If Hillary Is Our Nominee

[ruggerson]

would you vote for her, the Republican, a third party green or just not vote?

Please explain why.

[Warpy]

1. Unless she crosses the choice line

I'll vote for her if she's the nominee. I won't like it but I'll do it.

[bluestateguy]

2. I'll fight any effort to make her the nominee

But when the priamries are over I vote for the candidate my party has chosen to nominate.

[Kerrytravelers]

3. A Democrat would vote for Hilary.

Whether or not I like her, she has my vote is she is the nominee. There is no way I would vote for a rethuglian. A vote for a third party, knowing that it will be a tight election and the rethugs will be doing everything they can- legal and otherwise- to win, is throwing your vote away and passively supporting the rethug by NOT supporting the Democrat. There is something to voting strategically. Hood your nose if you must- I know I have- and vote for the better of the country and for your fellow citizens, not just for your personal crusade. Protesting, changing parties, and all that jazz may make you feel better, but in the end, if enough people do that, we'll have four more years of rethuglian rule.

[slackmaster]

68. No True Scotsman fallacy

Or Poisoning the Well.

[JeremyWestenn]

4. Not only will I vote for her,

I'd be working as hard as a person in Kansas can to help her primary bid.

[Ken Burch]

73. Why even bother in the primaries.

She thinks the nomination is hers by divine right anyway, and that the party is beneath her.

She thinks she owes us nothing in exchange for our votes.

After the convention, that's one thing, but how can anyone actually PREFER her to be the nominee?

She has no convictions.

[Wcross]

5. I don't much care for her.

That doesn't mean I would vote for a Republican though. I don't think she would be the best choice at this time. I will support her if she wins the nomination.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Since I can't move to Barbados, I'll hold my nose and vote for her

since she'd be better than whatever slug the Republicans pull out from under their rock. But I'll do my best to see to it that she is defeated in the primaries.

[charles22]

7. I would not move to Canada,

but would certainly feel that our democracy has folded.

[The Magistrate]

23. Why On Earth, Sir, Would You Think That?

[blue cat]

8. I will vote for the democrat nominee

no matter what. HC is much better that what the other parties could come up with. I like her but the Clintons need to step aside and give someone else a chance.

[Ronnie]

49. "...democrat nominee"?

Perhaps you mean Democratic nominee.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

9. I hope it doesn't come down to Hillary being our candidate...

she's kept quiet for far too long. She's letting America rot while she's waiting to be our first female president.

[delphinium]

10. Hillary's been very critical of the Bush admin.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. She and many others have been vocal.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

42. If Hillary Clinton made the talk show rounds during the '04 elections

and explained why she thought the Bush White House is run like a "plantation". Or spoke about how poorly the war was being handled back then, a democratic President would be in the White House now.

[MrSlayer]

11. I have as much enthusiasm to vote for her as I have to be disemboweled.

I really, really do not want to have to vote for her. It would probably be a game time decision as to what I would do.

[mourningdove92]

12. I would JOYFULLY vote for her.

Wonder what our chances are of having Obama as her running mate? or vice versa?

[Ken Burch]

74. How could returning us to the Nineties inspire joy in anyone?

n/t

[sandnsea]

13. Ugh - but still better than...

Biden, Reed, Reid, Pryor, Lincoln, Landrieu, either Nelson, Warner, Ford, and a whole host of socially and economically centrist Democrats.

[rockymountaindem]

14. After that remark that "today's young people think 'work' is a four letter word"

I'd have a hard time voting for her. Way to disrespect my whole generation, Mrs. Clinton. Also, her continual pandering to nervous-nellie parents about video games pisses me off. Aparently we can't be trusted to know the difference between reality and the virtual world either. Honestly, I can't think of one reason to vote for her right now other than that she's not a Republican. I'm open to persuasion though. She may yet redeem herself but as of today, I'd really rather not vote for her.

[ElizabethDC]

16. She apologized for that remark

after her own daughter took issue with it. And, as a young person, I don't really take offense. I know that I work very hard, but I know plenty of people my age who don't. As for video games, I think she wants to enable parents to be able to limit the games their children play, but only if they want to. She's not forcing anyone to stop playing video games.

