In all the talk about Hillary as a front-running Democratic presidential candidate for 2008, there are precious few Democrats who will speak publicly about what many consider obvious: Republicans hate her as much as Democrats like her, and it's hard to imagine -- her efforts at moderation on abortion notwithstanding -- how she wins over enough swing voters to put her in the White House.Last night, David Geffen dared to speak the words. As Lloyd Grove reports in this morning's Daily News, Geffen said during a question-and-answer session in New York that Hillary "can't win, and she's an incredibly polarizing figure." Although Geffen has poured buckets full of money into Democratic campaigns over the years, it sounds like he's unenthusiastic about dropping cash on a second Clinton's run for the White House. "Ambition," he said, "is just not a good enough reason."
That is called, in my neck of the woods, "retahded". Bush is an incredibly polarizing president, and - with the help of cowardice like the above from Dems - that's why he won re-election. Because he animated more of his supporters than the other side because he clearly believes his own propaganda and doesn't give a frozen rat turd if you like him. Apparently, the Democrats can't field a candidate unless the inauguration speech can start with "You like me! You really, really like me!". Amazing that these Beltway types still don't get it, even when they just had their noses rubbed in it. And get their noses rubbed in it day in and day out. Pathetic.
Let me repeat: swing voters don't put you in the White House; people who go to vote and vote for you put you in the White House. I don't know why Dems persist in thinking that elections are won by taking your base for granted and ass-kissing the fence sitters. Bush won by pushing the fence sitters over the other side and thus getting a standing ovation from the occasional voters on his side.
Americans may not know if Siberia is part of Alaska, or whether Mexico is the nearest foreign country from Chicago, but they know when someone is trying to sucker them with a soft, evasive sell better than just about anyone (what nation is the target of more crappy marketing?). And so, in politics, we prefer the "honest lie": when someone speaks what they believe, even if it's obviously untrue (WMD in Iraq, anyone? Saddam-Osama connection? Pakistan is our friend? Russia is our friend? France is not our friend? Saudi Arabia is our friend?). "The guy may be not be the sharpest tool in the shed but at least you know he's not trying to fuck you."
Dems may start winning again when they shitcan the fake-ass yuppies and old school hippies, and unionist dinosaurs running the show now and get some straight-talking punks out front: prosperity is good, but all Americans need the opportunity to take part, not just those who've already succeeded; we are an inclusive nation from our founding, but we cannot include those who wish to destroy inclusiveness; we need to protect American workers against unfair competition and unfair employment practices, but we cannot afford to protect our workers from competition and progress.
And so, Hillary's recent abortion overture is a good step - who wants more abortions? Dean in the DNC might be a good step - yeeaaarggh! Only time will tell - but I mention those two precisely because Dems - Dems! FUCKING DEMS! have dropped them like a stage diver dipped in shit becuse they were accused of being "too liberal" even when a disinterested analysis of their policies shows otherwise. Ask yourself - did Republicans ditch Bush because liberals thought he was "too conservative" for the swing vote?. Craven approval-seeking is a guaranteed road to failure: it stinks of fear, and fear stinks of "loser" and Americans don't like losers.
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