TPM Cafe: Hillary's Secret Weapon - She Makes Republicans Lose It!

[wyldwolf]

It was November 1966. Richard Nixon was struggling to do the near impossible: achieve a second Presidential nomination after losing to JFK and then to Pat Brown for Governor of California.

Nixon was not given much of a chance. He was a "loser" and the most polarizing figure in American politics.

But Nixon assembled a staff, campaigned across the country and tried to make his nomination in 1968 seem inevitable.

And then suddenly, the unpopular President from Texas, LBJ, did Nixon a huge favor. After Nixon criticized Johnson's war strategy, Johnson, during a televised press conference, lost it.

He blasted Nixon, calling him a "chronic campaigner, whose only concern was picking up a few votes.

The Nixon camp could not believe their luck. They had succeeded in getting under LBJ's skin. By responding to Nixon's attack as he did, LBJ elevated Nixon to the Presidential level, right where Nixon needed to be. He was, of course, elected in 1968.

Now Hillary Clinton is no Nixon, thank God.

But the Bush/Rove White House today did the same favor for her that LBJ did for Tricky Dick.

Team Hillary this week started sticking it to Bush and Rove with the sole intention of getting under their skin and provoking an attack that would make her seem like the anti-Bush, the Democratic standard bearer, the inevitable nominee.

They succeeded. And although Hillary still has a tough road ahead of her in achieving the nomination, let alone the White House, this week's episode demonstrates that there is an upside to Hillary's polarizing history.

She drives Republicans nuts.

She causes them to lose their sh*t.

And, when they attack her as they did this week, she causes pretty much all Democrats to want to rally behind her. I think that is because, although not all of us are Hillary fans, we know that the Republicans despise her because she's an "uppity woman", a liberal, a "sixties" person, a symbol of the diversity that is the Democratic party.

It's like what the Democrats used to say about Grover Cleveland (I'm old), "We love him because we hate his enemies."

And that is why, despite her negatives, Hillary would win against the Republicans. Their hatred of her will galvanize support among Democrats and independents (especially women).

Yes, she has high negatives. But watch THEM drive her negatives down. Being the #1 target of the most despised administration in history (and of their strident right-wing acolytes) is the one asset no one can take away from Hillary.

They will never hate anyone as much as they hate her. The irony is that their hatred will, if she is nominated, elect her.

Nice.

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2007/aug/14/hillarys_secret_weapon_she_makes_republicans_lose_it

[spotbird]

1. Ken Blackwell, Wm. Kristol,

Rupert Murdoch, Bush Rangers all love her.

I wonder who she drives crazy?

[wyldwolf]

2. so you're position is she would NOT rally the GOP base?

[spotbird]

13. She might,

but it will be offset by the Democratic base she alienates.

Either way, alienation of any segment is not a reason to support a candidate. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.

[wyldwolf]

14. the monkey wrench in all that is...

...there is no evidence of either.

Sorry.

The left has been threatening to "sit out" elections since 1968.

[spotbird]

15. I didn't vote in '68

and I haven't been happy with many of my choices since I could first vote in a Presidential election, but I've always held my nose and voted D regardless, but if Hillary is the nominee I refuse to vote for the Democrat. Maybe David Brooks' endorsement will help her pick up Republicans to make up for people like me, but I don't care. This nomination will push me to the limit.

[wyldwolf]

17. I've heard it over and over.

[spotbird]

20. If she's elected

you'll be proved right. If she wins I suspect it would be with Republican cross-over, which is why she bows to them. The reason she doesn't care about the Democratic base is she has calculated that she doesn't need them. She may very well be right about that.

If she governs, I'll be shown to be right about what she is.

[wyldwolf]

23. "democratic base"

:shrug:

[spotbird]

25. The Democratic Party is not

a religion to me. It is what is does.

My vote is not faith based. Maybe the rank and file will vote Hillary regardless of what she is, I doubt it, and I doubt she cares.

[wyldwolf]

27. but... "democratic base?"

:shrug:

When Democrats are polled, and 40% say they're voting for Clinton, who are they if not rank and file dems?

[spotbird]

32. Those who contribute,

volunteer, participate and follow the issues and candidates. Definitely not the group who choses their candidate based on name recognition.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[spotbird]

35. I have chosen not to

make personal attacks directed at you.

Your decision to use personal insults is all one needs to know about the substance of your argument.

Our conversation is over, the last word will be yours.

[wyldwolf]

37. spotbird, you've fallen for the "progressive" redefining of "base."

Sorry.

[Captain Hilts]

3. You're confusing respect for support. They respect BillC....

and she benefits from that some.

But they do hate her. Trust me on this.

[aquart]

4. Why do they hate her?

On edit: and who, exactly, is "they"?

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Bizarre.

THEY will not drive down her negatives among those who are THEM. This is being made out by the media to be so much more than it is - a relatively mild slap at the administration by her, provoking a relatively mild response by Rove as he is leaving office.

Other candidates have been far harsher, and been responded to much more severely and the media ignored it.

It's all about the campaign to make Hillary "inevitable".

[wyldwolf]

6. "Other candidates have been far harsher, and been responded to much more severely" Who?

[SaveElmer]

7. How many in the current crop of candidates have been accused of murder...?

By the right wing sleaze machine...eagerly repeated in the MSM...