[rockymountaindem]

19. Whether or not she apologized is not the point

Firstly, that was a stupid and glib thing to say. Secondly, it's going to damage her image with young people regardless at a time when we need to capitalize on pre-existing distaste for Republicans among youth and turn Gen Y into lifelong Democrats. As for video games:

Hillary opens up morality war on violent video games:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1543329,00.html

Teaming up with Santorum and Brownback, calling games a "major threat" etc... that's blatant pandering. I don't play games like that, but I know people who do and trust me, they're not the kind of people anybody should be worried about.

Don't get me started on the centrists' view of "free trade" either...

[clarquistador]

25. Hillary Clinton does whatever is good for....

Hillary Clinton. Beyond that, she has little value or loyalty to anything beyond her pesonal ambitions. I can think of many other prominent female Dem leaders who would make a better president than her (eg. Boxer).

The polls may say she's a "frontrunner" (wow 33% support), but I haven't met one person on the streets who truely likes her.

So thus far, you have people on the right who absolutely despise her, people in the center who don't like her, and get this, even quite a few people on the left who do not want her to run. So why is she being touted? Answer: Because her last name is Clinton.

[Lerkfish]

15. is this another attempt at division? If Ms. Clinton is the democratic

nominee, then I, as a democrat, will vote for her.

However, until then, I'll oppose her in the primary for merely pragmatic reasons: I think she's a firebrand for hatred from the right (for no logical reason), and her campaign will be even more swiftboated than Kerry's, and over half the campaign will get bogged down in putting out countless pointless fires.

for whatever reason, they hate her with the intensity of a thousand suns, even more than her husband. Even though I don't think they should frame our candidate, I will note THEY have been aggressively pushing her as our candidate, and that raises many red flags, to me. Either they think they can utilize the irrational hatred against her to rally their core, or for some reason think her POV is more consistent on Iraq than other candidates, or what I don't know.
But I"m not in the habit of just accepting my enemy to choose my candidate for me.

Additionally, I think we have a LOT of just as or more qualified possibilities that would be harder to swiftboat, so why pick someone with a target on their back? Seems foolhardy to me.

:shrug:

[Mabus]

17. I agree

[Bullet1987]

18. I think most Dems would vote for Hillary...

...even if they didn't think she was the best choice. We'd rather have a Dem in office, than another Rethug.

[clarquistador]

26. You think most Dems would vote for her?

By most, I hope you mean somewhere in the neighborhood of 90%+, because anything less means a loss for the Dems in a general election.

[The Magistrate]

30. Quite Likely, Sir

The fact is that Sen. Clinton is quite popular with Democrats, and in the course of a national campaign, against an identified foe, this popularity would be cemented even more tightly. Add to this that the Party and its adherents are damned hungry for a victory, and that the nation badly desires a repudiation of the last eight years, and can get it only by defeating a Republican, and there is much less to worry over than some suppose....

[clarquistador]

32. Uh, ok, but the point being that.....

She would have to win 90%+ as well as the majority of independents and a spackling of Repubs in order to win in a general.

And I can think of no better mobilizer for the Republican base than Hillary Clinton.

[The Magistrate]

35. What Mobilizes Them, Sir

Mobilizes us as well, and offends the middle, in present circumstances. There is not going to be a great sea-change over the next two years, and Indepenmdents are not going to break to a Republican majority in '08. Buyer's remorse has set in, and will be a long time dissipating.

[Mabus]

34. Exactly

There is a difference between the parties. There was a difference in 2000. The media will spin, spin, spin.

Personally, I support Gore but if Hillary wins the nomination, I will vote for her.

[PsN2Wind]

20. I would vote for her BUT

consider our presidential aspirations as well and truly fucked.

[JNelson6563]

55. Indeed!

Considering I am just ending a 4 year period of full time work for the Democratic cause I say that if Hillary won the nomination I would vote for her and that's it. It would be some other race that would get my tireless effort and support. I would not lift a single finger or donate a single penny for Hillary. No fundraisers for her benefit, wouldn't do the massive work of swag acquisition, distribution of anything else.

I abandoned home and family in 04 for a ticket I did not believe in. I will never do so again. I'm not a mindless my-party-right-or-wrong drone.

Julie

[Pierre.Suave]

21. please, please, please..

...Do NOT RUN HILLARY!!!!

Do we want to hand the government back to the republicans?

[More Than A Feeling]

22. I do not believe that she will be the Democratic nominee.

However, I would vote for her in the general, out of party loyalty and in view of the consequences of continued Republican rule, if nothing else.

