Posted on 01/16/2006 4:38:45 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
President Bush's advisers are resigned to the Democratic capture of the White House in 2008, according to senior Republican sources close to the White House.
GOP sources said White House strategists have attempted to persuade Mr. Bush that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Democrat and her partys current front-runner to be the next presidential nominee, cannot be defeated in 2008. Bush strategists said the president should instead focus on seeking to retain the Republican majority in both houses of Congress in 2006 and 2008.
"There is nobody in the White House that will openly say we lost the presidency in 2008," a senior GOP source said. "But while the Democrats are completely focused on 2008, the White House has been completely aloof."
The strategists have argued that given the forecasts of a downturn in the economy, crises with China and Iran, Mrs. Clinton would be besieged with major problems that would ensure a one-term presidency, the sources said.
The strategists have pointed out that Mr. Bush, given the failing health of Vice President Dick Cheney, does not have a natural successor. Recently, Mr. Cheney, who suffers from heart problems, was rushed to the hospital because he had difficulties in breathing.
The sources said the strategists have assessed that Mrs. Clinton would easily win the Democratic leadership and the subsequent race for president. They said Mr. Bush has pledged to campaign vigorously for any GOP presidential nominee.
Administration sources said Mr. Bush has discussed the prospect of a Clinton presidency. But they asserted that the president has focused on the 2006 elections for Congress and the need to maintain the GOP majority.
"If we lost our majority in Congress, then the president immediately becomes a lame duck," an administration source said. "So, the talk of 2008 is not only premature, it's harmful."
Well, how French of them!
The Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton administration has ten more years. Why worry about the elections that far off?
.....everyone seems to be talking about it these days ....
There is no real news so they flog speculation.
I'm betting that when the dust settles, that the one's remaining standing will be the heads of the Moderate Wing and the Compassionate Conservative wings of the Party...that is, the standard bearers of the McCain wing and the Bush wing of the party.
John McCain will head the McCain wing.
Frist or Allen will head the Bush wing, and Pres. Bush is very beholden to Frist.
It'll come down to McCain or Frist. I see Condi Rice as the kicker VP candidate who will go with either candidate in order to blunt the female/black advantage that Hillary brings to the game.
Complete nonsense.
Even that has its limitations. The notion of putting Condi Rice in as VP is an extremely stupid idea. Hillary would merely anticipate it by nominating that nice Mr. Obama, thus keeping most black voters on the plantation. Rice only works for the Republicans at the top of the ticket.
People don't vote for the VP. But I anticipate Bush to make some personnel changes in the next year and a half to shake things up, so this article is kind of moot, imho. Bush is not the kind of man to leave his legacy to chance.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Good comments, but I do think that Rice would blunt the advantage of Hillary. This would be even more true if Obama were Hillary's VP.
This will come down to a shootout between the Bush/McCain wings of the party.
Our best standard bearer would be Cheney, but his health issues keep surfacing.
Are you sure it isn't "The Human Area Code", or is that Nadler?
I wonder what crack these crystal ball readers are smoking. LOL>
That's why the GOP settled for bob dole as our candidate in 96 rather than trying to get a better choice.
Hillary was a Republican before she was a Democrat/turn Socialist/turn moonbat/turn moderate/turn conservative. lol~She is a mess- no two ways about it.Any way the wind blows for power- Hillary.
Speaking as a Canadian looking forward to our Federal election on Jan. 23rd, in which we will turf the ruling Liberals and make Prime Minister a man somewhat to the right of your Pence and Gingrich, it's depressing to read that you all are going to elect a lefty such as She.
Yikes!
Why are you falling for this stupid story?
62 million Americans will look like Chicken feed. There is no more of a divisive person in politics today. So the Dems , with hillary running,will have the democrats and the liberal states locked up... that strategy worked well for them last election, didnt it?
I'm glad to hear that Her election is impossible.
What strategists? Give me some names. No offense but I think this story is bullfeathers. If Hillary is so unbeatable then why are the following dems already running against her for their party's nod:
Al Gore
John Kerry
John Edwards
Mark Warner
Bill Richardson
Tom Vilsack
Evan Bayh
Joe Biden
I highly doubt the above politicians would waste their time and money running again Hitlery if they didn't think they could beat her. I personally think she's too divisive and too partisan to win even one Red State, but in fact if she somehow miraculously is the dem nominee she'll probably end up ceding Wisconsin, Maine, Oregon, New Hampshire and maybe Minnesota to the Repub candidate, whoever he/she is.
God Bless America if it is Frist...we will all be in trouble. He is the worst Republican I have even witnessed in my life (short politically), but still.
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.