history doesn't repeat itself

[newsguyatl]

at best it rhymes.

- mark twain


==============================================
June 1992
Can Clinton Save his Candidacy?

This is a year of turmoil and terror in the Democratic Party: Their likely presidential nominee battered, bloodied, and ridiculed even before the general election has begun; angry, unforgiving voters appear ready to wreak punishment on the scandal-ridden Democratic-controlled Congress; and a fiery anti-incumbent mood may be sweeping the nation.

...


In over three decades of political reporting, I cannot recall a time when some of the Democratic Party's senior strategists and adviser have spoken with such brutal candor about their likely nominee and his perceived weaknesses. Here's what some of them are saying:

"The negatives are forming on Bill Clinton like a political stalactite, drop by drop," said veteran Democratic consultant David Sawyer. "Each drip leaves a residue that builds on his negative image."

...

Another Democratic strategist, who conducts polls for the party, told me that in head-to-head polling against President George Bush, who has substantial negatives of his own, Clinton does poorly. "I did a poll in Idaho for a Senate race and we found that Bush had a 61 percent negative job approval rating. And yet Bush beats Clinton by 2-to1."

....

"There's a perception building about Bill Clinton and that's the load he'll take into the general election," Cunningham continued. "A lot of people are dreading the general election right now."

Democratic media adviser David Garth similarly worries that "every time I think he's had his last wound he starts to bleed again and something else gets discovered.

...

Both of these candidates are so flawed that there is no possibility of their defeating President Bush," former New York Mayor Ed Koch said of both Clinton and former California Gov. Jerry Brown. "Bill Clinton has no credibility."

Koch, among a number of Democrats, wants to force a brokered convention in which party leaders would regroup behind an experienced national consensus candidate as an alternative to Clinton--perhaps Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen or Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore.

...

In a head-to-head match up on March 20, Bush led by only 52-43 percent and Clinton was indeed within striking range. But as the weekly disclosures took their toll during the ensuing primaries, Clinton's margin fell to 54-38 percent on March 29 and then fell further to 54-34 by the beginning of April.

Many Democrats fear that all of this points to the possibility of very negative general election if Clinton is the nominee.

...

In a head-to-head match up on March 20, Bush led by only 52-43 percent and Clinton was indeed within striking range. But as the weekly disclosures took their toll during the ensuing primaries, Clinton's margin fell to 54-38 percent on March 29 and then fell further to 54-34 by the beginning of April.

Many Democrats fear that all of this points to the possibility of very negative general election if Clinton is the nominee.

http://www.worldandi.com/public/1992/june/cr6.cfm

...


what's that you say? dean can't win? :shrug:

think again.

[mzmolly]

1. Interesting read...

It's a keeper :)

So many similarities in the rhetoric between what was said about Clinton/Dean.

I think you should send this to the Dean campaign newsguy.