Also, I will enjoy seeing the heads of right-wing Clinton-haters explode. In case that happens, we should come up with a list of places we can recommend they move to. I'll start: Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Putin's Russia...

[LibertyorDeath]

24. If Hillary Is Our Nominee

WE are Fucked.

[bigdarryl]

28. YEP your right we are screwed if she wins the nomination

[solara]

27. I would be very reluctant to vote for Hillary

because I truly feel that she cannot win the Presidency.

Mainstream America does NOT like her, they DON'T trust her and I believe they will either vote Rethug again or just not vote if she is the Dem Nominee. It isn't fair perhaps, but from what I hear from my friends, progressive and otherwise, her negative is much stronger than any might believe. Right now, we need a candidate who is relatively untainted by events, by rumor and by predjudice WHO CAN WIN. I don't see the South voting for her, or the NASCAR faction...nor any evangelicals who might be swinging towards the Dem side. She will stick in their collective craws.

Then, there is the question of how the leaders of the Middle East would respond to a woman as the "Commander in Chief" especially after the Bush debacle. Thanks to Junior, we have lost much respect around the world. If Hillary pisses off the conservatives AND liberals here, how do you think Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Bashar Al-Assyd, or King Abdullah or Mahmoud Abbas or the leaders of the Hamas are going to respond to her? I don't think Rice has effectively generated any respect for highly placed women in the US government.

Right now our country cannot afford a President who will be dismissed as weak just because of her gender. That may be sexist, but unfortunately certain highly unstable parts of the world still see women as chattel, as second and third class citizens and, although, sexism is a problem that must be addressed, until the Bush debacle is sorted out I don't see Women's Equality or Women's Rights being on the front burners. Of course, I could be wrong but I think it is a serious consideration even though no one wants to talk about it.

The timing is just wrong for Hillary. Maybe in 2012.

It will be depressing to say the least if Hillary is our Democratic nominee in '08. But, I would never vote rethug or a third party in '08. I would vote for Hillary... but I would not feel very optimistic.

[Clark2008]

43. King Abdullah would be OK with her - with any female - because

of his mother and his Western schooling.

But, to your other points, yes - I completely agree.

[Gman]

29. Any Democratic candidate automatically gets my vote with one click

and a straight party vote. Screw that "I vote for the person" bullshit.

[Lena inRI]

31. I'D WRITE IN MY CHOICES. . .

GORE / CLARK 2008

And THE Billary, with their powerful Israeli backers and cozy GHWBush relationship can get the hell out of my face.

:smoke: :smoke: :smoke: :smoke: :smoke:

[IndyOp]

33. What LenaInRI said - almost...

GORE / ANYONE BUT HILLARY 2008

:hi:

[PassingFair]

36. It would SERIOUSLY depend on who a THIRD PARTY candidate

might be.


I DON'T LIKE dynastic presidencies.
I think her husband set us up for a WORLD OF PAIN.
His ZIPPER PROBLEM DOOMED Al Gore's campaign and I think
NAFTA
has RUINED our country. I don't TRUST Hillary Clinton.

I wouldn't vote for her if a viable alternative
existed.

I hope she doesn't run.
If she runs,
I hope
she doesn't get the nomination.

[mtnsnake]

56. Clinton's zipper problem doomed Al Gore's campaign?

And NAFTA has RUINED our country? Wow, talk about sensationalism. That's hysterical!

[PassingFair]

57. Is it?

Checked out the UAW lately?

Checked out the job situation in the state of Michigan lately?

Checked out the MANUFACTURING base of our COUNTRY lately?

Did you SEE Clinton stumping for Gore in 2000? I DIDN'T.

[mtnsnake]

58. "Did you SEE Clinton stumping for Gore in 2000?"

Did you forget that Gore distanced himself from Clinton or something? Geeesh.

[PassingFair]

59. WHY do you think that was?

His BREATH?

[mtnsnake]

61. No not his breath

but nice try at conveniently forgetting that it was Al Gore who chose to distance himself from the Bill. So, enough with blaming Clinton for not stumping for Gore. Good gawd, what will you blame Clinton for next?

[PassingFair]

63. Clinton had DAMAGED the party.

However you feel about infidelity, the
party got DRAGGED through the mud because
he couldn't keep his dick in his pants.

