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The Top 8 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Is a Weaker Candidate Than People Think
Human Events Online ^
| 14 June 2006
| John Hawkins
Posted on 06/13/2006 11:40:49 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Weve heard a lot about why Hillary Clinton will be a strong candidate in 2008. In fact, there are whole books on the subject.
However, Hillary Clinton is actually a much weaker candidate than many people seem to believe. Heres a short, but sweet primer that may help explain why that is the case:
1. Likeability and Charisma
If you look back at the last eight presidential elections, at least, the more likeable candidate has won every time. Thats unfortunate for Hillary because unlike her slick, gregarious husband, she does not have the gift of gab or a warm personality. If Hillary has to pass the old, Gee, would I rather go to a ball game, grab some pizza, or get a beer with Hillary or the Republican candidate, test, shes going to be in a lot of trouble unless the person asking the question is wearing a tinfoil hat or is such a radical lefty that she has a I (heart) abortion bumper sticker on her car.
2. Gaffes
Hillary not only lacks charisma and likeability, shes more gaffe prone than most people seem to realize. For example, back in March she suggested that the illegal immigration bill in the House, would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself.
Then there were her wacky comments about school vouchers back in February:
First family that comes and says I want to send my daughter to St. Peters Roman Catholic School and you say Great, wonderful school, heres your voucher, Clinton said. Next parent that comes and says, I want to send my child to the school of the Church of the White Supremacist ... The parent says, The way that I read Genesis, Cain was marked, therefore I believe in white supremacy. ... You gave it to a Catholic parent, you gave it to a Jewish parent, under the Constitution, you cant discriminate against me.
As an adoring, if somewhat puzzled, audience of Bronx activists looked on, Clinton added, So what if the next parent comes and says, I want to send my child to the School of the Jihad? ... I wont stand for it.
Criminalizing Jesus? Cain and the Church of the White Supremacist? The School of Jihad? What?!? You put this woman in front of a camera for a year, in a presidential campaign, where every word the candidate utters is scrutinized like the Zapruder tape and shell give plenty of ammunition to her opponent.
3. She Cant Win in the South
The only two Democratic candidates for the presidency whove won elections since Lyndon Johnson was in office have been two Southern governors, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Why were they able to win? Because unlike John Kerry or Al Gore, they were able to win southern states. Northern liberals like Hillary? They dont do well in the South and Hillary will have a lot of difficulty reversing that trend. After all, not only is she a liberal, from a liberal state, with a liberal voting record, she apparently disliked living in the South so much that she moved to New York. Good luck connecting with the NASCAR crowd after that Hillary, cause youre going to need it!
4. Hillarys Base Problem
Heres a little secret: a lot of liberals dont really want Hillary as their candidate in 2008. Some of them dont like her stance on the war. Others dont like her close relationship with the DLC, which is perceived as being too moderate. There are even some liberals that are probably unhappy with her, as much as anything, because she has been treated like the chosen one for the Democrats since the 2004 election.
The result of this is that some of the more hardcore liberal activists arent thrilled with Hillarys candidacy and theyre not shy about saying so. In fact, it has gotten so bad that the more time Democrats spend reading liberal bloggers, the cooler they get to Hillary. Thats not exactly the kind of reaction a candidate hopes for from people who should be some of her biggest supporters.
5. Hillary Will Increase Turnoutfor the GOP
Remember how the Democrats turned out in droves in 2004 so they could vote against President Bush? Well, the same thing would happen on the Republican side if Hillary were the Democratic nominee. There are few words in the English language more terrifying to Republicans than, President Hillary Clinton, and its almost guaranteed that they will turn out in record numbers to make sure it never happens.
6. Hillary as Commander in Chief?
In general, the Democrats have serious credibility problems on national security and Hillary is not going to be the one to reverse that trend. Unlike candidates like John Kerry and Jimmy Carter, she doesnt have a military background to fall back on. Moreover, her husbands administration was lackadaisical about fighting terrorism and although Hillary did vote for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, she certainly hasnt developed a reputation as a hawk, like say Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman. Although at this point, its hard to know exactly what the foreign policy landscape will look like in November of 2008, its unlikely to be tranquil and that will be a major strike against Hillary.
