Clinton to Take On Palin?
Posted on Sep 5, 2008
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| AP photo / Jose Luis Magana |
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In Friday’s New York Times article about whether Hillary Clinton will go to the mat against Sarah Palin, a woman delegate at the GOP convention says, “I just bet Hillary was watching Sarah’s speech on TV Wednesday night and cheering, ‘You go, girl!’ ” Really?
Wouldn’t Clinton’s hypothetical reaction be more along the lines of “Oh no you don’t!”—especially considering the many years of hard labor Clinton put into her struggle to make those famed cracks in the glass ceiling, only to have newbie Palin swoop in with her guns, Bibles and mooseburgers, claiming the fruits of a movement whose main tenets the governor doesn’t support?
The New York Times:
Ms. Palin, the governor of Alaska and Mr. McCain’s running mate, gave the best speech of her party’s convention on Wednesday night, drawing 37 million television viewers. And she made it clear that she aimed to win over undecided women voters with her own version of the history-making, “I’m one of you” message that Mrs. Clinton employed to great effect in her fight for the Democratic nomination.
Mrs. Clinton, meanwhile, has a legacy to protect: She has no intention of turning over her “18 million cracks in the glass ceiling,” as she called her supporters, to Ms. Palin, a social conservative whose policy positions are poison in Hillaryland. What is more, Mrs. Clinton wants to be the one to make history as the first woman to win at the top of a presidential ticket, be it in 2012 or 2016.
The question is, will Mrs. Clinton fight Ms. Palin to help her former rival, Mr. Obama? Clinton advisers say that Mrs. Clinton wants to do everything she can to elect Mr. Obama, so that she cannot be blamed if he loses—yet she also does not want to be too closely associated with him if he does lose, nor to tarnish her own image by taking on a rookie national politician like Ms. Palin and possibly coming up short.
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By Sepharad, September 8, 2008 at 2:02 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Of course Hillary isn’t saying “You go girl” to Palin, who so far seems to be a certified nut-case. I was a Hillary supporter (for that matter still am). Sadly, I’ve been spending much time lately trying to get a handful of Hillary people who say they’re voting for other candidates they can believe in—like Kucinich, Nader, McKinney—to vote for Obama even if they don’t like him because the alternative is nightmarish, unthinkable. Still a few holdouts to go, but if anything Palin’s candidacy has made it easier to persuade people to vote for Obama.
For the record, it’s really insulting to Hillary and all of us for anyone to believe that just any old warm female body deserves a gender-based vote. Palin is just about as low as they go, and her erratic behavior, lies about her record and wild attacks should even convince Republicans that the Presidential candidate lacks judgment as well as patriotism. You’d have to hate the U.S. a lot to make the one-heartbeat-away candidate an inexperienced, jumped-up local pol.
Maybe McCain has done us all a favor—Palin’s inexperience eclipses Obama’s by far, and saying that well yeah but she’s #2 and he’s #1 doesn’t cut it when her party’s #1 is a 72-year-old cancer survivor. (Besides, Obama picked a candidate who does have extensive foreign policy experience and insight as well as a working-class background that should pick up some of those disaffected Hillary voters in some batttleground states.
Report thisBy fedupinfla, September 8, 2008 at 12:56 am #
I somehow this it is far more likely that Hillary watched Palin’s speech and wondered where Caribou Barbie got her audacity!
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, September 7, 2008 at 7:56 am #
If Hillary Clinton doesn’t give her all to helping get Obama elected, and with it a filibuster-proof Senate and solid-majority House, there isn’t going to BE a 2012 for her.
Democrats won’t forget another Nader’ing of Democratic nominee, especially after McCain cements a radical reactionary Supreme Court that will take us back a century as they sit in place for the next 30 years, enacting bizarro dangerous decisions that make Plessy v. Ferguson look like good law.
The American Taliban are one seat away from controlling the USSC—and the next President may well have 2 seats to fill on the most Republican court in generations. There have only been 2 Democrats appointed to the Court since LBJ left office—and that was 40 years ago.
