Can Hillary win the election? (Read additional info) Why or Why Not?

Question

This is NOT about whether you think Hillary should be president or not. I'm not interested in whether you think she's the best candidate for President or not. I'm not interested in you bashing conservatives or liberals or any group of people that you aren't affiliated with.

What I want to know is this: Can Hillary win an election? Why can she? I've heard that there are enough people in the US who would be uncomfortable with a female president that they'd vote AGAINST her. I've heard that there are enough people that are tired of having just two families in the White House for nearly twenty years. I've heard that republicans are actually hoping and praying that she'll win because she'll be easier to defeat than some of the contenders.

I'd like to know what you think...more than just a one-liner answer, please. There's no hidden agenda to my question...I'd just like to know what thinking people think.

Disclaimer: I'm a conservative who voted for Bill Clinton in 1992.

ret_roch_cop: Thank you for illustrating precisely the type of answer I wasn't looking for.

Answer 1

Yes, if nominated, she can and will be elected. The republican party under the Bush administration rule has turned to fascist ideals and have pushed the independents away with these policies and nobody gets elected with out having at least 60% support of the Independent vote because they make 38% of the registered voters. These days, the republicans basically only have the support of other republicans, which only 28% of registered voters are republicans, so they will come up short big time in the general election.

Answer 2

Don't think she can be elected for several reasons.

A) She's too polarizing. Yes it has been said, yes it is true. In poll after poll 45% of the people asked say they just don't like her.

B) She has no personality when she's making an appearance that isn't scripted. She sounds monotone, bored. Almost like its a chore to actually have to talk to people. May not be true, but that's what comes across. That's going to hurt her when she faces a charismatic opponent in the general election. And the leading Republican candidates are all charismatic and all have good public personalities.

C) She's a socialist. There is no other way to describe her policies. That may appeal to the left, but its not going to appeal to independents and moderates .Now, she might try to hide that during the general electiion. However, she's showing it now to win the primary and Republicans are not going to simply let people forget what she's saying now. $5000 baby bond, $1000 everybody bond, a government health care plan where all the details would have to be "worked out by Congress." They're all perfect examples. She's making that the centerpoint to her nomination. She's going to have a hard time dropping that and sweeping it under the rug come time for the general election.

D) When push comes to shove, what has she accomplished? Senator. That's it. And not even from her state. But can anyone name even one bigtime bill she authored? No. She's always a co-sponsor if anything. Pit that up against a very popular mayor of New York, or a successful governor, or even a politician/actor hybrid and she's going to lose that side of the coin.

E) This one is a personal prediction. This assumes she wins the nomination, like your question and all my answers. At some point, she's going to be deadlocked with the Republican nominee, or maybe even behind. When that happens. I believe you're going to get the line "vote for Hillary or your sexist" in some way or another. Maybe its just a few newspapers, maybe its a subtle commercial. But the message will be sent. I believe it will backfire. Tremendously.

Anyone of those things could probably be overcome. But I don't see her overcoming all of them.

/EDIT: Almost forgot, I don't believe voters in this country will reject her because she's a "Clinton" and that would mean 20 years of two families in the White House. Regardless of their names, they were all still elected in the same manner all other Presidents have. I think this whole thing is an international fad, mainly out of Britain. I don't see this as an issue for Americans right now. Maybe it'll change, but I doubt it.

Answer 3

"I've heard that there are enough people in the US who would be uncomfortable with a female president that they'd vote AGAINST her."

I think you're missing the point with this line. It's not that they'd be uncomfortable with a female president; it's that they'd be uncomfortable with THAT female as president. Hillary is a very polarizing figure, and there's no question a number of people (OK, let's make that a very large number of people) will come to the polls to make sure she doesn't get elected. States that might have been in play in the South and in the West due to, frankly, fatigue from Bush, with a different nominee from the Democrats are in my opinion now completely off the table and solidly GOP, even if the Republicans nominate a candidate who isn't as strongly conservative as the religious faction of the party would like. Should the GOP choose a Romney or a Guiliani who can put a number of Rust Belt states in play, they can force the Democrats to fight it out in states like NJ, CT, MI, PA, and OH, which the Democrats have to have to win. A nominee too much like Bush puts the election in states like NC, CO, MO, and the like, and there's no way the GOP can win if the Rust Belt isn't in play.