7. Her Polling Numbers Arent Very Good
Since Hillary has been the frontrunner on the Democratic side from the moment that John Kerry conceded, she has been the subject of a lot of 2008 related polls. Unfortunately for her, those numbers havent looked particularly good.
For example, In mid-May of this year, Rasmussen Reports had Hillarys unfavorable rating among adults at 39%. Another mid-May poll, from the New York Times, had 34% of Americans viewing her favorably and 35% viewing her unfavorably.
Perhaps that sort of soft support explains the results of a January 2006, CNN/Gallup poll which found that, By a margin of three to one, Americans say they would definitely vote against Hillary Clinton for president.
Given that Hillary already has extremely high name recognition, these bad numbers dont bode well for her chances to win the presidency.
8. Baggage
Hillary is carrying around as much baggage as any of the other five candidates combined, starting with her philandering husband. In fact, there are so many controversies that have swirled around Bill and Hill than you can hardly list them all: Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broderick, Whitewater, selling the Lincoln bedroom, using the IRS against political enemies, selling pardons, taking the White House furniture, shady cattle futures deals, impeachment, firing the travel office staff to make room for cronies, it goes on and on and on. Discount these scandals as old news if you like, but the American people are going to think long and hard before they vote to turn the White House into the sort of sleazy circus sideshow that it was during Bill Clintons tenure as President.
Conclusion
Although Hillary Clinton would be far from a pushover, shes not an unstoppable juggernaut either. To the contrary, Hillary is a deeply flawed candidate who would have great difficulty beating a credible, conservative Republican. So while its important not to get overconfident about a potential race against Hillary Clinton, we shouldnt minimize her numerous weaknesses either.
TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; hildebeaste; hillary2008; hitlery; mrsbj; witchofwashington
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To: NewRomeTacitus
To: AZLiberty
;) thanx
THE DECLINE OF HILLARY CLINTON: THE DYNAMICS (SHE HAS ONLY ONE WAY TO GO. AND IT ISN'T UP.)
THE POLITICS OF DUMPING HILLARY (see post 53)
'HILLARY'S BIGGEST PROBLEM... SHE'S OLD NEWS'
I'LL SEE ANN COULTER'S 'BILL CLINTON RAPE CHARGE' AND RAISE HER 'ONE HILLARY CLINTON'
SUSAN ESTRICH ON "DREDGING UP" THE RAPE OF JUANITA BROADDRICK + "ALL THAT OLD CLINTON STUFF"
HILLARY GOES NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION IN THE AGE OF CLINTON
QUID PRO COAL2: CLINTON CORRUPTION + THE SEQUESTRATION OF GASEOUS FOSSILS (HILLARY DOES COAL AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB)
TIRE INFLATION, GAS STATIONS + THE NEED TO SEQUESTER HILLARY
Nina Burleigh: Do the Right Thing, Hillary
HILLARY REMEMBERS
HILLARY DOES NOT RECALL, DOES NOT REMEMBER, HAS NO MEMORY, HAS NO RECOLLECTION, BUT DOES NOT BELIEVE SHE SAID IT BECAUSE SHE WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED IF SHE DID.
