Analysis: Clinton could turn toxic as options dry up

The London Times ^ | February 20, 2008 | Gerard Baker

[Clintonfatigued]

few months back, as Barack Obama’s campaign was just beginning to look like it might seriously challenge Hillary Clinton’s presidential ambitions, a senior Obama campaign official sent a warning to his staff.

It was a succinct message designed to forewarn and forearm his people against what was expected to be a ferocious onslaught from an increasingly desperate Clinton campaign.

“Better get your hazmat suits on”, the memo told them

If they didn’t do it then, the Obama team should now be reaching urgently for the protective outerwear, because following another night of crushing defeat for Mrs Clinton, it seems that the Clintons have only one remaining hope if they are to wrest the Democratic nomination – a highly toxic attack on the man who is now clearly the frontrunner.

[UCANSEE2]

OBAY

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cloudsong/2266374716/

[Hoffer Rand]

Superfund Shrillery

I like it! And the initials are pretty accurate, too.

[TChris]

“Turn”?

[ex-Texan]

Heading into crucial March 4 nominating contests in Ohio and Texas, Obama has gained the upper hand in a close and fierce Democratic duel with Clinton. McCain broke open the Republican race and has driven out most of his leading rivals.

The poll showed Obama with a 14-point edge over Clinton, 52 percent to 38 percent, after being in a statistical tie with the New York senator last month.

Obama's new lead follows a string of 10 wins in February for the Illinois senator, who has moved ahead in the battle for pledged delegates who vote on the party's nominee at the August convention. * * *
Source Here

Clickity, click, click . . .

In the meantime, Clintons to Face Trial in $ 17 Million Fraud Case . . . LOL, LOL !

[SupplySider]

She can’t go toxic. She’s up against a “progressive”, not a Republican. The media would excoriate her. Gotta love it!

[El Gato]

If I’m not mistaken, Bobby Kennedy was on a similar roll as Obama is now.

Yeh but they're going to have to find someone from the JDL. A Palistinian, other Arab, or other Muslim just doesn't fit the agenda.

[WOSG]

“Pat Buchanan was there and didn’t defend McLame much.”

He wouldnt. He’s a suicide conservative, like some on FR.
Would rather lose and have a rump, powerless, pure party based on the grudges of dispossessed Americans, than be a majority party that reaches out to multiple constituencies.

MCCain has reached out to the point of RINOism, and represents the center-right nexus.

Real conservatives now have a choice: Support a center-right coalition candidate who is 60-70% on our side, or let a far-left 0% candidate win.

RINO burger or ‘Rat poison, what do you want to eat?

“Obama is and would be the worst of the two RATs. His promises to end the war, destroy the military and close down Guantanamo while providing the terrorists with US legal assistance. He promised he would end capitalism as we know it etc. etc. It was a disgusting, socialist speech but the yuppie audience in his background (mostly white, middle-aged women) ate it up, cheered and looked like the thoughtless idiots they are.”

Right. Although speech-wise, Obama lifted some conservative populism to graft into his speech, the substance is all socialist underneath. Tax the rich, tax the businesses, federalize the schools, free college with govt ‘service’ programs (collectivist youth organizations), etc.

[MaxMax]

LOL, that satire skit is one of my all time favorites.

[WOSG]

“My very elderly, thoroughly Republican/conservative aunt & her entire circle of equally elderly/Republican lady friends, all got together and decided they were voting for Obama to make sure Hellary had no shot at the White House. Just sayin’ .... there was an awful lot of this going on .....”

I hope that they are not in danger of making the mistake of voting for him again... RIGHT?

[bassmaner]

Man, Obama is going to wake up, realize the sheets are sticky, kick back the covers and find Michelle’s head under there. Is it hyperbole? Yes. But only a little.

Let's engage in a little thought experiment.

Suppose (just suppose), that Barack Obama dies suddenly of 'natural causes' some time between now and the convention. An autopsy is performed, and the medical examiner concludes that beyond a shadow of a doubt that his death was natural (heart attack, brain hemorrage, etc.).

Who, then, will ultimately become the 'Rat nominee? Hint: it won't be Hillary.

The reason is obvious: the 'Rat base is on to the Clintons' sleaze machine as much as the VRWC. There will be an explosion of conspiracy theories on all sides that would make the '9/11 troofer' nonsense look like preschool for the tinfoil hat brigade. And 90% of the conspiracy loons would point their fingers right at the Clintons, even if they could completely prove their innocence. Considering how unhinged the base of the 'Rat party has become, there's no doubt that the conspiracy loons would take over the convention (President Kucinich, anyone? :^)

Of course, it would be unwise for Obama to turn his back on the Clintons for a second, but I find it hard to believe that even they would try anything that stupid. I could be wrong ...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

If Obama knows what's good for him, he'll stay out of small airplanes.

No truer words were ever spoken.

[WOSG]

WOW. CLINTON IS TOAST.

OBAMA IS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT, UNLESS THIS IS TURNED AROUND.

“In a head-to-head matchup, Obama beat McCain 47 percent to 40 percent. He led McCain among independents, in all age groups except those above 70, and in all regions but the South.

McCain beat Clinton 50 percent to 38 percent in a head-to-head matchup. The Arizona senator led Clinton in all regions of the country, among independents and in all age groups.

“At least for now, these numbers suggest Obama has the potential to build a stronger general election coalition than Clinton,” Zogby said. “They also suggest Clinton has a lot of catching up to do.”

McCain picked up 18 percent of the black vote in a match-up with Clinton but only 3 percent against Obama, a possible sign at least some black voters would not put aside their allegiance to Obama if Clinton won the nomination.”

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Sirhan wasn’t muslim; he was Christian.

[Verginius Rufus]

The most dangerous scenario would be the Clintons recruiting some mentally disturbed person to be the hit man to take out Obama, someone who could be sold to the media as a right-wing fanatic or a Republican. Things would get pretty ugly, but Hillary could become the default nominee.

[Rio]

I watched “The Manchurian Candidate” last night (first time). I could not help seeing the mother character as being just like Hilary... do ANYTHING necessary to win the White House. It was spooky how much that character behaved like Hilary. All smiles in public, but pure evil inside.
And conspiring with the Chinese, too.

[WakeUpAndVote]

Oh, man. That was funny.

[bassmaner]

Lots of time between now and November. If McCain makes good choices for VP and cabinet, and distances himself from his more anti-conservative record, he’ll close the gap. And if McCain can correctly draw the contrasts, people will realize just how much of an empty suit Obama really is and they’ll abandon him in droves.

[myrabach]

I agree that he is way more dangerous than Hillary, and I don’t quite get the excitement. If you see how popular he is becoming, we should be afraid, be very afraid!

Americans don’t like the status quo... they want new and they want it now. They don’t want a pesky long-term war on terrorism, they want home prices to keep on rising and rising, they want free health care... they want lower taxes and the rich to pay more and more. Oh, and listening to a bit of Obama... where did he get the idea that someone making $75,000 is RICH??????

[bassmaner]

The most dangerous scenario would be the Clintons recruiting some mentally disturbed person to be the hit man to take out Obama, someone who could be sold to the media as a right-wing fanatic or a Republican. Things would get pretty ugly, but Hillary could become the default nominee.

Hmmm ... shades of the Kirov murder, right out of Stalin's playbook. Scary.

[Verginius Rufus]

I didn’t realize that—according to his Wikipedia bio, Sirhan was raised as a Maronite Christian (the Maronite rite is part of the Catholic Church), but later became a Baptist and Seventh-Day Adventist. He is still alive.