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Conservatives (Heart) Hillary
May 04, 2008 11:12 PM
A few days ago I was talking to a prominent conservative commentator who told me how much he'd come to admire the campaign Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., had waged against Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
No fan of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the commentator said to me that if Clinton promised to not raise income taxes and she gave the conservatives the next Supreme Court pick, he'd vote for her.
That won't happen, of course -- but it's a remarkable phenomenon, and now it's showing up in conservative publications.
Rich Lowry, writing in the National Review:
"Was just talking to a shrewd friend. His take on the turn of events in the campaign and how it has affected Hillary Clinton (quoting roughly): 'Hillary has shown a Nixonian resilience and she's morphing into Scoop Jackson. She's entering the culture war as a general. All of this has made her a far more formidable general election candidate. She's fighting the left and she's capturing the center. She's denounced MoveOn.org. She's become the Lieberman of the Democratic party. The left hates her and treats her like Lieberman. Today, Obama is distancing himself from Wright and Hillary is getting in touch with O'Reilly. The culture war has come to the Democratic party.'"
Noemie Emery in the Weekly Standard:
"She's running a right-wing campaign. She's running the classic Republican race against her opponent, running on toughness and use-of-force issues, the campaign that the elder George Bush ran against Michael Dukakis, that the younger George Bush waged in 2000 and then again against John Kerry, and that Ronald Reagan--'The Bear in the Forest'--ran against Jimmy Carter and Walter F. Mondale. And she's doing it with much the same symbols. ...she is becoming a social conservative, a feminist form of George Bush. Against an opponent who shops for arugula, hangs out with ex-Weathermen, and says rural residents cling to guns and to God in unenlightened despair at their circumstances, she has rushed to the defense of religion and firearms, while knocking back shots of Crown Royal and beer. Her harsh, football-playing Republican father (the villain of the piece, against whom she rebelled in earlier takes on her story) has become a role model, a working class hero, whose name she evokes with great reverence. Any day now, she'll start talking Texan, and cutting the brush out in Chappaqua or at her posh mansion on Embassy Row….
"She might run to the right of McCain, if she makes it to the general election, and get the votes of rebellious conservatives. Or she, Lieberman, and McCain could form a pro-war coalition, with all of them running to pick up the phone when it rings in the small hours. The New York Times and the rest of the left would go crazy. Respect can't get stranger than that."
It's interesting.
Discussion point: Obama is getting the support of some prominent conservatives -- Doug Kmiec comes to mind -- because of their view that he could maybe unite the country.
Clinton, on the other hand, is starting to get Atta-Girls from other conservatives because they sense compared to Obama she's more or less on their side in the "divided" America. (Though after a nasty Fall campaign they would no doubt consider her the second coming of Bella Abzug and race to pull the lever for McCain.)
Discuss.
- jpt
May 4, 2008 in 2008: Democrats | Permalink | Share | User Comments (110)
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Obama is an underhanded, vicious and NEGATIVE strategist. He's trying to bury Hillary and has been on the attack since day one. He's the most Negative of the 3, he just denies it.
Think about it. he spends 1/2 of his speech trashing Hillary, the US Government and McCain... then the next half saying how Negative they are and how the USA has been going down for 30 years, and ony Bo can save the day. He's a fear monger -- while denying it -- a double talker and hoodwinker.
Posted by: Cass | May 5, 2008 12:30:09 PM
greg, so nice to have a fellow democrat speak so well of the other candidate in the race.
your rabid tirade is the very reason hillary supporters will take their votes elsewhere if bho is the nominee.
Posted by: pp | May 5, 2008 12:27:52 PM
all this talk of pandering. what exactly do the bho supporters think he has done with the black vote?
Posted by: pp | May 5, 2008 12:22:46 PM
Hillary is running a campaign to win, after some erroprs in realizing delegate and caucus strategy that advantaged Obama.
I trust Hillary to restore Peace and prosperity. She's courageous and strong, she thinks on her feet and she's embracing the diversity of a broad spectrum of Americans.
Meanwhile who knows if Obama would be better than Bush. They both claim to be for change and hope and obama has no record in IL or the US Senate of working hard to change anything for anybody.
Hillary is pragmatic and she's running to win. I'm pro peace and pro economy, pro affirmative action, pro defesen vs. offence and I'm a Renewable energy professional. I truth Hilllary is doing what it takes to win, and support the dreams of desires of most Americans.
Obama loves extremists left and right. My guess is he's be lucky to get 38% in a General election with McCain, and that won't help Democrats. I believe Hillary really cares about working for Peace, and security and thinks on her feet and can turn the economy around. I've never heard anything brilliant from Obama. he seems to be all speech no solutions. I don't trust him to lead the USA. Hillary would be a great President.
Posted by: Steve | May 5, 2008 12:22:46 PM
The tipping point for conservatives was when she called economists 'elites'. Hillary Clinton: Rush Limbaugh's evil twin sister!
Posted by: Tom J | May 5, 2008 12:22:09 PM
To all you ignorant Hillary supporters out there. You see the company you keep. God, I hate this woman and her pathetic, sycophantic hillbots. I will throw the BIGGEST PARTY of my life when this female dog in heat goes DOWN in flames. I LOATHE Hillary Clinton. And I've voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since '72! DOWN WITH HILLARY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: greg | May 5, 2008 12:13:52 PM
It's a good thing she knows how to run this type of campaign because that is exactly what the Dems will be up against in the general election and Obama hasn't a clue. A vote for Obama in the primary is a vote for McCain come November. If Hillary is the nominee, it is likely Obama will be on the ticket as the VP where he will get the education he needs to win in eight years. It's time for sone long-term planning like this if we're going to win and keep the White House for the time it will take to undo the damage of the Bush Administration.
