January 12, 2016

It happens to all candidates

The different is how much it happens and how much traction it will get. The volume of Clinton's scandals, flip-flops and lies is likely to get more traction than most in my opinion.

Trying to brand Bernie as a commie is coming. And they'll probably ding him a few points in the polls for it. But what I'm seeing is as more people get familiar with him, they like him and he's still rising.

Everyone knows who Hillary is, a good percentage do not like or trust her so she's close to her ceiling. YHou're not likely to see a big rise or lots of enthusiasm.

January 12, 2016

Iowa is a true toss up in Real Clear poll of polls - Clinton +0.2

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/ia/iowa_democratic_presidential_caucus-3195.html

and he's starting to get some daylight in New Hampshire +6.2
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/nh/new_hampshire_democratic_presidential_primary-3351.html

I'm not surprised by NH but Clinton was +17.7 less than four weeks ago in Iowa. Closing that gap so quickly is undeniable and pretty major.

Classy top post

January 12, 2016

I agree. And it does strike me as a bit of a blinders on or a bizarre position

because it's my biggest fear. I worry that the library of crap they can spin on her is so great they'll have a different scandal, flip-flop or lie replaying every day of the last 60 days of the campaign. And the Clinton campaign will be playing so much defense, it will be hard to get other messages out.

No doubt that I like Bernie more for a number of reasons. But my biggest thing is defending our last 8 years of effort with a Dem president. Hillary's poorer electability is a big difference to me between the two. And I think she's more vulnerable than the polls show because Bernie hasn't been doing much attacking. The the GOP really cut loose I think she'll fall and won't be able to bounce back unless the GOP has a worse fall.

Look at Bill's sex scandal. Many folks around here would agree with Clinton supporters that that wasn't Hillary's fault and shouldn't have a much place in this election.

But the GOP are going to play that up for everything thing it's worth. And it's worth something because many will subconsciously flash back to the time when they were not exactly proud of the Clintons in the White House because the president was taking time out of his busy schedule for getting blow jobs in the Oval Office. That's not my favorite memory of the Clinton years but the GOP will not let me forget it. And it will dent her in the polls a point or two.

Travelgate, Whitewater ... through to the still smoldering Benghazzi, Emailgate, Clinton foundation payoffs, etc.

Bernie does not have that big amount of baggage. They'll burn him some with his socialist label but when many folks find out what that really means, it's not going to hurt him nearly as much of all the stuff they have on Hillary.

January 12, 2016

As the polls show, the GOP would rather face Hillary.

They've probably got hours of ads in the can to swiftboat her because she's provided them with 25 years of material. Knowing it won't be as easy for them to take on Sanders, they probably have their thumb on the scales.

They've been doing this sort of crap for decades (ie see Nixon's quiet financial support in 1968 for a Democrat to help divide and conquer the Dems).

January 12, 2016

Hillary is feelin' the Bern like many in the rest of the country

I say keep it that way - she had her chances - no debates.

Hillary can thank her co-Chair Debbie!

January 12, 2016

It's not a big deal to me personally but someone saying

"how is Hillary going to control Bill from keeping his hands off the White House interns?"

I suspect from the Clinton campaign perspective that they feel it's now going to be a problem for some voters.

You know the GOP are going to stoke those thoughts and for the (often sexually hypocritical) religious right, they'll be hand-wringing at the pulpit, prayin' to their Lord to keep the sex heathen out of the White House!.

So sad. But it's like a wedge issue. Or like Benghazi. Scrape a few more points off Hillary.

January 11, 2016

I hope Bernie pulls ahead and then says "no"

Might serve up Hillary and her co-chair, Debbie, a little justice.

January 11, 2016

Washington Post and Mediate have picked it up

http://www.mediaite.com/online/if-clinton-foundation-is-now-subject-of-investigation-that-could-be-bad-legal-news-for-hillary/

http://www.mediaite.com/opinion/report-fbi-email-probe-now-investigating-potential-clinton-foundation-corruption/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2016/01/11/hillary-clintons-travails-mount/

Doesn't take a rocket scientist. Look at Clinton Foundation donors. Look at what happened during Clinton's time as
Secretary of State.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/26/clinton-foundation-donors_0_n_7441486.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-hillary-clinton-kept-her-wealthy-friends-close-while-at-state-department/2015/10/05/5cfbe884-6930-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/hillary-clinton-foundation-state-arms-deals

Shooting the messenger doesn't work if the messenger is delivering something of substance.

It remains to be seen if the FBI will find something of substance. Can't blame them for looking. But you can bet if the Condoleezza Rice Foundation was taking big donations and arm dealers were getting big contracts, folks around here would be all over it.

What the GOP will do even if she's innocent (and she very probably is) is damage her with innuendo. This is just part of the Clinton baggage Dems have to carry for her as a candidate.

January 11, 2016

That's the quote I thought of when I came into this thread

Hillary's real position on gun control is a weathervane pointing towards what will get her more votes at the time.

There's nothing different going on here. Once elected, all bets are off because Wall Street and lobbyists will dictate her position for re-election. That's how she's operated since she arrived in Washington.

January 11, 2016

Indeed. It's the Clinton campaign that's getting

nervous because Bernie has closed the gap in Iowa and overtaken her in NH.

Only 28% of Democrats polled in Iowa fairly recently think Hillary is trustworthy. The rest don't. That's not Bernie's fault. That's not the GOP's fault either.

If you want to talk about stagnating in the face of heavy ad spending, the Clinton campaign hasn't put much of a dent in the untrustwortrhy issue, have they?