[saracat]

9. Ancient history and "she "personally" was not accused of murder

but her husbands admin was implicated bu a few " RW wackos" no one gave credence to. Bush has been accused of even more .This is filed under BFD.She has not been as savaged as either Obama and Edwards in this cycle.

[SaveElmer]

11. Vince Foster...

The ridiculous conspiracy theory that she was responsible for his death because they had an affair was splashed all over...

Edwards I'll grant you has not had an easy time, and he doesn't deal with it well. Obama has been largely fawned over...with Hillary getting plenty of negative coverage...only now turning around because the media cannot plausibly deny the effectiveness of her campaign...

[saracat]

12. She was not accused in Vince Foster's death.As I said it was implied the WH was involved

It was splashed all over mostly tabloids and talk radio. and most American's didn't buy it. Obama has NOT just been fawned over.He was accused of being a terrorist and his name has been made much of.He has also been accused of lying.Edwards has handled his attacks every bit as well as Hillary ever has. He has diplayed true grace under pressur.He takes this crap while running a campaign with a wife who is gravely ill.Hillary only had a cheating husband.And Hillary has gotten NO negative coverage this cycle.Even Hannitty and Fox News suck up to her.Rupert Murdoch is supporting her for gods sake.What reality are some living in?

[CK_John]

24. Well Laura * just happen to run a stop sign and just happen to T-bone her ex boyfriend. n/t

[tularetom]

8. I'm not a big fan of her statements on the war

I'm not enamored of her campaign style either.

But one thing I love about her.

Every idiot wing nut I know (and I know a lot of them) goes absolutely fuckin bat shit crazy at the mention of her name. They are conditioned by years of listening to pig boy limpballs on the radio to believe she is the earthly incarnation of satan. Most of these idiots don't know jack shit about her enabling of the Iraq war or her refusal to condemn the Libby pardon.

And very few of them even bother to vote - just bitch.

You might call it reverse motivation. I will vote for her just to make these cretins foam at the mouth and drool for the next four years.

And I believe there are more of me than there are of them - nation wide.

[monmouth]

10. My RW neighbor (an older, retired professional) admires HRC for

her brains, her "sticktoitiveness" (her word, not mine). "It's damn time we got a woman in the WH, men have been screwing things up for years." Again, her words, my thoughts exactly. I would add this woman allowed her husband to handle the finances, stock market purchases, etc. He's now dead and she's pretty much broke. She says she will vote for the first time in 60 years as a Dem and prays it will be HRC. She has many friends and still socializes, says she is not alone in her thinking. I'm liking that.

[BeyondGeography]

16. So we get to watch the same bad movie over and over again?

Yippee.

Only a country in an awful rut would opt for this sort of re-run.

[Tellurian]

18. What bad movie. The Clintons always Won even in the worst of times..

It's a rut we'd love to have the Republican's in...because it's a Loser.

[Dr Fate]

19. I dont want to encourage the "Let's sit back and let Republicans fall on their own sword" routine.

I hope that it is right this time (it never has been before)- that the Republicans at heart are just a bunch of unfocused, red-faced screamers who's negative attacks will turn voters against them.

I'd love to believe it is true, but I've never seen it work that way...

I'll agree that Hillary can fight these people if they blow their cool or take the smears too far, I just hope we are not expecting the "sit back and let them self destruct" thing to work as well as it did in 2006.

I hope the 2006 model holds true from now on- I hope the GOP election machine bumbles,fumbles and makes mistakes like we are always told they will end up doing.

Just my general opinion- If she wins the nod, I hope the article proves true.

[Politicub]

21. Hillary rocks

I would gladly volunteer/vote for her (or any of the dem front runners!)

[Beaverhausen]

22. Oh great- lets keep this country divided. It's so much fun

with Repubs and Dems hating each other.

:eyes:

[illinoisprogressive]

26. republicans are praying all the time for her to be our nominee. the are so hoping.

[wyldwolf]

28. Are you in on those prayer meetings or do you just have faith? Because...

....there is simply no real evidence to support your claim.

[alfredo]

29. They are underestimating her again if they think they can beat her.

She's made of tough stuff. I don't think the Reps running could beat Hillary. Rudy is the one that is fatally flawed. Mittens is too creepy, too plastic even for Republican voters.

No matter who gets the Dem nod, we will have to work our fingers to the bone. We have to win beyond the margin of error.

[BenDavid]

30. Ladies and Gentlemen of this

Forum, we have a fighter in HRC. She has already stated, " If your opponent attacks you, deck em." When she wins the nomination we will not have to worry whether are not she will fight if the republican attacks her. You can rest assured there will be a response like there was in 1992 when the War Room went after any republican that said anything negative about Bill Clinton. HRC is more then just the average bear in the woods. She is a damn grizzley....
One other thing when she wins the nomination the democratic convention will not be like the one in 04 where no one could say anything negative. You can rest assured this will be a great convention and when she finishes her acceptance speech and tells the country in what she believes and in what direction she will take the country her lead over the republican will increase to double digits...

I do thank you
Ben David

[Alamom]

31. k&r

[DU GrovelBot]

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[EndElectoral]

36. You' right on one thing. She drives Repubs nuts, and they will turn out in d-roves to defeat her.