Improving her image is going to take a lot longer than six years.
It's vital that we are prepared for the eventuality of her '08 candidacy. Hillary will use the next 6 years to quietly move more towards the center, and improve her image.
We can't count on NY voters to dump her in 2006. But nationally, we must continue to educate people on her cold-blooded pursuit of power, which began decades ago. Great sources are No One Left to Lie To by Christopher Hitchens, and The case against Hillary Clinton by Peggy Noonan.
Knowledge is power!
Improving her image is going to take a lot longer than six years.
She will take on an air of less stridency.
Note the calm demeanor.
... 'We need a candidate who can, without compromising the essence of who we are, reach across the values divide ...Translation: We need a candidate who won't compromise our principles but who can somehow ensure that the Republicans will compromise their principles.
She's going to have problems running against Pataki in '06, making her run in '08 moot.
This will be after Rudy boots Chuckie out in '04 on President Bush's coattails.
(1) Black voters came out for her in droves in 2000. Black voters will now be less than fired up about her. Many black voters feel that she sabotaged Carl McCall's gubernatorial race. Her Clinton administration crony Andrew Cuomo spent months dragging McCall through the mud before dropping out of the Democratic primary. Then her other Clinton administration crony Terry McAuliffe refused to help McCall and spent big on McAuliffe's white friend Bill McBride in Florida, who was trounced almost as solidly as McCall was.
(2) She was being sent as a Democrat to a Democrat-controlled Senate. If the Republican party still controls the Senate in 2006, the case can be made to independents and some Democrats that NY needs a moderate Republican in Washington to further the state's interests.
(3) She was elected before 9/11. Pataki won statewide mostly because he was perceived as having responded correctly to 9/11. Clinton's obstructionism on homeland security will come back to haunt her.
If the right Republican can be found, she will prove to be vulnerable in ways she wasn't in 2000.
That she is the most powerful force in, and owns, the Democratic party should not be doubted. She also has full support of the media. But she doesn't have control over quirks of history.
Vulnerable in 2006? You are dreaming. Look what she and the NY lefties did to McCall, the first black candidate ever for NY governor. They protected Cuomo (sure he is a loser, but he is not a "loser") and let McCall twist in the wind. They refused to fund him. The Hillie fund raisers for McCall funneled cash THROUGH her organization and not directly to McCall. He wound up getting nothing. Have you heard from Sharpton, Rangle, or any of the other black thugs from NYC? Damn right, you haven't! They are the house Afro-Americans that look at their shoes and say "yes, massa" when Willie or Hille or their enforcers speak.
This is fine for Hillie. It will allow her to focus on things she opposes that Bush does. And, with lying, no internal opposition, continued dem corruption and thievery, and further financial support from foreigners, she could be a problem in 2008.
...we must continue to educate people on her cold-blooded pursuit of power, which began decades ago. Great sources are No One Left to Lie To by Christopher Hitchens, and The case against Hillary Clinton by Peggy Noonan.
Also, check out the book Rules for Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals written by her mentor Saul Alinsky.
Unfortunatley, as much as I like and respect Condi, neither do I think she can win the big job unless the political environment changes a lot by 2008. I honestly don't think the country is going to elect a female prez anytime in the near future. I think it would be a very dangerous proposition for the Pubs. It's not like NOW will support her and I don't think "moderate" women will vote for her just because she is a woman. In fact, they might vote against her because she is a woman. Look at Liddy Dole. She is a well spoken moderate female and has limited support nationally. Coni's minority status will not gain her a significant portion of the minority vote either IMO. Look at how the Rats treat Justice Thomas, Colin Powell, JC Watts, and even Condi herself. Jesse Jackson will be the first to call her a traitor to blacks, unless Belafonte beats him to it.
Feel free to disagree, I just call it like I see it.
Music to my ears. If these two socialist bozos are the best the 'Rats have to offer, get ready for a long string of Republican administrations. My concern however is that they will come to their senses and move to the middle, putting somebody like John Kerry or John Edwards up for the nomination. Those two will be tougher to beat.
Moreover, I doubt that McAuliffe -- Clinton's loyal (i.e., bought and paid-for) lieutenant -- will be removed from his position as party chairman. (He could yet show up at Fort Marcy park sometime soon, of course. But to me, this probably won't happen.)
I don't think it's too strong to say that this cabal runs the party for the personal political interests of the Clintons. So, once the shock of last Tuesday wears off a bit, I imagine they'll be back in high gear, scheming and planning to get back in the game -- in 2004 -- unless the Dems come to their senses and flat-out repudiate and eject these two.
But the Clintons are such powerful fund raisers, it's hard to see how that could happen. Hill may have negatives; but I doubt Bill is patient enough to wait until 2008 to get back into the big-time game -- that is, the White House.
He's a gambler; and don't forget, he's the self-described "comeback kid."
So stay tuned. JMHO FWIW.
Or better yet, continue to try putting her in jail where she belongs.