Posted by: Jayne | May 5, 2008 12:10:46 PM
I checked out the IL Now website and also Obama's in response to countallthe votes comments. Illinois Now says that not all of Obama's "present" votes on abortion rights were part of a strategic collaboration between Obama and Planned Parenthood. IL Now refuses to endorse Obama for President because of his misrepresentation of this to push his "progressive" image.
Posted by: Cynthia | May 5, 2008 12:06:29 PM
Do we need anymore proof that Ms. Clinton has run a disgusting, Rove like campaign?
It seems she has impressed the right wing conservatives. I really cannot understand what her supporters are thinking, but to me, her lies, the arrogance, the distortions, the attack against her fellow party candidate, the pandering, the slash and burn politics, all remind me, of the Bush campaign in 2000, and his disgusting attacks on McCain, just to win the nomination.
I guess these conservatives can see that too.
Posted by: Martha | May 5, 2008 11:55:42 AM
There is nothing right wing about Hillary. She and her husband are in the center politically. What used to be derided by the left as triangulation is simply governing from the center, and comprising the positions of the extreme right and left wings of American politics. However, compared to Obama, who is a creature of the left, she looks right of center.
Posted by: David H. | May 5, 2008 11:51:57 AM
Conservatives' sympathy with Hillary "the fighter," is of course, symptomatic of the illness within the conservative movement. There once was a political philosophy with intellectual merit.
But of late conservatism's 'proponents' have convinced themselves that 'conservatism' is defined by pugnacity. In this form, the philosophy is little more than vapid cynicism.
Posted by: Carrington Ward | May 5, 2008 11:42:53 AM
We should not have two Republican candidates this Fall. If Ms. Clinton insists on charging ahead regardless of the consequences, then she should do so as a 3rd party candidate.
The only candidate who is truly un-electable may be John McCain.
Posted by: Noah Vail | May 5, 2008 11:21:47 AM
Obama already played his card on Abotion he believes that a mother should be able abort a baby even after it is delivered. He voted in favor of not saving viable babies in Illionis!!
No social Conservative could vote for him and still say they are social conservative!!
Posted by: spock | May 5, 2008 10:52:07 AM
IL resident for President:
I did not know the postion of IL NOW on Sen. Obama's candidacy in 2004!! WOW!! That flies in the face of what Obama campaign is selling!
Thanks for the clarification!
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 5, 2008 10:22:57 AM
Justin,
I understand all that about Obama's "present" votes. That is precisely why I used "could" in my statement. I merely meant that his personal position on abortion COULD be read as influencing his votes as a state senator. I ma not saying whether or not I agree with that. Just because Obama's campaign may explain his voting record of "present" as a request by Planned Parenthood, does not mean that people have to accept that at face value. That is my only point. Some people may disbelieve and are free to do so.
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 5, 2008 10:20:00 AM
we need someone who is in both parties,
because it represents the whole of the country. and Sen. Clinton is the one.
all of that stuff you say about her being convicted of fraud, is just supermarket tabloid junk. All thinking
people have already looked into the peter paul deal and it is lacking. If obama or the lefties who do not like her had anything of substance against her on the pp issue they would have used it by now.
I listened to the jjdinner speeched last night. She is even out speeching him now.
we need someone who is to the center-it will be much more of a fight for mccain and mccain will lose.
dashle,kerry,bradley,dean and co. hatched this scheme of taking back the party-to the far left-and came up with obama-the country does not fair well when either extreme of the parties are in office.
If the dems. want to win in nov. the best move is to go with Sen. Clinton.
with sen. clinton we will have a better chance of changing the make-up of that supreme court. than with obama.
with our country being made up of both parties. better to take the middle way
and that would be Sen. Clinton.
Posted by: jgaw | May 5, 2008 10:19:40 AM
countallthevotes,
Obama's present votes accounted for roughly 0.25% of the more than 4000 votes he cast in the Illinois State Senate. In the case of reproductive rights votes, it's has been extensively documented that Obama was voting "present" at the request of Planned Parenthood as part of a broader political strategy in defense of reproductive rights. Further,anyone familiar with the Illinois senate knows that the present vote is essentially a vote of "no, with an explanation," and Obama's use of the "present" vote is entirely consistent with appropriate practice in the Illinois State Legislature. Next time you raise this issue, please explain it properly.
Posted by: Justin | May 5, 2008 10:05:25 AM
Republicans and Independents are voting for Obama but <<<
Posted by: h | May 5, 2008 9:26:52 AM
One other observation, Barack increased his delegate lead with the Guam victory. Hillary's right wing pandering might play well in rural Indiana and red North Carolina. But what about the contests remaining out in the left coast. Oh well she will just start pandering to the left claiming Barack isn't progressive enough, right? Say or do anything to get elected. I remember George Bush did the same thing.
Posted by: Progressive Democrat | May 5, 2008 9:23:32 AM
She is in both partys just like she talks outof both sides of her mouth and you can not believe either side,She is doing Mc Cains work for him so when Obama reaches the final road he will have nothing to hide.Her on the other hand will have plenty and by this time she will have been convicted of fraud>>>>>
Posted by: older wh lady | May 5, 2008 9:21:21 AM
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