Hillary Clinton is the clear front runner for the Democratic nomination in 2008.?

Question

I would like to hear opinions on her possible nomination, whether you believe she can win the Presidency and the whys/why nots. I really would appreciate clear unemotional concise thoughts on this, though if you must rant go for it lol. Thanks everyone.

I'm curious why many of you are denying that Hillary is the front runner. I know many dismiss polls, but I am working from the polls taken within the Democratic Party incumbents, not the voters, which show her as the definitive front runner. The main drawback, according to the incumbents, is that she is a hawk and may be too moderate-conservative for the Dems. In spite of that, she is still their current first choice at this juncture. I'm loving your answers though, it is interesting to note the answers that refer to her gender in a deprecating way (she-devil for instance). The two main points concerning the Dems right now seem to be 1) How will Bill affect the vote? and 2) Will the nation vote for a woman, are we ready for that step forward? Thanks for all of your replies, I wish I would have asked the respondents to state whether they were Rep, Dem or Indep though. I'm having a hard time determining the consenus on this question without that factor. Again, thanks!

Answer 1

She has a great chance, because of National Recognition, and a huge amount of money. In addition she has set up a very effective organization. Her biggest drawback to winning the nomination will be the influence the liberal wing of the party wields. She has upset many liberals by supporting the war in Iraq, and liberals tend to be more politically active in primaries than moderates.
If she wins the nomination she certainly can get elected. Dependent upon whom she is running against, if she portrays herself as an intelligent moderate, like her husband, and if she is running against a very conservative Rep, then she she has an excellent chance. If on the other hand, the Republicans pick a moderate like (Guiliani or Romney) unaffiliated with the Bush administration, she will have a more difficult time.
Clinton's biggest problem is her negative rating. She polls higher than any politician in history of people that would vote for anyone other than her as a candidate. That means that there are much fewer "undecideds". The key questions in 2008 will be hows the war in Iraq doing? Winding down, and troops coming home is bad for Democrats. Quagmire is great. Hows the Economy? strong economy = bad for Hillary. What is the price of oil high prices good for Hillary.

Answer 2

Her nomination would be a rarity... both extremes satisfied by the exact same thing. She is unelectable in a national campaign. Many liberals think she is and they are wrong. For them she embodies all of their far left hopes and dreams. Many on the right are hoping against hope that she wins the party nod. She will only cement the perception that Democrats are out of touch with mainstream America and allow Republicans to run anyone they would like.

I personally hope McCain gets the nomination but if Hilary wins on the other side it might spark a movement in the Republican party to run someone who is more conservative to further contrast the difference between the two parties.

Anyone who thinks Hillary can win a national election really needs to examine the electoral map. There way too many states where she does not stand a chance. New York is not the center of American politics.

I will add one qualifier. As long as there is no third party spoiler she will not win. Perot gave her husband the White House twice I hope and pray this doesn't happen again. Did you know Bill never even got 50% of the vote? No majority, ever.

Answer 3

She could possibly win the nomination, however, it'll be a cold day in Hell before she wins the general election. Of course she's been trying to swing into the middle recently which only shows she's going to run. However, here in middle America, there are many people who did not like her as a first lady and even more would not like her as President. She is weak, her marriage is a political power marriage and a sham, and she has very low family values. Also, she is quite the leftist even though as I've said, she's been swinging to the middle on some things. Many women don't like her for staying with her cheating husband, and many men just are not ready to vote for a female (not saying this is right, just the way it is). However, in an election where only democrats vote, such as primaries, she might have a chance because I really think the Democrats try to lose elections, i.e. Al Gore and John Kerry!

Answer 4

Hillary is too liberal for Main Street USA. Her socialist politics will not get the moderate vote. So unless a strong Independent candidate is gearing up to run and split the Republican base of moderates she cannot possibly win. When Bill Clinton won he did so only because Perot took 20% of the vote, most of which were moderates and independents who would normally have voted Republican.

And that is if she even got the party nomination. The DNC has been burned by so many liberal northeast candidates it is unlikely that they will risk another loss by handing it to her. SO that means a truly ugly democratic primary season where her fellow democrats will not only eviscerate each other, but her especially. Between her White Water escapades and Vince Foster's "suicide" they'll finish her off before Iowa. (And if it actually gets this far she'll disingenuously drop out of contention to "protect" her daughter)


Plus there is the Senator factor. Senators generally don't win the Presidency, the last one was JFK.

Answer 5

I think the only ones who think Hillary is the front runner for the
Democratic nomination in 2008 are the media people who make this stuff up. I don't think she has a chance in h__l of getting into the White House. I can't think of anyone that will even support her. I hope the Democrats can come up with a better choice than he. I think a better candidate would be Senator Obama and, although he denies any interest, I think everything he has done and is doing is leading to that golden road to the White House. I tried to not like him at first, but even when people try to back him up against a wall, he always comes up with the just the right thing to do or say.

At any rate, even Hillary would be better than the present administration.

Answer 6

I do believe at some point that she will run for president and I think she has a good chance to get close but not actually become president. I believe she has already ran the presidency when her husband was president. If you ever watch both of them speak at different times you can easily see that she took it much more seriously and possibly even wrote her own speeches. She didn't need Q cards as much as her husband did and she put up with things she really didn't need to put up with him. I think she only did so that she would have the chance at the presidency.

Answer 7

Honestly and without ranting... I want to see her win the Democrtic nomination and here is why. I am a staunch conservative and I loathe her. Most of Americas dislikes her. If she gets the Democratic nomination, it will assure my party another presidency. I know my opinion is shared by others.

There are good Democrats that are far better choices. Look at Lieberman, hes a great candidate but liberals wont support him.

That being said, I dislike McCain as well and he will most likely get the nomination of my party.

Answer 8

The nomination is hers if she wants it - the wack-job far left-wing won't be able to stop her.

As to her electability - just as in her NY Senate race she's polling 40% who would "never vote for her". It didn't matter in NY as the Republicans ran the dog catcher against her and the dog catcher cannot win (W. Ridgeley's First Rule of Politics).

Presumably the Republicans will have a better candidate than they did in NY and then I think it would be very difficult for her to prevail. The smell from her husband's presidency alone would be a heavy anchor to have to drag through the campaign.

And she wouldn't look so Presidential matched up against a guy like John McCain, my favorite for the Republican nomination.

Answer 9

I don't know if she is the frontrunner but she has a big challenge -- no sitting Senator has become President since John Kennedy, and you have to go back to thee 19th century, I think, to find another Senator who successfully ran and won the presidency.

The Senate is just not a good launching place for a candidate -- too many votes can be turned against you and it's hard to take credit for major accomplishments.

Answer 10

I feel certain she will be nominated and possibly elected. If she is, however, it will be to the detriment of our country. Why? Because many people think being a democrat is being democratic. It is not. From what I have seen being a democrat is like giving a man a fish instead of a fishing pole and teaching him how to fish. Look back over the recent democratic years and see the end results.