As ambitious as the Clintons are, they are also smart politicians and KNOW that sinking Obama will never be forgiven. Hillary HAS to take on Sarah Palin and show that the ONLY thing they have in common is 2 X-chromosomes—and nothing more. She MUST convince her 18 million voters that Palin is no substitute for Hillary.
Don’t forget: Many Democrats never forgot that Ted Kennedy was instrumental in sinking Jimmy Carter’s Presidency in 1980. He might have gone on to be an extraordinary senator, but his Presidential aspirations died with Ronald Reagan’s victory.
Plus, with a McCain victory and his ill health, God may dictate that Sarah Palin name herself “President-for-Life” to save America from the Devil and Queen Sarah will be the American Taliban high priestess.
IOW, there may not BE a 2012 election if McCain wins.
Then again, if Obama wins, President Mussolini may manufacture a crisis to “postpone” the surrender of power on Jan 20, 2009. I know it sounds dark, but there’s not much I’d put past that @$$#ole, as long as it didn’t require TOO complex planning and thinking.
Report thisBy antispin, September 6, 2008 at 2:55 pm #
The only part of the NY Times I can stomach is the crossword. I detest their carrying water for the Redneck war-mongering types while, at the same time, being their whipping boy.
Report thisBy KMarx, September 6, 2008 at 11:52 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Hillary will not take on Palin if she believes McCain will win in the Fall. Hillary has her eyes set on 2012!
Report thisBy Big B, September 6, 2008 at 11:44 am #
Hillary and Slick Willy have spent their political careers marching down a road of bones. Everyone they have ever delt with can tell you the Clintons don’t take part in any venture that doesn’t benefit them.
Report thisThat is perhaps why they have been conspicuous in their campaign season absence. The Clintons will wait until someone breaks from the pack. If it’s Barry, they will hop on the bandwagon and ride him to a cabinet post. If it’s mcsame, they will say their “I told you so’s” and portray themselves as saviors four years from now.
Ahh, that pragmatic nature of politics!
I do have a word of advice for the new Sarah followers, you folks can expect the same thing from Hillary that Barry can,
nothing.
By turbopauljansen, September 6, 2008 at 9:44 am #
I don’t think a wanker would want to wank to Hillary. Not even Bill. . .I think the evidence supports this. . .
Report thisBy Fahrenheit 451, September 6, 2008 at 9:36 am #
In this time of energy shortages, why would Hillary waste energy on a flash in the pan candidate? Palin will fade away as is the wont of wankers.
Report thisBy turbopauljansen, September 6, 2008 at 9:20 am #
Cat Fight! Let me know when they tear each other’s clothes off. And you can bet I won’t be focusing on Hillary. Seriously, the one thing that struck me about Palin was that fish photo in Newsweek (September 8, page 28). . . If Hillary had posed with a Salmon, you could also bet it (either the fish or the photo) would be as fake as the different answers Hillary gives to different audiences. And Hillary’s designer has to work ovetime to conceal that heavy rear end and very short stature. . .Sexist comment? Perhaps. Aesthetic comment? Absolutely.
Hillary is surrounded by armed guards, so she doesn’t need the second amendment. But perhaps Hillary should eat more Mooseburgers.. it would be better for her figure. . .
Report thisBy rage, September 6, 2008 at 8:26 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
This amounts to little more than political sexist mud wrestling that only benefits the media in the ratings wars! C’mon! This new low in mysogeny is absolutely ridiculous! Why would Hillary, who isn’t running for anything in this election, stoop to dignifying the idiocy that is definitely Sarah Louise Heath Palin for VEEP to even remotely acknowledge Palin’s existence? Hasn’t Hillary helped Gtamps’ team enough with all her Primary Obama-bashing?
