrat supporter, said he had "always been a fan of Hillary Clinton."

The WSJ reported extensively on the hedge fund's underperformance since its inception and Mezvinsky's mediocre investing and strategizing.

[wastoute]

We watched Chris Wallace grill Santorum last night. Santorum is a big boy and I am not whining for him. Wallace really takes it to these guys. At the moment I can’t remember who, Fiorina or Walker, but he literally brow beat some one a week or so ago. If or when Hillary comes out of the bunker and these urinalists don’t treat her the same then Cruz, Walker, Florio, etc. need to band together and let these urinalists know that if they lob softballs one after the next at Hillary there won’t be anymore interviews, their questions won’t be answered, they will be shunned. Their bosses will have no choice but to get rid of them. In the season of our four year cycle when the media really sells the ink if they can’t get any they are useless to their bosses. Make the media the story. No excuses for our guys, once president they will have to face the likes of Putin. They are gonna have to show they can face the likes of Chris Wallace. However, if they can’t put an end to the kind of Candy Crowley crap we have seen repeatedly then maybe they ain’t up to the task of Putin and others. We know how Hillary will handle Putin. Once she has had the proper level of “donations” she will sell us out.

[Alberta's Child]

Hillary Clinton’s biggest problem in 2016 is the same as it was in 2008: Democrats don’t trust her. Another Clinton in the White House would be a major threat to a lot of their pet issues ... just like the last Clinton was.

[Noumenon]

As they say say when reporting a horrific traffic accident where mangled bodies and the parts thereof are strewn about, “alcohol may have been a factor...”

[GoldenPup]

Hillary Losing Ground...

Good news for America.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Because Barack Obama has had coattails as long as American Pharoah's tail, there are only 18 Democratic Governors across America so the pickings there are thin.

Kaslin, you are aware, I assume, that American Pharoah's tail was bitten off by a stable mate? Actually, that's an apt metaphor for Barack Obama's coattails...

[Theodore R.]

The American people still want a woman president at all costs. It’s “their” turn.

[Theodore R.]

The Democrats may not have governorships and state legislators as they once did, but they have a lock on the electoral college, which they would prefer every time if given a choice.

[Theodore R.]

People in NJ would probably bring back Corzine if they could.

[Theodore R.]

Mental acuity means little to the American people. Heck, they don’t even know what it is.

[samtheman]

I think you are both right. Alcohol + Certainty of Contradicting Previous Lies.

It’s a potent mix.

It is turning her into a virtual zombie.

[SMARTY]

JUST what we need in the WH!

[samtheman]

And just what 47% of American voters already are: virtual zombies. Add that to the number of dead people who vote and you have a strong democrat turnout.