HILLARY CLINTON VOTES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEFORE SHE VOTES AGAINST THEM HEAR HER NOW
"HAIR" THEY GO AGAIN: CYNTHIA McKINNEY PLAYS THE RACE CARD
BILLY + CYNTHIA McKINNEY vs. BILL + HILLARY CLINTON a distinction without a difference
HILLARY DOES JESUS "FURTHER EVIDENCE WHY SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST DESPICABLE POLITICIANS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW"
HILLARY VOTE FRAUD missus clinton uses Jesus
SEX, LIES AND SOCK PUPPETS: HOW THE CLINTONS ARE HANDLING THE HILLARY DUD FACTOR 4
THREE WOMEN AND A FUNERAL: HOW THE CLINTONS ARE HANDLING THE HILLARY DUD FACTOR 3
REINVENTING HILLARY... AGAIN (clinton machine dumps Geena Davis for Margaret Thatcher) how the clintons are handling the hillary dud factor2
SCHEMA PINOCCHIO how the clintons are handling the hillary dud factor
WHY THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT MUST MOBILIZE AGAINST HILLARY: CLINTON CONFLATES EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS AND ISLAMO-FASCIST TERRORISTS
AFTERWORD: A Note to the Religious Right
What's black and white and read all over and is more self-destructive than pre-9/11 thinking? Pre-clinton thinking, that's what.... Putting doctrinal purity ahead of making sure a defective and dangerous clinton never again controls this country is pre-clinton thinking. We no longer have the luxury of time or circumstance to massage our sensibilities, to indulge our indignations. We will not survive another clinton. (We may yet not survive the first one.)
STOPPING HILLARY [JOHN PODHORETZ'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE (and it's not his 'HILLARY IS A BITCH' THEORY OF ELECTABILITY)]
THE ABSURDITY OF THE 'HILLARY IS A BITCH' THEORY OF ELECTABILITY AND OTHER PODHORETZ NONSENSE NOTE: Podhoretz is absolutely right about one thing-- even hillary clinton can win if the Right FRACTURES over its pet issues. We must not, in this Age of Terror, allow another Perot or Perot-surrogate issue elect a defective and dangerous clinton by a plurality. (Nor must we allow either to defeat us in '06.)
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY: HOW DECADES OF CLINTON DOUBLE-DEALING COMPROMISED OUR NATIONAL SECURITY
DUBAI-ITIES: HILLARY 'KNOWNOTHING VICTIM' CLINTON STRIKES AGAIN
DICK MORRIS: CLINTON IS A PAID AGENT OF THE CROWN PRINCE OF DUBAI
REVERSE MORPH FOR HILLARY
THE VOUCHER RANT OF MISS HILLARY: WHY THE WHIFF OF RACISM EXCEEDS THE WORDS
HILLARY CLINTON, DANGEROUS DEMAGOGUE WHAT IS HER VOUCHER RANT REALLY ABOUT ANYWAY?
WHY HILLARY IN THE OVAL OFFICE IS A NATIONAL-SECURITY NO-NOPART ONE
KARL ROVE'S MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION: MOI HEAR HILLARY, CHRIS MATTHEWS ET AL.
"I DON'T RECALL" (THE CLINTONS COMMIT PERJURY WITH IMPUNITY)
BILL MAHER WARNS DEMOCRATS: HILLARY WILL TAKE YOU OVER A CLIFF IN '08
PARTY OF LINCOLN AND THE WAR ON TERROR
'REFUSAL TO LEVEL WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE' ... IS HILLARY 'KNOWNOTHING VICTIM' CLINTON'S MIDDLE NAME
WHY THE CLINTONS FAILED "TO CAPTURE OR KILL THE TALLEST MAN IN AFGHANISTAN" (DID THEY REALLY WANT TO TAKE HIM OUT ANYWAY?)
'MAKE IT A RULE' -- PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR OSAMA WITH CLINTON and CO. (HEAR HILLARY + BILL MAKE THEIR PITCH)
ON THE FICTIONALIZED MEMOIR (HEAR HILLARY IN SF)~PART TWO~ THE (oops!) INADVERTENT ADMISSIONS OF HILLARY AND JANE IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE (oops!) INADVERTENT (TERRORISM) ADMISSIONS OF BILL + HILLARY CLINTON (HEAR HILLARY IN SF) ~PART ONE~
ON PEGGY NOONAN ON 4 PRESIDENTS AND A FUNERAL
'HIATUS' FOR HILLARY?
