" Hatred of the Clintons is the glue that holds the RW together"

[chieftain]

Sidney Blumenthal's book " The Clinton Wars" lays out in excruciating detail the lengths that the Republican Party has gone to destroy the Clintons and is a foretaste of what will come should the Democratic Party name Hillary to the national ticket in "08. This sad truth ought not be enough to deter Democrats from nominating her but at least 2 other factors also need to be taken into account before entrusting her with the future of the Party and in a larger sense the nation.
The primary concern that Hillary has refused to come to grips with her vote for the IWR. Although I do not believe that such a vote disqualifies someone to lead the party, it represents a failure of judgment of massive proportions that, so far, she has not chosen to explain fully or reject.
What Blumenthal's book makes crystal clear is that the corporate media is incapable of performing its journalistic function where the Clintons are involved.If Hillary gets the nod you can kiss any hope of a remotely even playing field goodbye. The media has a
vested interest in the egregiously phony image that they along with Republican operatives have created. Expect no fair reportage if Hillary is our standard bearer.
I do like Hillary and if she gets the nomination I will support her enthusiastically. I just hope and pray that Democrats have enough sense to choose someone else.

[xultar]

1. Holds DU together too. Maybe the RW and DU could

get together and eradicate the Clintons.

That'd be one thing we could agree on?

Buhwawawa!

[BOSSHOG]

2. The right wing's sole source of nourishment is hate

They hate the constitution, gays, liberals, news reporters, secular humanists, victims of katrina, immigrants who pick their lettuce, veterans who have PTSD, non-whites, and anyone who tells the truth about them.

If Hillary's election to the presidency would result in mass suicide by those who oppose our constitutional form of government I'll vote for her early and often.

[twilight_sailing]

9. Yep

All you have to do to know this is true is to listen to what they have to say.

[Jade Fox]

19. Don't forget jealousy.....

The Right hates Clinton because he's like so many of them: White Trash, to put it bluntly. But Clinton is White Trash Who Succeeded. He had no more advantages than they did, but pulled himself up by his bootstraps anyway. That means they could have done the same thing too, rather than hide behind rigid religious beliefs and make up scenarios of being victimized (War On Christmas, anyone?). Hatred of Clinton is a classic case of despising the family member who had the guts and was willing to do the work to escape a limited life.

[Dulcinea]

21. We have a winner! ding*ding*

My dad is resented by many of his relatives because he went to college & became a research scientist, while most of them are scraping by. I completely understand what you mean by "despising the family member who had the guts & was willing to do the work to escape a limited life."

[Jade Fox]

23. Thank you....

for you kind remarks. I believe this aspect of Clinton hatred is quite relevant and too frequently overlooked.

[pocoloco]

3. Duh? Everybody already knew that!

[aquart]

4. Oh, please.

How does it explain the hatchet job on Gore and Kerry?

ANYONE not part of their elite clique would have been treated to the exact same slime. And will be.

It's a fucking badge of honor.

[griffi94]

6. there's no elite clique

most of the hard RW are lower middle class from the south and the western states
those are what make up the bulk of freepers.....they hate everything because
they don't live in reality...i mean that they pine for an america that never existed anyway
the good old days....i know lots of these types repubs...they really don't like their options but they would
prefer to die themselves as long as they can take a few welfare mothers with them.
the reason they're so cranky is because of the wearying effect that the paradoxes they embrace causes.
we hate welfare queens...but we're prolife.....we hate big govt....but the govt needs to fix (insert pet cause here)
that's why logic doesn't work on these guys....also why ole rush is their hero.....makes it real simple...
it doesn't have to make sense

[Prophet 451]

15. Kerry did himself few favours

I can remember him being upstaged by Trimuph the Comic Insult Dog. Also, Kerry was a throwback to the days of serious-minded, complex, intelligent politicians who considered their positions carefully and explained them fully. Now, I liked that about him but in the current political atmosphere where even the most complicated of notions have to fit into a soundbite and a candidate's character is reduced to a stereotype (Bush="good ole boy", Clinton="smooth Southern guy", Gore="uptight preppy guy"), he should have known it would harm him.