Hillary comes off as a cuckold (we know
how much the world LOVES a cuckold).

I'm not "conveniently" forgetting anything.
You seem to be forgetting that our president
had an extramarital affair with a 21 year old
intern in his OFFICE.

This kind of shit gets people fired at 7-11,
let alone the WHITE HOUSE.

And NAFTA HAS destroyed our manufacturing base.
I hope we have the political will to do something
about it before its too late to avoid a depression.

WAKE UP.

[election_2004]

37. My vote won't make a difference anyway....

My state's Electoral Votes would overwhelmingly go to Hillary, so me voting for an Independent third-party presidential candidate doesn't really affect her chances of winning the presidency.

[MasonJar]

38. I cannot believe that I am reading this on DU; shame of you who would

not support the Democratic nominee.

[election_2004]

39. Not everyone here belongs to the Democratic party

Some of us are Independents who want clean candidates. Others happen to be self-identified Democrats who are tired of their party leaders being associated with scandal after scandal.

Just because someone doesn't give their undying loyalty to the Democratic Party establishment doesn't make them a "Republican by default."

[ruggerson]

41. Last I checked

this was a site for Democrats. If Hillary ends up being the nominee, I would expect people here to support her candidacy.

[comsymp]

52. You should check again, then

First, last and every time I've checked over the past 5+ years, Skinner has made it abundantly clear that DU "is a site for Democrats and other progressives." Apparently they realize that not all progressives are Dems - though they expect members to support Dem candidates when applicable - any more than all Dems are progressive.

[election_2004]

54. If she's the nominee

I won't be posting in any of the presidential race discussions, since I won't have anything positive to say about her.

[wyldwolf]

62. If Hillary wins the nomination, no one can openly support anyone else on DU

[PassingFair]

64. Neener Neener.

You can get a cop suit and kick us off then.

:crazy:

[wyldwolf]

65. Don't need a cop suit nor do I need to "kick you off."

We saw a handful of folks tombstoned after Kerry got the nomination in '04.

So, go ahead and openly support someone who isn't the Dem nominee in '08. I dare you. :rofl:

[PassingFair]

67. Oooohhhhh! Me scared........n/t

:rofl:

He DARES me.

:rofl:

FEAR my opinion NOW, whilst I may voice it, monkeyman!

[wyldwolf]

69. no reason to be scared, and it isn't my opinion. It's DU rules

[PassingFair]

83. It's pleasant to think of you, holding your breath,

your finger hovering over the "alert" button.....

[wyldwolf]

89. well, you have over 18 months before that time comes

[SaveElmer]

84. Of course after Ned Lamont won the primary over Joe...the Lamonticans..

Were very quick to let everyone know it was now against DU rules to say anything supportive of Lieberman!!!

[PassingFair]

85. Has Hillary won the primary yet?

cart>>>>>>>horse

[SaveElmer]

86. Just responding to the thread as it developed...

All of course hypothetical!

[PassingFair]

87. Just remember those "Lamonticans"

Were the DEMOCRATS!


:hi:

[SaveElmer]

90. Yes they were...and I made clear at the time...

I would have voted for Lamont...

I just think it is interesting that those mocking the poster for pointing out it is against the rules to advocate for a non-Democrat were the first to make sure EVERYONE knew it was against the rules to support Lieberman!

[PassingFair]

91. Again:

cart>>>>>>>>horse

[SaveElmer]

92. Again...

Read the thread...that is what I was responding to...particularly the inane rantings of a particular poster

[loyalsister]

40. With great regret I would vote for her

Aside from the fact that I have rejected her as a primary candidate for policy reasons.
But even worse, it would be very disappointing for the first female nominee for president to be there on the coattails of her husband.

[Bobbie Jo]

44. I had to double check where I am.....

I mean this IS DEMOCRATIC Underground, right? I have to say I'm confused with all the outright declarations of intent to jump ship should this person, or that person become OUR nominee.

Maybe I'm old school, but what happened to loyalty?

[Zorra]

45. I'd vote for Senator Clinton, but I doubt she'll be nominated, and

I would not vote for her in the primaries because I don't think she could win the election.

[TXDemGal]

46. Hello? I WILL vote for the Democratic candidate.

If that happens to be Sen. Clinton, then I WILL vote for her.

