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There is a case for Hillary

Is Hillary Clinton the intended victim of a vast left-wing conspiracy?

This Associated Press story makes me wonder.

The New York senator and former first lady is pushing hard toward the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Now, if this story is accurate, party insiders are getting nervous. Hillary's high negatives could cause a voter backlash that will reverberate against Democrats in key congressional races.

Democrats are supposed to be on a roll, so it's odd that they're so worried about the strength of their 2008 candidates from top to bottom. But I'm not convinced their fears are well-founded. I'm more inclined to believe Clinton strategist Mark Penn, who says, in effect, that Hillary's negatives have peaked and the numbers will improve as the campaign progresses.

To me, Hillary is the best of the leading Democratic hopefuls. Bill Richardson may have better credentials, but he lacks cash and charisma.

During this campaign, Hillary has proven herself to be the real grownup among the leading candidates. Her eight years inside the White House, and her two successful Senate races, have steeled her character, made her politically savvy and given her a tough, realistic world view.

Barack Obama is impressive but he's still a rookie senator and not ready to lead the nation. John Edwards has even less real experience in public office and is too liberal to win a general election.

Clinton, like her husband, has a chance to appeal to centrist, independent voters. Her opposition in the Democratic race is all coming from the left, and maybe that's the source of these supposed fears that she's unelectable.

I'm no big Hillary fan and I don't agree with her on many issues, but I respect her because she's earned a reputation as a hard-working senator who can stand up to pressure. She does her share of political pandering, but not as much as some of her rivals. I may not end up voting for her in November 2008, but I think she is qualified to be president. That's something party insiders should consider.

Comments (12)

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but I think she is qualified to be president. That's something party insiders should consider.*Doug

Good heavens Doug! Those Corporate International New York party insiders decided that long ago. Why do you think that Kerry was wipe out by the Clinton Machine in 04? Besides what makes you think that Hillary will take office if Bush and Cheney decide to suspense the elections 08 in the name of National Security?

I am somewhat shocked that you would be supporting another Soprano family in the White House once more.

Doug Johnson said:

Hillary favorite song is, I not woman enough to keep my man home. Connie Mack, have you noticed that Jack Murtha,like Nifong is getting a free pass. There must have been 100 lte praising Murtha, now that he makes Nifong look good, the press has turned the other cheek.

Kenny said:

Connie,

You sound like our Tanzanian friends that Dad and I met last year that had trouble believe Bush would vacate office in '08. I know your comment is tongue-in-cheek, but it really is quite nice not to have to worry about a president simply deciding to become a dictator when his term is up...

You sound like our Tanzanian friends that Dad and I met last year that had trouble believe Bush would vacate office in '08. I know your comment is tongue-in-cheek, but it really is quite nice not to have to worry about a president simply deciding to become a dictator when his term is up...* Kenny

No problem Kenny. I am sure your Tanzanian friend must have had advance info that we Americans didn't have last October when President Bush issue a excecutive order that the Republican Congress approve giving him totaly martial law should he deem it in the interest of National Security. Your Tanzanian friend sounds like he works for the CIA part time when the war of terrorism gets a little slow in the market place of neo-con politics.

The front-running Hillary is the darling of the neocons these days, partly because of her spat with Obama over what Fred Barnes calls the "would-you-meet-with-despots" question. Our future commander in chief answered "firmly and coolly," says the man who coined the phrase "big government conservatism." "She excels," raves National Review editor Rich Lowry, who says Clinton "has done more than any other Democrat to show she's ready to be president." Neocon bellwether David Brooks' paean to Hillary, the Warrior Goddess, heralds her as "the perfect combination of experience and change." Even Charles Krauthammer, the neocons' resident Cato (the Elder), hailed "the grizzled veteran" Hillary in her alleged victory over "the clueless rookie" Obama in the talk-with-tyrants spat.

