Posted on 02/07/2007 5:48:59 AM PST by Mike Bates
What many conservatives regard as the nightmare scenario -- President Hillary Rodham Clinton -- is increasingly seen by veteran Republican politicians and strategists as a virtual inevitability.
In GOP circles, the Democratic front-runner is seen as so strong, and the political climate for Republicans so hostile, that many influential voices -- including current and former lawmakers, and veterans of President Bush's campaigns -- have grown despairing. These partisans describe a political equivalent of the stages of grief, starting with denial, then resentment and ending with acceptance.
For now, these Republicans say the party needs good luck, including a change of fortune in Iraq, and a revival of organization and leadership in the conservative movement to avert another Clinton presidency.
"If the conservative movement and Republicans don't understand how massive the Clinton coalition is, she will be the next president," former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said in an interview last week, after giving a private talk to GOP lawmakers. Clinton will win, he added, "if we don't use everything available to us and motivate our base, the people that believe in us."
In his closed-door comments to conservative House members, DeLay warned of the wealth and political potency of the Clinton fundraising network.
"We do have to get our act together, and I'd agree with Tom DeLay on that," said Rep. Steve King of Iowa. "At this point, short an inspirational Republican nominee, then I would agree that it's going to be very difficult to beat Hillary if she wins the nomination."
Those comments echoed those by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich last month on Fox News:
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Gore was only few hundred votes from becoming President in 2000 and that means a lot.
We already have one. Except quite a few here reject the possibility that he could take on Hillary and defeat her on her own terms, complaining that he is "too liberal".
- John
So you're willing to hand it to Hillary instead? Great going.
Hillary never had any real competition for her senate seat.
That's how the article sounds. I can't believe the defeatism.
I'm going to corner the market on KY jelly.
It does, but he tried to be "moderate" against Bush in 00. He has become a raving lunatic since then. We are going to win in 08, and pick up seats to boot. Iraq will be pacified within 6 months and Bush will be riding high in the polls again. You heard it here first. ;o)
Oh, you mean like good chess players, they are thinking several moves ahead?
If only.
You must have completely misread my post.
I think Bush, Clinton, Bush, ROMNEY would be just as bad. I realise it's a "new" Romney, but how bout some new names? It's as if the 49ers and the Cowboys played in the super bowl every year for 10 years.
If the GOP establishment and the large financial contributors would look for another Ronald Reagan.
"liberals in the audience will admit in shock and awe that they agreed with everything he said."
That's no surprise, he is kinda liberal.
I think this is all a setup for Mr. Newt to step in and be the savior. I don't really have a problem with that. I think he'd make a splendid president. I think Giuliani would make a decent president too but i can't get over his pro-abortion (even though he says he doesn't like it) stance. Too much like Clinton's "safe, rare, and legal,"
I think you've discovered the reason Obama Yo-mama slapped her pony so early- exposure, and lots of it. Contrast his "articulate, and clean" personna to Hilda's.
Her response to the "evil men" dig was revealing: not at all comfortable with minor criticism, especially from her media.
This woman is strung way-too-tight to endure the pace and rigours of leading the pack into the final turn ("it's the spotlight, stupid"). Early to mid '08, I predict snappage that'll have her bouncing off padded walls in some publicly funded health facility somewhere.
You don't have a candidate this round.
Thems the breaks. It will be Rudy or Romney or Mccaine in that order.
Any of whom could beat Hillary.
Exactly true. She is not cornered yet by her political opponents and she is exhibiting this extreme nastiness, can you imagine her implosion once she is really pressured by her opponents? It will be a very ugly scene.
How is Newt a liberal?
*sits back to hear THIS explanation*
Amen to all that :)
Fun as it might be, it probably won't be enough to beat her. Lazio ripped Hillary up one side and down the other in their debates when he ran against her, and she still got elected by a landslide. Sometimes people can be really, really stupid. They don't seem to care about how lousy Hillary really is, they just know that they want to vote for her. Same thing happened in '96 with the other Clinton. People didn't care how depraved and idiotic Bill Clinton was, all they knew was that they wanted him to be President. I really don't understand it sometimes...
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