Posted on 01/10/2005 8:43:06 AM PST by areafiftyone
Those who would stick their heads in the sand and maintain that Sen. Hillary Clinton could never be elected president are in for a rude shock, according to the latest data from the Fox News survey.
In a poll taken last month, Americans said they felt the New York Democrat was “qualified to be president of the United States” by 59-34 percent. Clinton showed strength among all traditional Democratic voters, winning the approval of Sen. John Kerry supporters by 80-13, blacks by 80-8, all women by 64-29 and unmarried women by 69-24 and people under 30 by 73-20.
But she also did well among more traditionally Republican constituencies. Men said she was qualified by 53-40. Southerners agreed by 55-36, as did those earning more than $75,000 per year, who felt she was qualified by 58-39. While 80 percent of liberals felt she was qualified, so did 59 percent of moderates and 43 percent of self-described conservatives. Incredibly, so did 33 percent of Republicans and 37 percent of Bush voters.
Of course, many of those voters would not actually support Hillary, and the Fox News poll was careful to precede the question by saying, “Regardless of whether you would vote for Hillary Clinton or not, …” the breadth of her acceptability indicates that she has passed the national threshold for political viability.
The Fox News poll tested Hillary against several possible 2008 GOP contenders and found that she ran ahead of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush by 46-35, ahead of New York Gov. George Pataki by 41-35 and ahead of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) by 40-33.
Nor is there any basis for believing the conventional GOP wisdom that a Hillary candidacy would trigger a backlash among men, conservatives and Republicans.
When Fox News matched the former first lady against Jeb Bush in a trial heat, Hillary’s numbers were similar to those former presidential candidate Kerry racked up in a parallel test.
Among men, for example, Hillary defeated Jeb Bush by 44-39 while Kerry broke even, 42-42. While 23 percent of conservatives supported Hillary against the president’s brother, only 21 percent backed Kerry in a similar contest.
Geographically, Hillary beat Southerners Jeb Bush and Frist in the South, beating Bush in the red-state region by 42-41 and Frist by 38-37. And, in the critical Midwest, where most swing states are located, Hillary ran 11 points ahead of Jeb Bush, 10 ahead of Frist and six ahead of Pataki.
The strongest candidate against Hillary is, of course, Rudy Guiliani, whom an earlier Fox News poll showed beating her by almost 10 points. But the former New York City mayor will have a hard time winning the Republican nomination. Can a pro-abortion-rights, pro-affirmative-action, pro-gay-rights, pro-gun-control, pro-immigration moderate win Republican primaries?
Ultimately, the only Republican who may be able to beat Hillary is Bush’s nominee for secretary of state, Condeleezza Rice. Able to appeal to black and female voters without sacrificing support among whites and men, Condi could be the only figure who stands between Hillary and the White House.
And, unlike Rudy — and also unlike Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — Condi can probably win the nomination. A social conservative who will elaborate her largely traditional views on important values issues as an inevitable part of her service as secretary of State, Rice can win primaries where Guiliani cannot and beat Hillary where neither Frist nor Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) nor Jeb Bush nor Pataki can.
Will Condi run? It is very important that she does. But it is very important to end the Republican complaisance about a Hillary candidacy. The assumption that she is radioactive among moderates and will self-destruct is comforting but completely untrue. Hillary will be the strongest Democratic candidate since her husband ran.
Like Bill, she will tack to the center and take a traditional line on controversial social issues like gay marriage. But we must always remember that while Bill is a moderate who becomes a liberal when he must, that Hillary is a liberal who pretends moderation when she has to.
we must clip the pig's wings so she can't fly..... we all must become "the vast right wing conspiracy" that she claimed was trying to bring down her husband, only this time we must act the part.......
I dont know whats going on with this FOX poll. But the last time one of these came out, there had been another poll out just a few days prior that said the shrill one had no chance in he!! of getting elected.
Thanks.
And we were all Bush voters.
I agree completely. I am ready to go up against her anytime.
In many respects, Hillary is Dick Morris' meal ticket. He fashions himself an authority on the Beast but I doubt that there are too many people who really know her..including Bill. I really believe she is a real threat to this country and has had her designs on changing it for decades.
Precisely. All she has to do is talk tough on immigration and she adds Arizona and Colorado.
Assuming she carries every state Kerry did and there is no reason to believe she won't, she's in.
No guarantee she won't get the nomination ? Dean, like McCarthy in 68 was a movement candidate who couldn't go the distance. Hillary is a consummate professional who won't scream on national tv.
And immigration will split the GOP.
And siphon off political capital the cultural conservatives think is owed to them. If cultural conservatives have little to show for the next four years, it will be hard to get them juiced up in 2008.
A point about cultural conservatives I always like to make is that they are the children and grandchildren of New Deal Democrats and the great grandchildren of William Jennings Bryan Populists. They were never "The business of America is business" Old Guard Republicans. They are open to an appeal based on economic populism on issues like immigration, trade, and outsourcing.
And how many Keriks are there in Giuliani's circle of associates ?
Witness the clapsaddled addlepated morons who abide in your home state, lining up to robotically vote for an inane dope and alcohol addict who drowned a girl .. a fellow Democrat in fact ... and is now not only completely forgiven, but lionized. Huzzah! Huzzah!
By the time '08 rolls around, Hillary Clinton, The Rapist's Enabler, The Fixer of Little Rock, Bill's Bag Man, Vince Foster's Old Squeeze, The Bimbo Eruption Quasher, will be enjoying the same reputation as Mother Theresa. (Not Kerry's Life Support Unit, but the real one in Heaven.) She will enjoy 4 more years of absolutely rhapsodic press. She will never be photographed from behind.
And she will be the beneficiary of an election so corrupt, it will make Donna Brazile, Fast Eddie Rendell, Dick Daly, and the dead, but still enthusiastic, voters of King County, Washington, blush with shame.
As should you for writing the unfortunately phrased".....we will lay that dog to rest once and for all!"
I am with you on this one. It's a long way to 2008. And Dick Morris' predictions were flip-flopping as much as the Frenchurian Candidate himself.
You're talking about when the dims weren't off the wall. They are screamers like Dean is. It seems like the more bizzare their candidate is, the more they like them. Just remember back at his rallies. They're nuts.
America is ready for Condi Rice.
IMO, if GW doesn't have things cleared up in the Middle East (Iraq) by 2008, then, all other things being equal, Hillary can win easily. Most Americans don't realize she is a true socialist, and might not care if they did know.
IMO, it's more correct to say that "Hillary is a socialist who pretends to be a liberal when she has to."
Dick Morris is right. Condi is our only chance. I just hope the Puritans realize this and for once, become team players and support Ms. Rice instead of taking their Single Issue Balls and going home.
Hillary would destroy this country. That is a simple fact!
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