HILLARY'S EXPOSED LEFT FLANK 'SCARES THE HORSES' (VIDEO) (MISSUS CLINTON SUPPORTS ALITO FILIBUSTER)
CLINTON 'CULTURE OF CORRUPTION'
~SEE VIDEO~ IRAQI GENERAL: SADDAM MOVED WMD TO SYRIA BEFORE INVASION (ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE IS NOT EVIDENCE OF ABSENCE, CINDY SHEEHAN)
IS REUTERS SENDING A MESSAGE ABOUT A COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF HILLARY?
ON REJIGGING GALLUP'S LOSING NUMBERS FOR HILLARY THE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OF ANNE KORNBLUT
GONE WITH THE WIND (miss hillary's 'plantation' blunder)
SEE VIDEO: "HILLARY IS 'DOOMED'" (more 'plantation' fallout)
THE 'BORED,' BEFUDDLED POLITICS OF JOHN KERRY RETURNS CALLS FOR ALITO FILIBUSTER FROM 'SKI SLOPES'
REDACTION LOOPHOLE: ACCESS TO THE BARRETT REPORT
HILLARY CLINTON KNEW ABOUT THE RAPE: HEAR JUANITA BROADDRICK
ROCKEFELLER SEDITION: WHO IS CALLING THE SHOTS?
THE ABSURDITY OF A COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF HILLARY
HILLARY'S ARMOR: A decades-old story...
My New York Times Review of Munich CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE WORST KIND (please FReep)
Alien Abductions, Flying Saucers + Other Weird Phenomena, c.1992-2000
WAR AND TREASON AND THE NEW YORK TIMES (Please see post 65)
ON WARRANTLESS SEARCHES AND WIRETAPS: THE ABYSMAL CONSTITUTIONAL RECORD OF BILL + HILLARY CLINTON
CHRIS MATTHEWS: 'BUSH BELONGS ON MOUNT RUSHMORE' IF HE WINS 'GREATEST GAMBLE SINCE ROOSEVELT BACKED BRITAIN BEFORE WWII'
THE FAILED, DYSFUNCTIONAL CLINTON PRESIDENCY (DECONSTRUCTING CLINTON'S HOFSTRA SPEECH) -- part1: clinton's "Brinkley" Lie
AFTERWORD: ON CLINTON SMALLNESS (BRINKLEY MISSES THE POINT)
WHY DID BILL CLINTON IGNORE TERRORISM? Was it simply the constraints of his liberal mindset, or was it something even more threatening to our national security?
IT TAKES A CLINTON TO RAZE A COUNTRY
BIN LADEN FINGERS CLINTON FOR TERROR SUCCESS (SEE FOOTAGE) THE THREAT OF TERRORISM IS AS CLOSE AS A CLINTON IS TO THE OVAL OFFICE
PRESIDENTIAL FAILURE, 9/11 + KATRINA
Republican-voting, Hollywood-dwelling, Bill-Maher-writing Master of Tongue-in-Cheek, Paladin of Truth, Reviews 'United 93' AND Bill Clinton
'UNITED 93' vs. 'MUNICH' Paul Greengrass--thank the stars--is no Steven Spielberg
UNITED 93:THE CLINTON-9/11 NEXUS "We have to do it now. We know what happens if we just sit here and do nothing...."
ALBRIGHT INDICTS CLINTON FOR TERRORISM FAILURE (and doesn't even know it)
HEY CLINTON! SIZE DOESN'T MATTER.
MISSING CLINTON AUDIO! 'Can we kill 'em tomorrow?' (+Albright-Fulbright-Nobel TERRORISM revelations)
Carpe Mañana: The (bill + hillary) clinton Terrorism Policy ('Can we kill 'em tomorrow?')
I M P E A C H M E N T h e a r --c l i n t o n --l o s e --i t
CROOKS PARDONING CROOKS PARDONING CROOKS: Justice Undone in the clinton White House
WHY HILLARY MUST NOT WIN. WHY HILLARY CANNOT WIN.
