Posted on 01/10/2016 2:43:41 PM PST by Kaslin
While much of the ongoing evaluation of the Democrat primary remains both hypothetical and anecdotal until we start counting some votes, I can say with 100% certainty that Bernie Sanders has two big fans in my household. One is my wife, a Democrat who really likes Bernie for the next president and despises Hillary Clinton to the point where she suggested one evening (after a glass of brandy) that she might even vote for Trump over the former First Lady. The other, of course, is me. I still have to believe that running an avowed socialist on the Democrat ticket would be essentially an unbeatable plan for electing any of the Republicans currently under consideration. But thus far I’ve never really believed that Bernie would get within smelling distance of the nomination and, as far as I can tell, neither did Hillary Clinton.
Oh, she talked a good game to be sure and sent out her surrogates to all the talk shows, proclaiming that they respected Sanders and expected a tough battle, but nobody in Clintonland seriously thought Bernie was going anywhere. So has that changed? If you listen to Liz Kreutz at ABC News, they’d certainly like you to think so.
The most blatant sign came earlier this week when Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook sent a fundraising email to supporters with the subject line “nervous.”
“There’s a situation developing in Iowa and New Hampshire that could change the course of this election,” Mook wrote in the e-mail, noting that Sanders’ campaign is outspending Clinton in TV ads in the two early states.
Two days later, the campaign sent another fundraising email mentioning the “(seriously!) tight” polls in New Hampshire.
Mildly alarming your donor base in an effort to squeeze out a few more dollars is nothing new in politics at any level, so those sorts of missives don’t give much of an indicator in my opinion. But I did perk up my ears (at least a little) when I heard a recording of Clinton herself calling in to one of the MSNBC evening gab festivals. (CNN)
For months, Clinton’s campaign declined to get into regular exchanges with Sanders and his aides. Clinton herself waited months to even say his name on the campaign trail. The offensive stance was on full display on Friday night, when Clinton and her aides let loose on Sanders on guns.
“When it really mattered, Senator Sanders voted with the gun lobby and I voted against the gun lobby,” Clinton said, taking the unusual step of calling into MSNBC’s “Hardball.”
She accused Sanders of saying one thing and doing another and called on him to “introduce legislation to repeal the immunity that was given to gun makers and sellers.”
So does that make it real? Is Hillary Clinton really starting to hear footsteps behind her and doubting that the Democrat base will send her into the general election? Sorry, but I’m still not buying it. The Clinton machine has been at this game for a very long time, and while not always successful, they know how all of this works. Sending a few signals to keep her donors and base voters on their toes is actually fairly typical. Yes, the polls indicate that she’s in a very tight race in both Iowa and New Hampshire, but that’s all. There was a time (pre-internet) when most folks had little idea what direction a race was taking until the first two states voted and a surprise winner coming out of either of them (or both) could translate into a huge swing in the standings. As far as I can tell, those days are pretty much over. The entire country gets CNN, MSNBC and Fox, as well as having online access to the major newspapers and the campaigns themselves. Voters are settling on their candidates everywhere, not just waiting to see what happens in Boise or Nashua. Bernie is doing well in those two states because he’s essentially lived there and flushed all of his money into them. Once you leave New Hampshire, Bernie is nowhere to be seen in the polls and Clinton absolutely knows that. One or two early losses would be embarrassing, but it’s nothing she can’t overcome with a big string of wins in the following few weeks.
If Hillary Clinton is worried about anyone these days, it’s not Bernie Sanders. It’s an as yet unnamed person from the FBI who might be knocking on the door asking her about the magical, disappearing document classification headers revealed in her emails. She’s busy claiming that there’s no there there, but it’s as unlikely of an explanation as could be imagined. If anything is going to change this race it would be a sudden arrest, not that I find it likely to happen with Obama’s people in charge of the Department of Justice. Yet it does leave us with one interesting exit question today: if you win the election but the inauguration is scheduled for a day when you’re in prison, do they let you out for the ceremony or does John Roberts need to go down to the jail to swear you in?
The country got sick of her.
I doubt if she is afraid in the long run. She will get the nomination.
But...if she loses Iowa, and the New Hampshire then people will start feeling “The Bern.”
If she is a clear front runner there is going to be pressure to make any indictment a “political” issue. I don’t think Obama will give up his FBI Director to save Hillary. Because if they indict, and Lynch balks you could see a “Saturday Night Massacre” which she might survive if she is perceived as strong.
If she is weak....the media will chew her up.
The movie coming out next week is not going to help.
What Herself is REALLY worried abut is that she may stroke out right there on stage, not merely a collapse, but genuine and massive brain damage.
Years of alcohol abuse, and traumatic head injuries in December 2012. The chickens are all coming in to roost.
If you have never been around chickens, the analogy to chicken roosts does not make much sense.
I don’t believe this for a second. If she was really worried about him . . he’d have a suspicious heart attack or suicide (2 shots to the back of the head).
Crazy uncle joe biden’s comments recently about his decision not to run this time, are a telling part of this story. There are a few on the left wing making themselves available to be drafted if the hildabeast falls.
Sanders, the scum-sucking socialist, better watch his back. This video may cause his untimely demise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y
Just occurred to me, that Hitlery wouldnt even tell the truth if her own daughter or granddaughter were facing prison instead of her. The woman is an alcoholic pathologic lyhing murderess...Gods wrath is too good for that beast!
It just a topic for filler to kill time and news cycles.
She is feeling the heat from the FBI in case they get the nerve up to act. This is just a trial balloon, one of many excuses she could use to exit the race (God willing.)
c'mon bernie, stick your finger in it, make her smile
I have a son in college up in Massachusetts and over the Christmas holiday, he tells me that the entire campus is all abuzz over Bernie.
I'm thinking Bernie is going to win NH rather convincingly. If he pulls off Iowa, than look out because the Democrat establishment will be in full panic mode as even they are not crazy enough to want a full-blown socialist getting their nomination.
I think Jumpin' Joe Biden is already doing soft tosses in the Democrat bullpen.
Crazy Joe said this past week that he thinks about running for president all the time. He sent a signal that he is ready to jump[ in when Granny is arrested.
I had a friend who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head twice. It has happened.
Not sure I agree. She will probably win the nomination, but it will be harder than she thinks. Bernie is hip the way Obama was hip. He will do well in lilly white areas and hipster demographics. This leaves traditional blue collar union democrats. But that is now Trump’s demographic. Will they stay home in the democrat primaries? Will they switch parties or drop their affiliations? If she can’t get those people, she can’t get nominated.
I think Uncle Joe is warming up as well.
As far a chickens go, Hillary should be more afraid of
even one little spot of FBI blood getting on her feathers,
the others will peck her to death.
Run Bernie, Run. You old coot.
Hillary should check out Eugene V. Debs, a committed leftist who ran for president in 1920 from a prison cell.
Sanders is the least of The Beast’s problems.
Can you say indictment?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.