Conservatives Heart Hillary? (MyDD)

[jefferson_dem]

I find this fascinating. Believe it or not, i don't post it here as a slam on Hillary. If nothing else, it shows some pretty darn shrewd political acumen on her part...provided she is the nominee.

***

Conservatives Heart Hillary?
by Todd Beeton, Tue Jul 24, 2007 at 09:11:33 PM EST

There's lots of (grudging) Hillary love going around the conservative blogosphere today in response to her debate performance last night. Does. Not. Compute.

Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic Online:

"Her response to the dynastic question - a difficult one - was the first time she has ever brought a smile to my lips. She's so much better a debater and performer than she used to be. You know how much I hate to say this: but she destroyed the opposition tonight.

A Republican reader of Sullivan's concurs:

Even though I hate to admit it, Hillary consistently wins these debates. My partner and I were watching it last night and I was trying very hard not like anything Hillary said. But finally, I told my partner, "is it just me or does she seem more...." My partner finished my sentence -- "responsible" ...And I am a registered Republican.

Rich Lowry at National Review Online:

I thought Hillary was excellent. She never makes a mistake. She seems ready for pretty much everything. And, while she has done her share of pandering to the Democratic base, she is the only candidate operating with an eye to the general election and to the very real possibility that she will be the next commander-in-chief.

Byron York at NRO:

Far be it for me to be Sen. Clinton's chief defender, but the issue last night was whether the president himself, or herself, would meet, "separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration...with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea." Obama said yes, and Clinton said no. But Clinton pledged more diplomacy than the Bush administration...Is that a flip-flop from what she said in April? I don't see it.

And DaveG at race408 seconds Kathryn Jean Lopez:

Hillary is the nominee. She won't talk to Ahmadinejad and Assad? That puts her way Right of our Speaker of the House.
If I had to vote for a Democrat, I know who it would be.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/7/24/211133/881#commenttop

[billyoc]

1. No sense in slamming Hillary.

Or any other individual DLC member. It is the DLC itself that must be removed from the Democratic Party,
not their "flavor of the month candidate" for any specific public office.

[ShortnFiery]

2. IMO, all this "Happy Hill" conservative blather is in an effort to help her snag the nomination.

The MINUTE AFTER HRC is granted the Democratic Nomination, it will be one long nightmarish "Night of the Long Knives" - 24/7 Hill and Bill swift-boating by the M$N. Nothing will motivate the Conservative Base more than having HRC as the Democratic Nominee. But not in the way many think. ;)

[PurityOfEssence]

7. Yep, and it'll last for nine months

The nominee will almost definitely be known on February 5th, and the reactionaries will have a full nine months to slag, deride and hound the victor. This is just another reason why the front-loading of the primary season is such a stupid idea.

Bill O'Reilly will sing her praises and defend her to no end with hopes that she'll be the chosen one, but come the 6th of February, he'll be shrieking about Vince Foster, her lucky commodities trading and every other bit of shopworn slander he can dredge up.

Remember: fair or not, she's got all sorts of baggage and the right hates her. As if that's not enough, much of the left doesn't cotton to her either.

This whole thing (her candidacy, that is) is just a nightmare. It's absolutely mystifying that she has so much seeming support among Democrats, and it's amazing that people don't see the extreme danger of her being the nominee.

[quinnox]

3. Some unexpected praise

this is interesting reading. Yes I'm biased but I think the more of these debates the better Hillary looks to everyone, regardless of the political spectrum.

She is really helping herself in these debates. People are seeing she is not the caricature the republicans made her out to be, and even republicans are noticing that.

[ShortnFiery]

4. Wow quinnox! We must reside in parallel universes.

The more exposure HRC receives, the more rigid, conservative and caustic she appears to the public.

No, HRC is showing her true colors, and they are all seemingly "Shades of Green": For Cabbage for Money (Corporate Interests First)and Olive Drab (Military Might of Empire)

[quinnox]

5. parallel universes

I have noticed that in my opinions versus yours. ;)

I think we do reside in parallel universes or parallel dimensions, our opinions are usually the exact opposite like now.

[emilyg]

6. I agree with you.