The Hillary Bet

[tongodeon]

I share a virtual community with a guy who likes to make doom-prophet predictions. For the last several months he's been obsessed with the Great Democrat Conspiracy, proclaiming that "Hillary is a Lock" as a result of some vague but vast and powerful conspiracy involving her own strategists, Republican strategists, Federal Reserve operatives,

Comments

[scothen_krau]

Absolutely. I have Clinton fatigue, big time. Plus which, let's be honest - Obama is simply a more inspiring candidate.

[mcfnord]

i met some chemtrail believers in the sauna. two hippy ladies. the lady spelled it out: do you see them? nobody sees them, because nobody looks up. she sees them, because she looks up. just look up, and you'll see them. it's so clear now!

i think obama can bring out the dems. i think clinton could bring out as many republicans as dems. edwards seems too populist to me.

[mcfnord]

he's going to fight for that man's job manufacturing maytag washing machines. the problem is: other people, in other countries, will do the job for less. so he should fight for educating and re-educating the American workforce, and modernizing infrastructure. too much populism results in protectionism and then not the job, but maytag itself is history. i do think governance needs an advocate for the people. and the guy is no huey long. perhaps it's rhetoric we should dismiss. or perhaps he'd wrap the country in misguided protectionism and stultifying taxation.

[mmcirvin]

Of course, if Obama gets nominated we will instead see some sniping on the basis of BIG, BIG RACISM. The advantage here being that BIG, BIG RACISM tends to discredit the people using it when it's overt. But all the coded stuff will be out there too. One of the things I like about Obama is that, for all his nice-guy image, he seems ready to counterpunch hard against racist attacks--every time people have tried that on him so far, his campaign has detected it and turned it around with a massive response within hours.

[mrbalihai]

The problem with "coded racism" is that it's a very ill-defined concept, and Obama's supporters don't seem to be shy about leveling it against pretty much any criticism anyone makes about Obama, valid or not. Even fellow Democrats have been attacked as racists recently for questioning his record, so there's a real danger that it's going to lose any meaning it may have simply through overuse.

[mrbalihai]

I agree with you on not wanting Hillary to succeed, not only based on the dynastic implications of her winning the presidency, but also on the way that she's clearly willing to say or do anything to get elected.

As for Obama, while he's certainly inspirational to party cadres, his lack of experience and naivete in foreign policy matters (he's still talking about invading Pakistan) are going to be major hindrances to his campaign if he becomes the nominee.

[tensegritydan]

>lack of experience and naivete in foreign policy matters

Well, look at GWB. And I don't mean that as simple minded sniping at Bush's failings in those areas, but that Obama can and should surround himself with experienced people just as Bush did. Which brings up the huge question of potential running mates should Obama get the nomination...

[mrbalihai]

Bush's foreign policy is a perfect example of how dangerous a president who absorbs virtually all of his/her foreign policy experience via underlings can be, especially when he surrounds himself with ideologues rather than pragmatists.

Unfortunately, with Biden out of the race, I don't see any other Democrats with the kind of experience I'm looking for, bar Hillary, who I've already ruled out. McCain has some cred in that department, but he has far too many negatives in other areas that outweigh it.

Where the fuck is my viable 3rd party candidate?!

[tongodeon]

Where the fuck is my viable 3rd party candidate?!

Unfortunately, any third-party candidate is only going to split the vote and insure that the other guy wins.

[anonymous]

I don't want Hillary nominated as I don't think she can overcome the innate Clinton hate that a large segment of the American Right has. That and she just feels too damn Corp Democrat -- plus she voted for the damned war and I can't trust that she'll get us out of Iraq any time this decade. I know Obama has quite the financed democrat team behind him too, but at least it doesn't feel that way. Personally, of the top 3 I'm more for Edwards but I'd be happy with Obama. As to the lack of foriegn policy experience, as long as he hires a good cabinet of people who aren't NeoCons I think he'll be ok. I trust Obama to listen to advice by people who have facts rather than just his Gut & God as Bush does.