[Arkana]

47. I'd vote for her, then go home and cry myself to sleep

with the thought that we have doomed ourselves to four more years of Puke rule.

[lillilbigone]

48. I won't vote - in your poll. unnecessarily divisive question nt

[Kelly Rupert]

50. Surprised that "Third Party" is outpolling the movies.

After all, both have the same effect, and the movies are entertaining.

[noonwitch]

51. I'll vote for her in the primary, so of course I'd vote for her as nominee

She'd be a great president.

[rman]

53. nice example of a weighted poll

good job

[Poll_Blind]

60. I am so incredibly glad that you included the last option. 8^) n/t

PB

[Greyhound]

66. Getting out of this country regardless of the nominee, but she and Obama are the only

Democratic candidates on the scene right now that would cause me to consider the third party candidates. She's too close to the cause of all our problems, namely the corporations, and he's too friendly with the religious radicals.

[Nye Bevan]

70. Amazing- only 50% of DUers would vote for the *Democratic* nominee?

It's way too early to become consumed with anti-Hillary hysteria. Even if you are absolutely convinced that she cannot win against the repuke nominee, the thing to bear in mind is that primary voters are *smart*. If it is obvious during the primaries that Hillary cannot win, then I firmly believe that the primary voters will choose another candidate. In 2004 the primary process resulted in the best possible candidate getting the nomination (IMO) and I trust that this will also be the case in 2008.

[wyldwolf]

71. I don't find that amazing at all

Remember the types of "d"emocrats you're dealing with here on DU.

The type who wouldn't support Harry Truman in 1948, wouldn't support Kennedy in 1960, sat out the election in 1968 (and Nixon won), support McGovern in 1972, wouldn't support Carter in 1980, wouldn't support Gore in 2000...

[rman]

93. Amazing how there's only one Dem nominee in the poll

Don't you agree?

I dare you to make a poll on Hillary vs Gore.

[Ken Burch]

72. I'd vote for her, and work hard for her, knowing she'd lose.

And knowing the big donors behind her campaign don't really want a Democratic victory.

The "alternate reality" part was tempting, I have to admit.

[Nye Bevan]

77. "Knowing she'd lose" certainly seems to be the conventional wisdom right now

Reminds me of when the conventional wisdom said that a draft-dodging redneck governor from a small southern state, with no foreign policy experience, and dogged by several rumors of sex scandals, could not win an election against a sitting president who had just won a war and was enjoying an approval rating of 90%.

[Ken Burch]

78. Actually, the conventional wisdom of the day was that NO Democrat could win in '92.

What Clinton's victory ACTUALLY proved was that a Democrat who fought back against smears IMMEDIATELY could win.

Dukakis would've won in '88 if he'd had Clinton's "Rapid Response" team, as could any other Democrat.

[catgirl]

75. Silly question (and poll)

I didn't vote in this poll because it's pointless. I just hope she isn't
the nominee. Gore is the best person to run the country.

[LynneSin]

76. Who is paying for my move to Barbados? If it's free then perhaps I'd do that...

...well Actually I'd vote for Hillary. I'm a democrat, I support democratic nominees

[martymar64]

79. PUSH POLL ALERT!!!!

You should know better. Shame on you for sowing division in the ranks.

[Radical Activist]

80. Vote Hillary unless

a very good and credible third party candidate with a shot at winning showed up. That seems unlikely.
I would focus my volunteer efforts on state and local races.

[Milo_Bloom]

81. I would vote 3rd party IF....

The 3rd party candidate has a legitimate shot at winning. I believe a Clinton nomination would create the atmosphere necessary for a really vaiable 3rd party candidate, potentially someone like Jim Jeffords, who can excite the electorate as a REAL middle roader and not as the media seems to define "centrist" (dogmatically taking on GOP positions to appear a centrist). I want someone who "sticks to their guns" not because they believe it is "politically correct" to do so, or because they are trying to appear strong, but instead because they really believe what they are saying.

HOWEVER,

If the 3rd party candidate has no chance AND the Democratic nominee is not a shoe in, I would be forced to vote for Hillary defensively.

[xkenx]

82. My favorite island is Barbados, so that's my vote

[IndianaGreen]

88. Dumb poll

Hillary at her worst is better than a Republican at his/her best... unless it is Rudi Giuliani, who will never win the GOP nomination because he is pro-choice and pro-LGBT rights.