I don’t give a damn what Hillary did in the Primaries to wind up behind the Democratic Party political 8-ball. The very worst act of petulent retalliation by the Dems, the media, and everyone else mad at the Clintons should not come down to Hillary’s being forced to impune her political credit and degrade her own character just so Gramps’ can establish Palin’s fitness and credibility to be his anti-Hillary doppleganger in a Presidential run against Obama and Biden. That’s not only ungodly unfair, but unconstitutionally cruel. Hillary lost the primary, which is punishment enough. Furthermore, Hillary’s greatest test and demonstration of her Obama fidelity will come in 2009 when she does everything she can as a Senator to aid President Obama in undoing the damage to our Democratic Republic done by the Cheney led terrorists in the Chimperor Dumya junta.
Donning the thong and coconut oil to jump topless into some media pit filled with red and green jello shots against Sarah Palin is not going to do a single thing to repair her Democratic brand or damaged relationship with the Obamas. Furthermore, Hillary owes neither the Dems nor the Obama’s that much humiliation to prove anything. After all, Hillary didn’t tell that idiot Karl Rove to count on her making Obama’s short list of VEEP hopefuls. That was the Turdblosson Rove’s architectural genious at work again, revealing more of the illogical dementia behind the math calculations that told him he had a ReThug midterm landslide back in 2006 when ReThugs lost their majorities in both the Senate and Congress. The idiot McCain gang picked the totally unvetted Palin months in advance because Rove told them the Dems would absolutley have to have Hillary’s alleged 18 million cracks for Barak Obama to break the glass ceiling in the Oval Office. Now Palin has to face off in what is most certainly an uneven fight in the Dems’ favor. Joe Biden is already inquiring which wine best complements a simple mooseburger at lunch.
If I were Clinton, I’d tell the NYT and every other tabloid prick requesting she face off against Palin to go straight to hell. Let the bastardy of the failed 4th estate build their Election 2008 ratings agaisnt Dancing with the Stars somewhere else. Gramps could not possibly have wanted to win this race, and neither merrits nor gets Hillary’s help in legitimizing the thoroughly unqualified Sarah Palin. Gramps and Miss Congeniality are just screwed. And, that’s neither Hillary’s fault nor Hillary’s problem. It’s not too late for the stubborn old coot to return to his senses and call the Mittster. Until Gramps does, the ReThugs need to be made to own and eat this half-done crow LIVE from now until the service of that humble pie dessert in November.
Report thisBy Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, September 6, 2008 at 7:09 am #
I doubt a smart politician—and Hillary is a pretty smart politician—would touch Palin with a ten-foot pole, except with a pretty quick, well-directed one-liner. The two are simply worlds apart from each other.
Report thisBy Big E, September 6, 2008 at 2:17 am #
we’ll see what Sen. Clinton’s made of…..she can really kick some butt with impunity…. women vrs. women….. I’m sort of looking forward to it…
Report thisBy RightWing, September 5, 2008 at 9:58 pm #
Advisers to Mrs. Clinton said that she stood ready to help the Obama-Biden ticket, but they urged the campaign not to overestimate the impact Mrs. Clinton could have, noting that she had other commitments this fall, like campaigning and raising money for Senate candidates. Obama aides said the Clinton trip had been in the works before Ms. Palin was named the running mate.
In other words mr Obama, bite me, Hillary has never commited to anything, again. TruthDig not telling the story.
Report thisBy good spelller, September 5, 2008 at 9:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Never a Hillary supporter, I’ve been above the fray when it comes to Democrats or Republicans divining what a particular phrase or gesture or policy variant would mean to Hillary. Those who engage in this mystery are surely right that H is an important force in politics. But they mostly miss the fact that Hillary’s strategies and policies are not based at all on her physical construction. She actually thinks things through. The fact that she is wrong about as often as her husband -maybe 50% of the time- doesn’t matter. She shouldn’t be saddled with the yoke of female-type-thinker.
..and in a rare moment of cross-Party unity, Hillary and Gov. Palin go moose hunting with Dick Cheney. Both gals know instinctively to huddle together behind the moose.
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