(ICKES + ESTRICH PROVIDE ROADMAP--oops!--FOR HILLARY DEFEAT) |
IMPERIOUS HILLARY (THE REPORTS OF HER DEATH ARE GREATLY UNDERSTATED)
AN OPEN LETTER TO TIM ROBBINS, DAVID GEFFEN, CHRIS MATTHEWS, MAUREEN DOWD + JEANINE PIRRO RE: a not-so-modest proposal concerning hillary clinton December 7, 1941+64
IS DICK MORRIS AN IDIOT? OR IS HE STILL ON THE CLINTON PAYROLL?
clintonCORRUPTION: the more things change. . . .
Yitzhak Shamir Validated: THE CLINTONS ARE "A GREAT DANGER TO JEWS"
for the birds (THE INCOMPETENCE OF HILLARY CLINTON)
CHENEY: CALL THEM REPREHENSIBLE THE DEMOCRATS ARE GONNA GET US KILLED (kerry, clinton + sandy berger's pants) SERlES5
A CALL TO IMPEACH CLINTON IN ABSENTIA
NEWT: CLINTON COMMITTED ONE OF WORST CRIMES, ENDANGERED COUNTRY, IF HIT ABDULLAH UP FOR CASH
Listen to this and ask yourself if America Ever Had the Remotest Chance Under a clinton to Avoid 9/11 (To paraphrase Einstein: "The unleashed power of terrorism has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophes.")
Is the 9/11 commission calling bill clinton's statement '"unreliable," or did it choose willful ignorance this time, too?
sandy berger haberdashery feint (the specs, not the pants or the socks)
THE LEFT'S RECKLESS TET-OFFENSIVE-GAMBIT REPLAY: the left's jihad against America is killing our troops, aiding + abetting the terrorists and imperiling all Americans
NANO-PRESIDENT, MEGA-DISASTER history will not be kind to bill + hillary clinton
NANO-PRESIDENT the danger of the unrelenting smallness of bill + hillary clinton
HIROSHIMA'S NUCLEAR LESSON bill clinton is no Harry Truman
CLINTON RAPES, REVISIONISM, USEFUL IDIOTS AND ENTROPY (an update)
JENNINGS DOES A DIMBLEBY: clinton legacy-RAGE redux
1st Feminist Prez Impeached (clinton, pushed by the "smartest woman in the world," managed to impeach himself)
THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT? clinton legacy of lynching update
For the children? the clintons ARE pornography downloads
pro-islamofascist-terrorist radical chic WHY THE LEFT IS DANGEROUS FOR AMERICA
The Left's Fatally Flawed "Animal Farm" Mentality (Why America Must NEVER AGAIN Elect a Democrat President)
Why hillary clinton should never be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office... or any position of power REASON 1: SHE HIRED JAMIE GORELICK
HILLARY'S TRIPLE PLAY the clinton putsch + filegate + the gorelick wall
HILLARY'S MIDDLE-FINGER MINDSET (MAD COVER 2) Do you really want THAT finger on the button?
"What, me worry?"
ALFRED E."What, me worry?" CLINTON + CRAZY HIL MAD COVER STORY THE THREAT OF TERRORISM IS AS CLOSE AS A CLINTON IS TO THE OVAL OFFICE
How did the flower children fall for the clintons, 2 such self-evident thugs and opportunists? (FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU! FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME!)