I long ago predicted that the neoconservatives would switch sides in the partisan divide: having drained the GOP of its vital juices and left it a dry husk, they are readying themselves for the era of "Bush lite."

Sucking up to Hillary and her court won't be too difficult: the neocons already have an inside line in her camp in the person of Marshall Wittmann, the former Trotskyist-turned-Christian-Coalition-director-turned-McCainiac who is now Hillary's Rasputin. This ideological chameleon, whose advice to go hawkish and prove her credentials as a potential commander-in-chief she appears to be taking, is the archetypal neocon, which is not so much a doctrine as it is a history. Wittmann's political odyssey from the fever swamps of Spartacism to the storied heights of Washington's neoconservative network is an exaggerated version of Hillary's own hegira, from the far Left of the Democratic Party to the DLC-Lieberman-Scoop Jackson far Right.

Do you really believe Hillary will be a lovable neo-con dictator in our brave new world of neo-con politics?

Doug said:

Connie, want to let us know who wrote the bulk of your last post? It doesn't look like your style.

Connie, want to let us know who wrote the bulk of your last post? It doesn't look like your style.*Doug

Sorry about that! I was writing about something else and forgot to link it to Justis at http://www.antiwar.com ....I couldn't delete or edited it after it was posted....I was wondering how in the heck I made a prediction from a year ago about the world coming to a end on May 1st, 2007 and couldn't remember it after reading it.....These senior moments appear to be coming closer and closer....Again! Who are you and what do you for living besides being a part time greeter at Wal-Mart?

Doug said:

What do I do for a living? Not much at the moment, but I hope Kenny will give me a job someday.

What do I do for a living? Not much at the moment, but I hope Kenny will give me a job someday.* Doug

You sound like Karl Rove today when he was press about his future job propects. He said he had file a resume with the " Make The Wish Foundation" as CEO and would run Grandpa Thompson campaign. As you know Grandpa Thompson's 1 st Yankee cousin Tommy Boy said he was quiting the republican presidental campaign since he couldn't raise enough of campaign funds to run his Harley motorbike campaign bus.

By the way, off the record, I informed Kenny to believe anything you say and not to point out your most weird journalist political beliefs as a loyal Son. I also told him he could simply cure your weird editorial comments by telling his mother. He will that find out when he gets marry like most old idiots like you and me.

Below is the correct link to the Hillary neo-con scam to be the Queen B##### of the Political Universe. I am on safe ground here since Newt Gringrich Mother use the same term in 1995.

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=11437

wafranklin [TypeKey Profile Page] said:

All this talk about Ms. Clinton. I am reminded of the Dole-ful election (was it really 2002-time passes when you are having fun). All of the members of the female persuasion seemed to flock on one tree, no matter their political stripe. They could "make history". They did. And we have had a non-existent senator since. The flock is gathering again, clucking, strutting and fretting, frantic to elect a female president. And, how pray tell, since they outnumber men, will we ever convince the populace that she carries lot of unwanted freight right out of the Clinton muckup and the Democratic Leadership Council, along with those folks who gave us NAFTA, destroyed welfare, underwrote the 1996 Telecommunications Act (no wonder Murdoch likes Her Ladyship). This one will be decided on gender, plain and simple, so all you boys get ready to be Doled. Might as well go play golf, or go fish.

See you in eight year when Bill and Hillary retire leaving us near nothing. Dynasties happen if we let them.

Doug said:

If it's all about gender, as you say, Hillary should be well over 50 percent in the polls. She's not, although she may end up there.

It's really about qualifications. Which D candidate do you think has better qualifications?

wafranklin [TypeKey Profile Page] said:

Doug:

Read "The Political Brain", Drew Westen. It is not about fact, issues and qualifications. If those mattered, we would not have this dimbulb halfwitted cretin in power in the White House. People voted emotions, not knowledge, insight or lists of qualifications.

Doug said:

So, how do you vote? Who do you think is most qualified to be the next president and why?

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