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GOP Views Clinton As Virtually Unbeatable
The Politico ^ | 2/7/2007 | Carrie Sheffield and Jim VandeHei

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 ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; hillary; verrucktenfreude
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To: Mike Bates
Anyone who poo-poos Hillary's chances (including many here on FR) will be making the same mistake we did in '92 with another Clinton. Hillary is well-financed and managed to the nth degree. The lamestream press treats her with kid gloves, and will savage any opponent she draws. There is also a strong group-identity/victim dynamic in politics today and Hillary will exploit that to the maximum, just like she did against Lazio.

Whether we want to admit it or not, most of the electorate still gets their information from "traditional" media. The lamestream press will still be a powerful force in the '08 election. The media was absolutely desperate to elect a female Speaker of the House in '06, they pulled out all the stops to get one and succeeded. Likewise, they are desperate for a female President in '08, and they will do whatever it takes to get one. If they can't have that, they'll settle for an ersatz black President in Hussein Obama. Either way, the country will be in a world of hurt.

21 posted on 02/07/2007 5:57:11 AM PST by chimera
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To: linda_22003
Nothing like giving up early, is there?

It's almost like the two Parties have already cut a deal.

22 posted on 02/07/2007 5:57:19 AM PST by airborne (Elect an Airborne Ranger,Vietnam Veteran for President ! Duncan Hunter 2008!!)
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To: MNJohnnie













23 posted on 02/07/2007 5:58:40 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: Mike Bates

Hillary's greatest supporters are single-issue conservatives who would refuse to vote because they disagreed with the GOP nominee on that single issue.


24 posted on 02/07/2007 5:59:04 AM PST by nwrep
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To: chimera
Anyone who poo-poos Hillary's chances (including many here on FR) will be making the same mistake we did in '92 with another Clinton

Agreed.

25 posted on 02/07/2007 5:59:25 AM PST by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: Mike Bates
Hey DeLay, how about returnijng to Conservative roots and message.. NOW! Spend 2 years reining in the bloated budget, start really fighting for conservative values, and question everything she says every single day...

or is it easier for you to give up?

26 posted on 02/07/2007 5:59:45 AM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: Mike Bates

So we should just quit looking, cancel the primaries and head for the hills? Whatever.

BTW, I think Hillary looks like she is beaten every day... by an ugly stick.


27 posted on 02/07/2007 6:00:08 AM PST by WV Mountain Mama (Adventure is the invitation to common people to become uncommon. Warren Miller)
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To: Mike Bates

"GOP Views Clinton As Virtually Unbeatable"

The GOP might as well be known as the French. They always surrender before the first shot is fired.


28 posted on 02/07/2007 6:00:17 AM PST by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
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To: Mike Bates
This is a classic case of the cult of personality. She is a horrible speaker. And she would be exposed during any debate with someone like Newt Gingrich. Her veneer would melt very quickly once she is juxtaposed with someone that has substance.
29 posted on 02/07/2007 6:00:28 AM PST by slowhand520
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To: Mike Bates

Yep, that's that old "can't do" spirit that the GOP leaders are famous for. That's why they couldn't do anything meaningful in the 12 years they were in power on the Hill, particularly the six years when they held both the Congress and the Presidency. What push-overs they are for Hellery and the Dems, who never doubt that they should be running the country and achieving their goal of socialism for the USA.


30 posted on 02/07/2007 6:01:00 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: twonie

"She is beatable. She has so much baggage they won't let her in a good hotel."

Here is the problem: The MSM loves her, and her baggage won't be discussed, ever. Since the average American can barely tear themselves away from American Idol to watch the MSM evening news, most Americans won't know the real Hillary! until she's the president.
Very few of us thought she could be elected as a Sentor in an obvious move as a carpet bagger. She had virtually no connection to New York state, and she was elected.
MSM wants a woman or a minority as president, Hillary! will work for them.
Idiot dems think that getting Hillary! means getting Bill, and the still pine for Bill.

We are screwed. No one, either left or right, will be happy with her heinous Hillary!


31 posted on 02/07/2007 6:01:07 AM PST by brownsfan (It's not a war on terror... it's a war with islam.)
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To: westmichman

No, sir. I will fight buy I'll not surrender. Somebody hands you a white flag? Paint stars and stripes on it and keep fighting. I refuse to be demoralized by a load of gutter trash like the democrat party.


32 posted on 02/07/2007 6:01:19 AM PST by twonie (Just because there are fewer of us don't mean we are wrong.)
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To: Mike Bates

Dick Army was on F&F this morning saying basically the same thing -- that the election (Nov 08) was Hillary's to lose.

GOP leadership seems to like being in the minority again and seem to be wanting to keep that designation.


33 posted on 02/07/2007 6:01:20 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: MNJohnnie
If the GOP establishment and the large financial contributors would look for another Ronald Reagan and not keep trying to shove "Rudy McRomney" down our throats, they might rebuild the coalition that brought Reagan to power in 1980 and broke the 40 year Democratic lock on Congress in 1994. However, the establishment may harbor a desire to go back to the era where the Republican Party was a gentlemanly minority opposition to the Democrats.
34 posted on 02/07/2007 6:01:22 AM PST by Wallace T.
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To: airborne
Hell yeah it does. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton? 24 years of either Bush or Clinton? Give me a break.

Let me guess. Jeb Bush will step in to battle Hillary for the good of the nation and the war effort.

35 posted on 02/07/2007 6:02:35 AM PST by normy (Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.)
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To: Mike Bates

Hillary is "old news" as we discussed on another thread. I don't think she'll get the nomination.

Barring formidable scandalous stuff surfacing, I think that Pelosi will be the surprise nominee.

Clinton already has formidable scandaloous stuff on her resume. A dear friend of mine, further left than his congressman Baghdad Jim McDermott (D WA), tells me that the Clintons are detested by a lot of lefties. Surprisingly, for about the same reasons we detest them, including but not limited to Hill's well-known trysts with ladies in the Clinton administration, says friend, who is otherwise a staunch supporter of all gay causes. Who knew?


36 posted on 02/07/2007 6:02:50 AM PST by Veto! (Opinions freely dispensed as advice)
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To: LiveFree99; Mike Bates
She's eminently beatable! In less than two weeks of 'campaigning' she has already

- stated that the war has to end by inauguration in 2009

- stated that she will appropriate oil company profits (that's socialism!)

I can't wait to hear what whopper she tells next!

37 posted on 02/07/2007 6:03:00 AM PST by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

Hehe, nice pics!


38 posted on 02/07/2007 6:03:12 AM PST by billybudd
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To: Veto!
Barring formidable scandalous stuff surfacing, I think that Pelosi will be the surprise nominee.

That WOULD be a surprise.

39 posted on 02/07/2007 6:03:57 AM PST by Mike Bates (Irish Alzheimer's victim: I only remember the grudges.)
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To: july4thfreedomfoundation

Exactly!


40 posted on 02/07/2007 6:04:25 AM PST by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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