People always forget that this isn't one election, it's 50, and it comes down to electoral votes and states that you can carry. The GOP base is about 20 states (basically the states George Bush Sr. carried in 1992 and maybe a few others - AL, AK, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MS, MT, NE, NC, ND, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WY). The Democratic base is about 11 states and the District (CA, DC, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, NY, OR, VT, WA). The election has been for the past few years and will be in 2008 fought out in the other 19.

Answer 4

I don't think so. Assuming she won the nomination, which I am not so sure will happen, there are virtually no repubs who will vote for her and among dems there is a strong dislike for her and her flip flopping style of lying and changing stories daily and, well, her unlikeable nature. Personally I am offended by her statement right here on Yahoo that she intends to do away with the Bill of Rights and shocked and frightened by her socialism and desire to give the country away through a NAU. There are some who would vote for her because she is a woman but likely there is an equal number who would not for the same reason so that is going to be a wash. I think the party will realize that if Clinton is nominated the repubs will win the election so she will lose support rapidly.

Answer 5

The real reason she cannot win this election is that her ideas are preposterous. Hillary's reasoning is based on a socialistic agenda. The core of the old socialist hope was mass prosperity that would free all people from the burden of laboring for others and place them in a position to pursue higher ends, such as the arts or philosophy, in a conflict free society.But there was a practical problem: the assumption was things would get worse for the working class under capitalism.
By the early 20th century it was clear the Marxist assumption was wrong, and the reverse was true, and it became clear: As wealth grew through capitalist means, the standard of living for all was improving.
300 Years of history that Hillary ignores is that programs for the masses bring rise of fiscal crises.
I truly believe we have far too many intelligent people, conservative and liberal that will not vote for Hillary.

And for a little humor; we can't get past that hideous "Cackle!"

Answer 6

I think it's quite possible.

How elections in the U.S. are won has a great deal to do with big money from corporations, and she has a lot of them in her corner. She's had bigger fundraising results than any candidate in either of the two big business parties, Democratic or Republican.

However, money isn't the ONLY factor. One of the big business factions COULD decide that they won't allow her to win no matter what. It's happened before.

Look at Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich. They both have some money (not a lot, but some), and their political views are in line with those of many people, so they could potentially command a great deal of support -- but the powers-that-be have decided to put them out in the "fringe."

So my answer is -- yes, she could win.

My personal opinion? Well, I'm a socialist, and I don't like right-wing "liberals" - so I hope she doesn't.

Answer 7

I think she can, but John Edwards has a better chance in a national election. Hillary will be close if she goes up against someone like Ron Paul. Romney wouldn't have a chance, but Giuliani would probably be close.
So, if the election is Hillary again Ron Paul, I think Paul would win. (He'd automatically get most of the Republicans, and pick up many Democrats as well)
Hillary again Giuliani (would be the closest, and Hillary probably would still win)
Hillary again Romney (Hillary in a landslide. Romney comes off as a nutjob every time I see him speak)

Answer 8

Can she win I doubt it.

She has been handle with kid gloves by the press and has not answer a single question.

That will work for the primaries but when it comes to a general elections she won't have that protect and she will be shown for who she is and that is not presidential material.

It work for Bill but things have changed since he was in office and now there is a lot more varitey of media.

Hillary will have to disconnect herself from Media Matters and MoveOn.org and she can't do that and that will sink her.

Answer 9

No. The Democratic Party lacks leaders.

Answer 10

No, a lot of people don't trust her, and rightfully so. She's not trustworthy.