Poll: Even Democrats Say Hillary Can't Win

NewsMax ^ | 31 January 2007 | Dick Morris & Eileen McGann

[Aussie Dasher]

A neat bit of polling by the Gallup Organization shows that what's hurting Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primaries.

It isn't so much her vote on Iraq or even her flip-flops on the issue. What's undermining her support among liberals is doubts about her electability.

The poll results suggest that many liberals see the primaries as a kind of audition where they assess not only whether they like or agree with a candidate, but whether she can lead them to the White House in 2008. This degree of pragmatism is often seen in Republican circles, but is relatively new on the other side of the aisle.

Gallup asked a national sample of Democratic primary voters from Jan. 5-7 if they'd vote for Hillary if the primary were today. About a third (34 percent) said they definitely would, and about half (52 percent) said they "might consider" voting for her.

The remaining 14 percent said they would "definitely not" support her in the primary.

Then, Gallup followed up with the two-thirds of the sample that was not "definitely" voting for Hillary — asking why. The No. 1 reason? They felt she couldn't win.

Twenty-nine percent cited the fear that she would lose the general election; 16 percent mentioned her inability to win the nomination as a "major reason" for not voting for her.

Many cited both.

Only 26 percent said the major reason for their lack of support was disagreement on the issues; 11 percent cited personal dislike of her, and 10 percent said they didn't want "another Clinton in the White House."

This indicates that there is a large "secondary market" for attacks on Sen. Clinton. The primary market for such attacks is, of course, the legions of general-election voters who don't like her and don't think she should be president (including us). But liberals, while not necessarily embracing the negatives themselves, see them as a cause to doubt her political viability — and thus a reason not to vote for her.

So attacks on Hillary are not just important among the Hillary-haters — they also fuel doubts even among Democratic true-believers.

This, while she faces a double (or triple) squeeze play — her charisma squeezed by the first female speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and her ideological positioning under pressure from Sen. Barack Obama from the center and ex-Sen. John Edwards from the left.

All that could leave her the second choice of too many Democrats — especially if they really conclude she can't win.

[Aussie Dasher]

All well and good but we should take NO chances!!!

[kinoxi]

Obamarama.

[neodad]

This, while she faces a double (or triple) squeeze play — her charisma squeezed by the first female speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and her ideological positioning under pressure from Sen. Barack Obama from the center and ex-Sen. John Edwards from the left

Now that's one group scene I don't ever want to see!

[Red Steel]

Go Hillary Go! LoL!

[KTM rider]

Lets see,Hmmmm, Hillary or McCain.....
can't decide

[malia]

Well, they are wrong!!! Just watch!!!

[volunbeer]

If we have the turnout we did in the last election I am certain she can win.

She is a horrible candidate but the apathy among GOP voters could easily swing the election her way.

[babygene]

The idiot Gore is probably their most electable candidate, and he for now isn't running...

[oyez]

Frau Blucher in waining.

[potlatch]

 

 

[babygene]

Trust me... Neither Hilary or Hassane Obama is going to be the Democrat candidate.

[HAL9000]

The experts said Bill Clinton couldn't win either.

[supremedoctrine]

I don't see it: Hillary could lose needed support only if it were proved she and her machine are behind whatever dirt is dug up and thrown at Obama: another moron who doesn't deserve a nomination for anything. She will be out there every day being just as "adorable" as she was a day or so ago with the "What do I have in my background that shows I can deal with bad and evil men?" schtick. It is entirely possible she can charm enough people with a hitherto unseen "side" of her personality, PLUS a careful positioning ideologically in exactly the way her husband, the "New Democrat" managed to do it fifteen years ago. It could happen. And NEVER underestimate the power of "name-recognition". We are USED to her, for whatever that's worth. She will NOT win, though, because there will be enough voters swinging away from her, fearful of the scary dynastic possibility of "Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush, Clinton". We have to get off these tracks, the voters could tell themselves.

[Prost1]

"Let's chat, let's talk, let's dialogue...."

The smartest woman in the world doesn't know the difference between a verb and an noun?

Oh, the gaffs of G.W. Bush.

But, Hillary is soooo articulate. "....let's dialogue..."

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/dialogue;_ylt=AhY2t3k2DmWT2Mw1TaOlI32sgMMF
"In recent years the verb sense of dialogue meaning "to engage in an informal exchange of views" has been revived, particularly with reference to communication between parties in institutional or political contexts. Although Shakespeare, Coleridge, and Carlyle used it, this usage today is widely regarded as jargon or bureaucratese. Ninety-eight percent of the Usage Panel rejects the sentence Critics have charged that the department was remiss in not trying to dialogue with representatives of the community before hiring the new officers."

[devolve]

You're the Wizardess!

[potlatch]

Of OZZ I think.

[volunbeer]

""The experts said Bill Clinton couldn't win either.""

Very true but the Perot factor was huge in that election. No Perot and probably no Clinton.

[lt.america]

I agree. It isn't always the best thing to be positioned out in front this far before the primaries because you become a target. It would seem to me that the Democrats best chances are with those who have prior executive branch experience. I still think Sen. Bayh has some of the best credentials, but I don't know how far to the left he is willing to lean.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Beast is hungry; she must devour all those who stand in her way:

[spikeytx86]

It's going to be John Edwards this time mark my words. He is considered to be an electable liberal by Dem. primary voters. Hollywood loves him, Labor is gaga over him, he has vowed to raise taxes and backs single payer. He's there man.

[Aussie Dasher]

I agree. Edwards is their man!

[devolve]

[potlatch]

Snicker! Plenty of yellow brick road for me to travel there!!

