Posted on 10/16/2003 8:10:48 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
In 1968, Vice President Hubert Humphrey snagged the Democratic Party presidential nomination without winning a single primary. And before his assassination that same year, New York Sen. Robert Kennedy was the odds-on favorite to win his party's nod, even though he entered the race with just five months to go before the convention. Still, some political experts are saying that for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, time has just about run out for her to get into the 2004 race. Oct. 4 "was the 12th anniversary of Bill Clinton running," Democratic Party spokeswoman Deborah DeShong told Fox News earlier this week. "So most people have seen that date as a benchmark as the latest date a candidate could get in the race to win." DeShong isn't alone in warning that the clock is ticking for any Hillary 2004 presidential campaign. "It’s legally practically impossible for anybody, certainly after the turn of the year, to come in and win,” said Donald Robinson, professor of government at Smith College. John J. Pitney Jr., professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, gives Sen. Clinton a little more time, but not much. "Theoretically, a candidate could win a nomination without running in New Hampshire, but it is hard to see how such a route would lead to the White House,” he told Fox News. But is it really so hard to envision a successful presidential bid by someone who enters the race after New Hampshire? After all, while both President Bush and his predecessor, Mrs. Clinton's husband, ran in Granite State's primary, they both lost. What's more, when Bill Clinton entered the race in Oct. 1991 he was a complete unknown who needed time to build a national organization, name recognition and win over the party's big money donors. Mrs. Clinton faces no such obstacles. She has a campaign organization warming up in the bullpen while ostensibly working for Gen. Wesley Clark. She raises more money with the snap of her fingers than any other Democrat except for her husband. And she's the most recognizable elected politician in the world, with the possible exception of President Bush. During the 1992 race, the nomination wasn't considered settled till New York's April primary. Even then, more than a few Democrats griped that making Clinton their standard bearer would lead to disaster. As the state's make-or-break primary approached, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch used his WABC Radio show to beg party leaders to find someone else. "It happens that Bill Clinton has no credibility," Koch complained at the time. Even though New York Gov. Mario Cuomo had taken a pass on the New Hampshire primary, and had repeatedly told reporters that he wasn't interested in running, speculation still swirled that he would enter the race as the party's white knight - and somehow steal the nomination away from the "Comeback Kid." While conventional wisdom suggests that the 2004 Democratic nomination will be a done deal by New Hampshire or shortly thereafter, some say that the nominee won't be a lock until the convention in July. "The contest for next year's Democratic presidential nomination will be the most unpredictable in half a century," wrote New York Times op-ed columnist Ashbel Green a few months ago. "There is no front-runner now, and there is not likely to be one by next March, the time that most political experts and journalists usually figure the issue will be decided." Green sees the possibility of a brokered convention "if several candidates remain in play in July 2004, when the delegates convene in Boston." And if that happens, guess who'll be ready to assume the role of Democratic Party white knight this time.
One can only hope...
Hope all you want, folks. It's far from too late for Hillary to snag the nomination. But, only if Dubya becomes extremely vulnerable.
So let her run now and be defeated, maybe we can be rid of her then.
The Clintons need a nominee they can control, or destroy. That is the meaning of Wesley Clark.
Howard Dean, if nominated, had better stay away from Air Wellstone.
In other words, "No checks, credit, or democrats permitted" That should tell you something.
In this world of high tech, one must realize that the small wattage signals used to navigate charter aircraft (or C-130's in Kosovo) giving them instrument approach capability can be moved a half mile in a suitcase and will crash any plane doing a correct instrument approach. A false altimeter setting broadcast, or a false decend to and maintain advisory is terminal too. Screw the FAR's. If I had a rat on board, I'm using GPS and screw the regulations. To screw with GPS you've gotta have operatives in space and Hillary & Co. are not there yet. Although their Chinese friends might just help out........Forget it! No democrats on board period!
She will run in the 2008 election. She'll get her big butt kicked by the Republican incumbent Vice President Rice.
Clark was put in position by the Clinton's to prevent Dean capturing enough votes... Clark was a "4 star General" after all and gives the nomination process a counter balance to Dean for the more moderate Democrats to latch on to... you know..the "SECURITY thing" the far left lacks...
This will prevent Dean specifically.... (the other dwarfs are nothing but also rans).... from winning the nomination.
Clark can't win it either... the core base of the party has an aversion to anything military.
That means an open convention... Hillary, who "stayed above the fray and avoided debate will be standing on the convention podium smiling as the brokered nominee...and Wesley...for his loyal primary activity will be Hillary's "National security card" on the ticket.
National Security is the D'RATS weakness... "General" Wesley will be her perfect choice for number 2.
This is all so obviously "Clintonesque"
The Clintons don't wait.. they just strong arm and stack the deck!
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