You stand no chance against the power of the dark side"
Posted on 01/29/2006 6:17:41 PM PST by demlosers
HILLARY Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign is running
Leon Panetta, Mr Clinton's former chief of staff, said there was "nervousness" among Democrats about backing such a controversial figure at a time when many Americans believe President George W.Bush has polarised the country.
Like Mr McCurry, he wondered whether Ms Clinton was "the kind of lightning rod that would stimulate all of the opposition" and resurrect the "hate side of the political agenda".
"Ultimately the issue is: do we turn to something new? We've been through the Clintons, we've been through the Gores, we've been through the Kerrys, all of whom are known quantities in politics," Mr Panetta said.
Mr Bush described Ms Clinton as "formidable" in an interview ahead of his annual State of the Union address tomorrow. Republicans are determined not to underestimate her voter appeal in 2008, particularly as they are short of well-known candidates. "This is an unusual year because this is the first time there hasn't been a kind of natural successor in the party," Mr Bush said.
The Democrats have a rising star in Mark Warner, who recently stepped down as governor of the conservative state of Virginia. His proven appeal to moderate voters is attracting Democrats of all shades who are anxious to win, but he remains little known on the national scene.
The doubts about Ms Clinton's electoral viability have surfaced as she romps towards re-election as New York senator this year.
She has already seen off one Republican challenger, whose campaign was reduced to tatters, and last week dispatched another, Ed Cox, the son-in-law of former president Richard Nixon. He turned down his party's increasingly desperate pleas to stand.
Ms Clinton's modest success with voters in small-town upstate New York is taken by some as proof she can win over conservatives, although according to last week's poll, 90per cent of Republicans would definitely not vote for her.
New Republic magazine, the left-of-centre weekly, argues in its current issue that the voters of rural New York bear little comparison to diehard Republican voters in the south and midwest.
"She is going to have to bring something else to the national stage," it warned.
Ms Clinton's hawkish stance on the war on terror, Iraq and Iran has infuriated the anti-war movement. Molly Ivins, a left-wing commentator, wrote last week that she would not support her for president.
"Enough," she fumed. "Enough clever straddling, enough not offending anyone."
Mr McCurry believes that, contrary to popular belief, Ms Clinton is a conviction politician rather than "a wild-eyed liberal", but says that were she to become president her divisive reputation could get in the way of her program for government.
"It would not be a comfortable place to be hunkered in a bunker for four to eight years getting pelted by the Republicans with rotten tomatoes," he said.
Ms Clinton is waiting for her Senate race to be over in November before making a final decision on whether to stand. There is no doubt she would love to return to the White House, this time with Bill as "first gentleman".
The further away he is from the centre of power, the more Mr Clinton has gained in popularity. If he returns to the fray, the cash-for-pardons scandal at the end of his presidency and the minutiae of his sex life are likely to be re-examined. And after two Bushes in the White House, two President Clintons could be regarded as overly dynastic.
In the Senate, Ms Clinton has forged political alliances on such issues as the environment and healthcare with Senator John McCain, a 2008 Republican contender. According to Mr McCurry, she is enjoying the role of consensus-maker.
"She clearly understands there is a real need to re-establish some sense of bipartisan co-operation and has to ask herself: 'Could I be that kind of leader?'," he said.
"That takes you to the question the polls raise, which is: will she get that opportunity?"
The Sunday Times
Howard Dean and the DNC call these "moderate mainstream voters."
George Allen looks good, but it is still early.
And then the strategy will be to split the Republican vote. Mrs. Clinton needs to be taken very seriously.
No, he might go for a 3rd party run, but even then, I don't think he would. I think instead he'd undercut whoever beats him, just as he has done to Bush the last 5 years. I do think he will be tempted, but I think Hillary (through her well-funded proxies) will find someone else to siphon votes away. Maybe someone like Perot, who was not on the radar screen at this point in the '92 race. A Trump or someone like that, who, after Hillary wins, gets some big contracts or a UN ambassadorship.
Same thing happened with Giuliani. He suddenly got cancer. These things always happen around the Clintons.
If that happens, then the Republicans need to remember the lesson from Ross Perot and refuse to vote 3rd party. Let the 3rd party candidate peel off votes from the dems.
Oh Yes! You know the Obama coronation rule. Some random lib journalist puts that prophetic title to some candidate's name, and it's gonna stick WITHOUT QUESTION in every single media report up to and far beyond the election.
For almost 2 years now, I still have local news using the phrase "rising star, Sen. Barak Obama" with out any, ANY justification whatsoever! I'm still waiting, but it seems to me the only rising Obama did was AFTER the media coronation party for him, when he ran virtually unopposed against a last minute candadate to win the election.
I thought about that, too, but I can't imagine Rudy caving to threats from the Clintons. Maybe a whole lot of money but not threats.
Actually, if I remember correctly, someone from the DNC reported to a journalist covering the convention that Obama "was a rising star." Then that was it!...We then heard "rising star, Barak Obama" for the next two years in the media with no justification. What a freebie! How would any politician love to have 'rising star' in front of their name for not doing a single damn thing but breath!
IMHO,( and I have my asbestos suit and tin foil hat on as I type this) Mclame will be Queen Hillary's VP.
do you really think mccass's ego could handle the beast?
is he that stupid that he doesn't realize that he will be treated the same way that jfk treated lbj and lbj treated hhh? could he handle the tag team of the beast's and the rapist's daily verbal abuse?
"Us pubbies are hoping she is the dem nominee."
I don't want her anywhere near the Presidency. Not worth the risk. I'm considering switching my registration to Dem so I can vote against her in Maryland's primaries.
"Dean torpedoed himself - YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
No, the MSM sabatoged him by playing that out of contect over and over and over again. I think the lib reporters on the campaign trail discovered what a loose cannon he was and conveyed the fear that Dean would self-destruct against Bush. I don't like Dean, but I think the media deliberately ran him off the tracks.
PING
You stand no chance against the power of the dark side"
I fully expect Hilly to go into a full blown narcissistic meltdown.
She went to Rochester, NY last week...Dem Town and also a welfare town. Pop 30,000??
If it wasn't for Bubba, we'd all be saying.....Hillary who??
On 9-11, we all learned which of them was a leader.
I just found his book, "Leadership" at an estate sale...$1....How lucky am I ?
I can't think of a small town in upstate other than Albany, well besides here in Rochester that went for Hillary!. As far as Rudy and his wardrobe malfunction, I think it was prostrate cancer that was cited as the reason for his withdrawal.
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