This article in the New York Times and this piece from Thomas Schallert in The New Republic provide some support for my view—that Clinton’s winning the nomination won’t be good for Democrats.
I continue to think that the reports of the demise of the Clinton campaign are highly exaggerated and that, barring some cataclysm, Sen. Clinton will win her party’s nomination for the presidency. At that point many party regulars will convince themselves that she’s the best of all possible candidates and no amount of evidence to the contrary will convince them otherwise. While I believe that it’s all but inevitable that Sen. Clinton will clinch the nomination I think that she’s also the candidate most likely to enable Democrats to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.
The greatest hope of Democrats for winning the White House in 2008 may be that the Republicans may actually be foolish enough to put forward a worse candidate. It looks increasingly likely that they very well may do,
The greatest hope of Democrats for winning the White House in 2008 may be that the Republicans may actually be foolish enough to put forward a worse candidate. It looks increasingly likely that they very well may do [so.]
Anyone in particular that you have in mind? Or will any of the current batch do?
I’ve already predicted that Mitt Romney will be the Republican candidate. I also think that he’s one of the Republican candidates that Hillary Clinton can beat. I think she can also beat Mike Huckabee. I’m not sure about Giuliani at this point.
I think that John McCain would win handily against Hillary Clinton, if he could secure support from Republican regulars. Big if. I’m surprised at the level of vehemence I’ve seen directed against him since I think he’s the best available Republican candidate.
I think that Fred Thompson could clean the mat with Hillary Clinton if he had the inclination to but I’m surprised at how little inclination he’s shown to do much of anything.
I agree that Hillary can be Huck and Mitt. McCain would be the GOP’s strongest candidate but can’t get the nomination because party regulars loathe- as Lawyers Guns & Money says- he’s the GOP’s Lieberman. My prediction is that Rudy will be nominated- in spite of his liberal social views. I don’t see Romney capturing the party’s heart, though it’s entirely possible Giuliani can’t be nomated and someone like Thompson could be. I have no idea who will win a Clinton-Giuliani Texas death match.
Dave, I just wanted to see where you stood at the moment. I remembered your position on Romney, but thought you might have been responding to Huckabee’s recent surge in the polls.
The McCain vs The Base issue is easy to frame up: If McCain is the favorite Republican of everyone that isn’t a Republican, then it should be clear why the Republican Base loathes him. He just doesn’t seem like one of us when push comes to shove.