[chieftain]

24. There are some qualitative differences between what happened

to Gore and Kerry in their respective campaigns. The MSM did not invent campaign issues against Kerry. They did act as a conveyor belt for RW lies and distortions but Kerry could and should have responded to them at once rather than let the falsities grow.
In the 2000 race it was not only the RW which peddled lies about Gore but the MSM as well. Gore was hated by the RW because his election would vindicate the Clintons. The media was so tilted in favor of W that they made up the Love Canal and the " I invented the internet" flaps. The blatantly unequal coverage on Gore was rooted in the RW hatred of the Clintons coupled with a media that could not stand to have its world view so patently rejected.
Any Democrat can expect lies and ridicule from the Republicans. But Hillary is the only one who can expect full scale cooperation from the Media with the slander to be thrown against her. Hillary, and to a lesser extent Gore and Kerry, would have to run against a false image already fervently believed by 35 to 40% of the electorate. The stakes are to high to give the RW the thing that they now live for, a final opportunity to destroy Hillary and bury the Clinton legacy under a pile of lies.

[MannyGoldstein]

5. Why Do You Like Mrs. Clinton?

What has she done that, say, Barbara Boxer hasn't - other than vote the wrong way on the war, on draconian bankruptcy changes, on the "Patriot" acts, and so forth? With all due respect, there's something that I'm not getting here - can you help me to understand?

[SaveElmer]

7. She did not vote on the bankruptcy bill...Boxer vote YES on both patriot acts...

Hillary made clear in a speech the day before the Bankruptcy Bill vote saying she would have voted against it, enumarating its many flaws...


Barbara Boxer voted for the original patriot act...as did liberal stalwart Paul Wellstone


http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=1&vote=00313

She also voted for renewal


http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00029

[MannyGoldstein]

11. Mrs. Clinton Voted For the First Bankruptcy Act, of Two

Wasn't aware that Boxer voted for both "Patriot" acts.

[SaveElmer]

12. Please provide a link...

Here is the role call vote on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00044

Here is Wikipedia link for this bill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_Reform_Act_of_2005

Here is a link to her floor comments

http://vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=83595&keyword=&phrase=&contain=

[MannyGoldstein]

14. e.g.

http://www.asne.org/2001reporter/friday/react6.html
"Narda Zacchino, associate editor of the Los Angeles Times, asked why Sen. Clinton voted in favor of the recent “bankruptcy” bill since it may make it harder for women who survive on alimony and child support to declare bankruptcy. The bill must still pass a full vote of the Senate."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0316-03.htm
http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Hillary_Clinton.htm
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2904

[SaveElmer]

17. Will have to look into the particulars of that bill...

Boxer didn't vote so not sure how she would have voted. I have to say I don't remember this being a huge deal at the time...certainly didn't create the uproar the 2005 Act did...

[MannyGoldstein]

20. I'm Not A Particular Fan of Boxer

I just used her name because she's often mentioned as a Progressive. Perhaps Maxine Waters would have been a better choice.

[sandnsea]

8. That's what Republicans do

and the media helps them, no matter who is being skewered. They'll do it to whoever is the candidate, so that's nothing to base primary support on.

The reason to vote for a candidate is that you'll like what they do as President. That's why I don't support Hillary, she's too compromising to make the bold moves we need to put this country on a good course for the next 100 years.

[rocktivity]

10. They hate Bill because the public loved him

and they hate Hillary because she called them on their vast right-wing conspiracy. In short, The Clintons created what the Republicans hate most--a politically label playing field.

:headbang:
rocknation

[lostnotforgotten]

13. Will Never Vote For A Bush War Enabler

I live in NY state and refused to pull the lever for her in the last general election.

[SaveElmer]

18. Did you vote for John Kerry in 2004?...nt

[lostnotforgotten]

37. No!

eom

[SaveElmer]

39. Good for you!!!

I can respect someone who puts their money where their mouth is!

[NavyDavy]

22. so you would rather have a repuke?

[lostnotforgotten]

38. No!

eom

[gulliver]

16. They feel the same way about Gore and Kerry.

Pure disdain and for frivolous reasons having little to do with the leadership the country needs. And they compound the error, because they think it is equivalent to our disdain for Bush on the merits. The RW side is largely swamped in emotion. Our side has more of that than it needs too.