Alfred E. Neuman + the threat of terrorism, according to hillary
HILLARY IS NIXON-PLUS part 1 BEWARE THE SYNERGY Nixonian paranoia and fascistic mindset combine with clintonian megalomania, ineptitude and, most important, easy betrayal of America to make hillary clinton deadly dangerous for us all.
hillary's burqa
HILLARY'S COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF PROBLEM (see descriptor morphs)
HILLARY IN AVIARY
CLINTONS' DOCUMENTED ABUSE OF WOMEN
hillary clinton is a "CONGENITAL LIAR" ("I am not a crook")
KLEIN BOOK CAUSES HILLARY TO (oops!) CONFIRM "THE TRUTH ABOUT HILLARY" CLINTON'S REACTION EXPOSES FASCISTIC MINDSET, TEXTBOOK CASE OF PARANOIA + MEGALOMANIA, AND A CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT IN BROADDRICK RAPE
the clinton-clinton-Broaddrick kind of rape, according to Susan Estrich
HEAR CHRIS MATTHEWS + MAUREEN DOWD DEVOUR HILLARY
THE DANGER OF RUNNING VICARIOUSLY Bill O'Reilly chews up and spits out the hillary clinton candidacy (clip included)
ESTRICH IMPEACHED BY HER OWN WORDS, EXPOSES STOCK HILLARY PLOY: EXPLOIT WOMEN my amazon.com review
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: ED KLEIN AND SUSAN ESTRICH AGREE ABOUT HILLARY
HEAR SUSAN ESTRICH: hillary plays 'the victim' for votes
HILLARY FLUNKED D.C. BAR EXAM "the smartest woman in the world" sought less competitive venue
HILLARY!?? WHAT IS THIS MORIBUND LOSER DOING IN THE POLITICAL ARENA, ANYWAY? (bill's bud explains)
COPYRIGHT MIA T 2006
|
62
posted on
06/14/2006 8:34:26 AM PDT
by
Mia T
(Stop Clintons' Undermining Machinations (The acronym is the message.))
To: elcid1970
Must have picked the wrong word. Who has a thesarasus or the word that means, "finger nails on a chalkboard" type voice?
Quickly please. I need this for my homework assignment I have to turn in today.
63
posted on
06/14/2006 8:54:18 AM PDT
by
BJungNan
To: catholicfreeper
I don't think Bayh is an issue, but unless something concrete ever comes of the Energy Department spying scandals, I wouldn't be suprised to hear the words "President Richardson."
There have been a few small scandals going on in New Mexico since he was elected, but nothing big enough or sticky enough to really be considered excess baggage.--But, I bet some of those voting abberations in Bernallio County get looked at a little closer.
64
posted on
06/14/2006 9:07:48 AM PDT
by
Comstock1
(If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short chamber Boxer Henry point 45 caliber miracle.)
To: Aussie Dasher
So while its important not to get overconfident about a potential race against Hillary Clinton, we shouldnt minimize her numerous weaknesses either. Which is all I've ever fought against.
I don't know if it's a byproduct of not convicting Hill during the nineties or something else, but a lot of Republicans/conservatives are near hysteria convinced its hers to lose. It's not, never was, and I've rejected this fear of her from the start. Pointed out many of the points in this article.
Now why have I done this, and why is Hawkins? Because if you are in a position of fearing your opponent is going to win, barring some miracle, you will lose. You have guarenteed that result. I don't enter '08 thinking anyone has it won. No one does. Primary or General.
65
posted on
06/14/2006 9:32:44 AM PDT
by
Soul Seeker
(Deport the United States Senate)
To: ishabibble
Huh? She has a bachelor's degree and a law degree, but I was unaware that she has a master's. Do you mean her senior thesis for her undergraduate degree?
66
posted on
06/14/2006 9:51:55 AM PDT
by
maro
To: BJungNan
How about:
annoying, disagreeable, discordant, displeasing, dry, grinding, harsh, harsh-sounding, hoarse, irksome, jarring, offensive, rasping, raucous, rough, scraping, shrill, squeaky, strident, stridulent, stridulous, unpleasant, vexatious
Source: Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.2.1)
67
posted on
06/14/2006 10:41:04 AM PDT
by
AZLiberty
(America is the hope of all men who believe in the principle of freedom and justice. - A. Einstein)
To: Aussie Dasher
Number One and Number Three are the biggest ones IMO. She wont win a single state in the south because they can see through her BS.
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