[devolve]

LOL!

I wanted to fill up your screen!

[HAL9000]

Very true but the Perot factor was huge in that election. No Perot and probably no Clinton.

We'll never know. Clinton won his party's nomination, so it's possible he could have won without Perot in the race.

I think Bill Clinton won because he is "an unusually good liar", as Bob Kerrey put it.

[potlatch]

It totally filled up my 19 inch screen so you did a good job of it, lol.

[devolve]

Looks really good

That is the larger "M" size .gif

Have an addition I'll try too

[Cobra64]

Reminds me of people who use the word "quote" as a noun.

And the simpletons who use:

your vs. you're

there vs. their

to vs. too

For a lesson in poor grammar useage, listen to Sean Vannity; "three hours a day is all we ask."

[potlatch]

M for medium?? Please don't use your large size BG, lol. Or maybe you mean the gif.

[Cobra64]

He's there man.

Huh? Where?

[Cobra64]

I'll fill yer screen two.

[Northern Alliance]

All well and good but we should take NO chances!!!

She can't win - I've said it many times, but Edwards can, and he is even more scary.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

bump

[M-cubed]

Gawd!...Why did u do that!...Now I want to make one of those...lol

[TigersEye]

Run, Hillary. RUN!

[Fresh Wind]

Clinton won his party's nomination, so it's possible he could have won without Perot in the race.

Not only possible, probable. Perot would have had to have pulled about 65% of his votes from Bush to have tilted the election to Clinton. I doubt that happened.

[Seadog Bytes]

=:- )

[Joe Boucher]

I've got this little Hillery doll and I keep sticking pins and needles through its heart. Hasn't done any good then I remembered she hasn't a heart. So I started sticking pins and needles in its head and then I remembered she has no brain. So finally I started sticking them in her butt cause everyone knows full well she has an aple one of those.

[Fred Hayek]

No, no, not pins and needles! You need to use a miniature wooden stake. Also have a cross and holy water handy!

[jmaroneps37]

This was written on an odd day. On odd days little dick says the beast can't win. Tomorrow he will assure us all that say can't lose.

[sergeantdave]

This election should be covered by homicide detectives and forensic experts.

The politically dead bodies will reach to the second floor by June 1. I'm putting my dime on Dennis Kucinich to crawl to the top of the heap. The "What, me worry?" kid will pull off the upset in Iowa and bomb away the entire field in New Hampshire.

He will stumble a bit in South Carolina as the citizens there realize the democrats are insane, but he will recover in Michigan as Gov. Jenny Grandstand declares him a "cool city," and Dennis molts into a taxpayer funded couscous stand to fed the hungry across America.

[Graymatter]

>>On odd days little dick says the beast can't win. Tomorrow he will assure us all that she can't lose.

Only a week or so ago, Morris wrote:

"Edwards is winning the race to the left -- the key place to be in the Democratic primaries." That was posted Jan. 21. Thread ("Hillary In Trouble") here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1771317/posts

I thought it odd he'd say that, since it certainly wasn't the winning place for Dean; the Dems went with the apparently safe, less loony (in their eyes) Kerry, the great war hero and lifelong statesman (in their universe). Morris knows Hillary will run to the center to avoid the fate of Dean. She's marginal enough as it is, being female, and will need to stress normalcy and heartland qualities to appeal to the voters in Iowa---lest she lose it, a stumble that would bring the media jackals down on her. Yet last week Morris was suggesting that a liberal will prevail, which he knows she will avoid appearing to be.

And prior to that I read a Morris quote on FR:
"I have said from the beginning that she will be the next President."

Morris needs her around, frightening people. It's rather stale but I think he's trying to remain relevant. His association with her is also his most marketable quality. Consistent he ain't!

[jveritas]

Bill Clinton is vastly more charismatic than Hillary Clinton and despite that we hate his politics the man is far more charming than Hillary Clinton. Forget her extreme liberal politics and flip flops for a moment and just focus on her character. The woman is very mean and nasty and she simply cannot hide it and the media cannot cover for her on this issue no matter what. Whenever she speaks you can easily detect a very nasty and mean tone in her voice. You look at her face and you see those mean and nasty looks. Her voice is annoying to the nth degree. Her laughter is very b**chy. Nasty women are easier to detect than nasty men and mean women are much less acceptable than mean man. The majority of voters are going to notice this rather quickly and they will be turned off by her. Although she may win the democrat primaries, I doubt very much that she is going to win the general elections.

[Gritty]

[kabar]

Trust me... Neither Hilary or Hassane Obama is going to be the Democrat candidate.

Unless Gore decides to enter, Hillary will be the Dem candidate. Trust me.

[kabar]

Edwards doesn't stand a chance. He can't compare to Hillary in fund raising or political organization or name recognition. With Bill leading the charge, the nomination of Hillary will be a coronation. The only Dem who could possibly challenge her is Gore and he says he isn't running. The first Dem Presidential debate is just about three months away in South Carolina.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

The experts said Bill Clinton couldn't win either.

Yes, but those were pre-internet, pre-Pajama Patrol experts.

[don-o]

waidamimit here! Why then this constant drumbeat on this board that we HAVE to nominate a RINO to defeat her Thighness?

[NaughtiusMaximus]

As comforting as it is to believe this, the Clintons have shown themselves to be master snake oil salesmen and the American electorate, to put it mildly, are none too bright.

[Between the Lines]

The best chance for Hillary to become president is if the albatross (Bill) around her neck is removed. It is entirely possible that Bill will join the large Arkansas body count and Hillary swept into office in a wave of sympathy.

If I were Bill I would go into hiding for the next year.