By all means read John Kass’s Trib column on Hillary Clinton’s problem in claiming the presidency. Here’s the kernel:
She has experience, yes. She knows politics. She’s a creature of the Democratic establishment, yes. And she’s a survivor.
But she cannot be trusted. People think she’s a liar. Poll after poll reflects this. And so, it does not bode well for a Clinton Restoration.
Sanders has the crowds, the excitement and, though he’s 74, young liberals like him. And Hillary? She’s the establishment candidate. They tolerate her.
Bonus! GoT references.
The post last night, “The Graph,” actually works together with this one. Despite the enthusiasm for Bernie, he probably won’t win the nomination. He doesn’t just have to beat Hillary in the primaries and caucuses, he has to beat her by enough to cancel out the super-delegates. He probably doesn’t have the fire-power to do that, because some Jew from Whitopia isn’t going to play well in the South and other places with lots of black voters.
But it also shows Hillary’s weakness in the general election. The only people that are enthusiastic about her are career feminists (by which I mean people who have made a career a feminism, not the larger population of women who consider themselves feminists of one stripe or another), and gay men who dig the scolding Mom thing. (And oddly, at least in politics, there seems to be a fair number of them.) Everyone else? She’s a damp rag, and there are almost no circumstances in which people are excited by a damp rag.
But on the flip side, those that hate her will be very motivated to turn out against her. Her best hope is that some establishment type win the Republican nomination, because then the insurgency supporters will probably stay home.
I can envision a scenario in which it’s !Jeb! against Hillary!, and both sides are hoping for a turnout in the hundreds or low thousands nation-wide. El Jefe will be hoping that the Bush Clan votes (his mom really likes him!) plus those of loyal retainers will beat out those paid for directly by the Clinton Foundation. A sad, sad day for America.
Bonus! GoT references.
He’s not going to spoil the new book, is he?
Not even the OTB crowd and drum up much of a positive for Hillary.
I concur with most of ice’s comments, including the realistic outlook that it will be hard for Bernie to win the primary against the Clinton machine. However, when Hillary masters the primary, it will, IMO, (like ice said) deflate much of the democratic enthusiasm now resonating in the democrat primaries. IOW, as Bernie exits so does the fervor to go out and vote in the general, especially among millennials.
Of course, concurrently, if Trump wins it will also dampen the tendency for certain republicans/indies to fill in the choice for POTUS as well, in the general election cycle.
The obvious thing for Hillary, if she wins, to do is make Bernie her running mate. It would be a strange sight to see, people clamoring to see the Veep nominee but indifferent to the POTUS nominee, but I suppose it could happen.
IF Bernie wants to play ball. And he’s been a fairly independent peerson at times. But I’m not sure if that’ll hold if he gets the prospect of being a heartbeat away from the Presidency, particularly if he judges Hillary to be frail.
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And Jan, if Trump keeps banging the anti-immigration drum, I think he’ll get more enthusiasm going forward. Incidentally, here’s the best piece I’ve read so far explaining a vote for Trump.
Ice, Choosing Bernie is one strategic choice for Hillary’s VP going forward in the general — reminds me of Reagan pairing up with Bush, even though they were not the best of friends. However, there’s lots of buzz going around Julian Castro as being on her short list of potential VP candidates. He is currently HUD secretary, and is said to be being schooled by Bill Clinton and brushing up on his Spanish. A 40-something Latino of course would provide her with attractive demographics she does not process — youth, ethnicity, a fresh face, and gender differentiations.
The article linked was a reasoned one for Trump’s appeal, via his immigration stances. However, an equally important factor to his successful candidacy (so far), is how adroitly he navigates politically incorrect speech and positions. For years the noose has been tightening around free speech, especially as it relates to socially correct ways of expressing oneself. IMO, it was Ben Carson who started an earlier ball rolling, pointing out how free speech was slowly being squeezed out of public debates during a remarkable prayer breakfast speech, Such sentiments immediately went viral, seeding Carson’s instant popularity and eventual run for POTUS.
Trump, however, has vigorously smashed open the vat of public angst towards PC speech that has subtly been encroaching upon the free flow (oftentimes healthy) discourse of opinions, messaging this trend in even starker, strident terms. Seemingly undeterred when crossing lines of social decorum, Trump’s goal, resonating in his high polling numbers, appears to be the unwrapping of unacceptable grievances simmering below the surface of the average Joe and articulating them as acceptable ones.
It’s a mite early to be thinking about running mates but I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that Sanders will be Clinton’s running mate. For one thing you don’t want a VP candidate who’ll outshine the candidate. It’s hard to imagine someone who wouldn’t but is still alive. Mike Madigan (Speaker of the Illinois House) maybe.
Maybe she should pick Chelsea for VP.
” For years the noose has been tightening around free speech, ”
Have any examples?
Steve