[Bucky]

25. Your last sentence should be my sigfile

But I prefer the goofy assed picture of Lincoln for right now

[AtomicKitten]

26. The jihad waged against the Clintons has participants

from all corners of America.

[wyldwolf]

27. Exactly. Some on the left have been cheering the rightwing on the whole time

[JNelson6563]

28. Figure in the legitimate criticisms of former supporters

coupled with the very effective hate campaign that's been waged on the right for lots of years and you've got a big negative. Not even the loudest, most vocal of rah-rah echo chambers can over-come it.

Why else would the right want Sen. Clinton to be our candidate so very badly?

:shrug:

Julie

[AtomicKitten]

29. I'm not convinced the "right" does want her as the candidate.

She is far and away the front-runner and has the machine behind her. I think she would be a formidable candidate.

But, quite frankly, I'm not up to what will most certainly be a deafening harangue coming from both sides if she got the Democratic nod. I really want America to move forward and not be subjected to the 1990s Clinton hate-festival redux.

[election_2004]

30. But it's possible...

...that the GOP is prepared to write off the 2008 presidential race (is there seriously anyone running whom they're excited about?), and concentrate on its chances of retaking seats in the House and Senate in 2008 and 2010.

To this end, having Hillary Clinton elected president and in office as a bogeywoman for the midterms would actually be to the Republicans' ADVANTAGE.

[AtomicKitten]

31. the bottom line

is that the nominee will be decided in the primary election by a consensus of Democrats.

I am of the mindset that wants to move America forward and am concerned the new Dem Congress has more of an eye on 2008 than doing the people's business. Speculating on what the Rs are up just makes me feel icky. :)

I am hopeful Al Gore jumps in. A global warming platform is relevant and hopefully will resonate with voters. He's kind of the back to the future candidate in my mind. I mention him in contrast because he seems to connect with many of the ideological bents here at DU.

[election_2004]

40. My concern about the primary....

...is how many Democratic primary voters end up casting their ballots for someone because the media has already declared her the "winner."

[JNelson6563]

35. It is unavoidable

You will re-live the 90's Clinton redux if Hillary is our candidate. I personally would fall silent, as I would hope other not-so-big-fans on our side would~~if she became our nominee. Other than that I wouldn't lift a finger to help the campaign besides my vote. The reich wing would be screaming bloody murder and whipping the masses into a frenzy of course.

My political efforts would go into other Dem candidates and local party efforts. A county party can make a ton of money off of swag from the Presidential race. If the candidate is rolling in the dough, no need to consider sending the dough on, keeping it local is the way to go. A bit of a reversal might be in order; little people making a profit off the big ones, or at least their name/logo/swag.

Julie

[AtomicKitten]

36. all the more reason to press for another contender

during the full-on primary, which is why I am thrilled that Obama gives HRC a run for her money. The nomination should not be a coronation and the nominee should unite the party, not divide it. We just need better choices.

And there is nothing wrong - in fact, there is everything right - about working locally. Strengthening the grassroots is definitely a worthwhile cause.

[MasonJar]

32. So what else is new? They did the same to Gore, Kerry, Murtha

and etc. We must be ready for them this time no matter who the candidate is. I am behind the democratic candidate the the majority of us choose; I do not care who it is.

[AtomicKitten]

33. While I'm at it ...

Something that really bothers me is the fact that some folks look to blogs and radio personalities for their opinion. Pundits like Sirota and Malloy HATE Hillary Clinton. They use their bully pulpit to eviscerate her which, of course, is their prerogative. However, more weak-minded folks - easily recognizable by their continual proffering of opinion pieces and confusing them for facts - just parrot the meme. I respect a well thought-out opinion, but one that merely mimics someone else's, not so much.

[Ninja Jordan]

34. Why give the GOP more glue?

Anybody but Hillary '08

[Crap_in_a_Hat]

41. Tell me about it

We had to read a biography of an "American icon" for our summer homework; this one girl reads, honest to God, "The Truth About Hillary". To be fair, she treated the entire book as a joke.