Has Hillary Clinton finally met her match?

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article304880.ece

The casting is all but complete for America's next big political thriller. The starring role was always going to Hillary Clinton, the former first lady, who next year must fight to retain her seat representing New York in the US Senate. However, now we have the person who is likely to play opposite her. Her name is Jeanine Pirro.

You don't need any trailers to tell you that this will be the blockbuster of 2006. It will have a monster budget - some expect this to be the most expensive Senate race in history - and a gripping subplot too. (A quick clue here: Hillary-for-President 2008.) And then there is Ms Pirro, charismatic,outspoken and popular.

The formal announcement from Ms Pirro, 54, just completing her third term as the District Attorney for Westchester County, just north of New York City, is expected today. However, she let the cat out of the bag to reporters earlier this week. She wants to be the Republican to take on Hillary next year and she means to win.

That may be a little ambitious, of course. Near the end of her first term, Ms Clinton has attained considerable popularity, even in the northern parts of the state, which are normally considered more conservative. A recent poll suggested that in a race with Ms Pirro, she would prevail by 63 per cent to 29 per cent.

[Maddy McCall]

1. No. Clinton will trounce Pirro.

[zbdent]

2. Pirro has only one issue that she can run on

and that is "I'm not Hillary". That will run fine in the tight little conservative elite coffee klatches . . . but not on the majority of the people.

[vi5]

3. The only other thing she could do in this...

..is force Hillary to make some kind of statement about her plans to serve out a full second term or not. If she makes that enough of an issue it could swing some people who may like Hillary but not want to elect her only to have her run for president 2 years into her term. Remember that was a big issue when she was running her first term and they backed her into vowing publicly that she would serve out her full term and not run in '04. I wouldn't underestimate that as a possible approach in this one.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Pirro is a formidable opponent

Not because she is an inherently good candidate, but because she has her mug snarling on TV at every opportunity. She's well known to downstate New Yorkers.

That said, two factors will cause Hillary to win by a large margin.

1) Downstate, the mood against all things Republican is soo intense that it would take a miracle for any Republican to carry the city. Hell, I think Hillary will also carry Nassau County easily, and that's saying a lot.

2) Hillary has been very good about visiting upstate New York and dealing with upstate concerns, particularly rural healthcare and agriculture issues. Her centrist positions are paying dividends in the big upstate rural counties, particualrly those surrounding the Capital District and Syracuse.

Prediction: Hillary 58%, Pirro 40% (and some Green and Conservative candidates will peel off 2%).

[Not Me]

8. Hillary has delivered for upstate NY and plays well there

From yesterday's Rochester Democrat&Chronicle:

"Passage of the federal highway and transportation bill last week could bring more than $61 million into the Rochester region over the next six years.

The infusion of public money has been praised by elected representatives as a shot in the arm for an area that has suffered economically in the past few years.

"The time-honored way to try to get people to work and have a little spinoff is public works," Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, said Monday. "It's not as great as it used to be. ... Nonetheless, I think it will be a good economic boon for us."

<snip>
"Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, both New York Democrats, secured another $10 million for the project."

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/NEWS01/508090325/-1/ARCHIVE1

[theboss]

5. The only thing I find interesting is the woman v. woman aspect

Hillary was very good at casting Lazio in 2000 as a bully.

But I still think she will win by at least ten points.

[endarkenment]

6. pirro - sacrificial lamb

The Hillary will trounce her. The machine is already spinning 40% as a victory.

She is a bum of the month for the Hillary's '08 title match.

[Adelante]

7. Pirro is a good candidate for the Repubs

Probabaly the best they could find. But she's no match for Hillary.