After Hillary is the nominee, what do the Republicans do?

[kentuck]

First of all, they ask about Bill? What will he be doing in the White House for the next 4 years with so much free time on his hands? This is like waving red meat in front of a hungry lion.

And what about those FBI files that she never made public? Can we see them now? Although it hasn't been mentioned as of late, they will bring up the romantic relationship between her and Vince Foster? Many believe that she had him killed?

Of course, we have heard all of that before. It will mean nothing to Democrats. However, the hatred for the Clintons will bring out the Republicans in full force. With the damage done to the "base" and the loyal black voters in the Party, she will be hard-pressed to defeat John McCain.

If she does win the race, it will be similar to the victories that Bill had in the 1990's. Very slim and no coattails at all. Just when we need to bring in more Democrats into the House and Senate, that will be lost. That is what a Hillary victory will mean.

[NYCGirl]

1. Rejoice. NT

[polpilot]

8. Then they laugh their ass off! ...and pass the collection plate...which will be full!

[Maddy McCall]

2. They log out of DU and go back to Free Republic

:shrug:

[lisa58]

4. lol

[kentuck]

5. Probably true.

:-)

[Arkansas Granny]

16. Great reply, Maddy. I can see why your frog smiles.

[Exilednight]

22. Go back to Free Republic? When are you leaving? n/t

[lisa58]

3. raise lots and lots of money

[rug]

6. If the contrast is 1993-2001 versus 2001-2008, it's no contest.

[Bad Thoughts]

7. Reap what she has sown?

Recent remarks that Obama is "weak" for not attacking her as she does him implies that Obama has not. She also gives all license to do just that. I guess a lot dirt is waiting to be flung at her, and it won't be pretty.

[dano81818]

9. they will look back and look forward at the same time

one of the subtexts will be the adventures of the first two clinton terms. maybe they'll devote a week from her nomination to the election towards each major scandal of the first co-presideny.

the other subtext will be a look forward st what we might enjoy if this power couple makes it back into the whitehouse.

and both these themes will be very effective.

[dano81818]

10. the last point you make is a good one...

"If she does win the race, it will be similar to the victories that Bill had in the 1990's. Very slim and no coattails at all. Just when we need to bring in more Democrats into the House and Senate, that will be lost. That is what a Hillary victory will mean."

no doubt about it the first set of clinton years was not good for the democratic party.

triangulation is designed to crap on everyone else so you can be the only one left standing.

hillary will be a triangulator.

[Tatiana]

11. They'll do the same thing voters in Tennessee did when presented with Harold Ford, Jr.

Vote for the real Republican, not the Republican-lite candidate.

[Upton]

12. 2010 would be a disaster as well

with the Clintons in the WH, there's always the chance of another 1994. At the very least, we would lose a significant number of seats in the House and Senate.

[elocs]

13. If Hillary is the nominee I imagine the Republicans will simply give up and concede the election.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Either that or have a collective orgasm.

[kenny blankenship]

14. Hint: It rhymes with "Rose Law Firm"

and "obstruction of justice".

[rock]

15. Cross out Obama and write in Hillary

In all their propaganda pamphlets.

[IsItJustMe]

17. I can just imagine what the first Republican attack commercial would be against a Hillary White

House.

Picture this scenario: A father has a daughter who gets a chance to serve as an intern in the Clinton White House. The father looks at his daughter and says, "Oh, HELL NO."

[Taxmyth]

18. I'll take the candidate whose dirt has already been sifted through

and there was nothing of substance found, over the candidate whose dirt has NOT been sifted through yet. I can't imagine the newbie voters and other faux Democratic Obama supporters sticking around long once the rhetoric ramps up. Putting the GOP on ignore just won't work. And if there IS something of substance there, and we just don't know about it - would be very bad to find out in October.

[Berry Cool]

24. I'd say a lot of "dirt" has been sifted through already.

And as far as the Repugs are concerned, with Hillary, old dirt is an endless source of attack. It doesn't become ineffective merely because it is old.

As for your being unable to "imagine" newbie voters and those you deem "faux Democratic Obama supporters" sticking around long once the rhetoric ramps up--imagine it.

You say "Putting the GOP on ignore just doesn't work." Whatever makes you think anyone's going to put the GOP on ignore? That's the exact mistake Kerry made in 2004, and the same one I don't see Obama making this year, because he sees what it cost Kerry. He hasn't been putting his attackers on ignore; on the contrary, he's been addressing them swiftly and effectively.

Sure, if there is something of substance there, it would be very bad to find out in October--but what makes you think there will be, any more than there presumably would be with Hillary? You can bet that it doesn't really matter who the candidate is, the GOP will try to spring an "October Surprise" either way. Don't believe for a second that Hillary would be immune.

The big unseen bogeyman that MIGHT be in Obama's closet just isn't going to be enough to scare many Dem voters away from him anymore. Maybe it scares you, but it does not scare them.

[Taxmyth]

28. Old dirt and fresh meat

Rabid dogs prefer one to the other. While Senator Obama is being painted with "he's a mooslem because his middle name is Hussein" and while videos of the "scary black man" saying "God damn America" are floating around and the chants of "Rezko" are sounding, Senator Obama and his supporters will have to stay on message. This is where the newbie voters and the faux Democratic Obama supporters will start to bail out. It's difficult to deal constantly and consistently with the rabid dogs. Senator Obama did not look very comfortable when confronted head on with the tabloid issues in his last debate and his refusal to have another as a result is the equivalent of ignoring those tabloid issues altogether.

And ignoring the tabloid issues is a trait found in many of the Obama supporters on message boards like this. Click, use the ignore feature, and no more tabloid issues to deal with for them. But that raises another problem, very few of those Obama supporters actually understand what the REAL issues are and how to discuss them in a way that will convince voters to consider a vote for Senator Obama.

As far as an October surprise goes, it is extremely unlikely that there is anything that could arise on Senator Clinton. You're looking at someone whose life has been documented, discussed, investigated, researched and smeared innumerable times over the last 20 years. And she is still running for President because NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE was ever discovered. Doesn't mean there won't be but it is highly unlikely. The same can not be said about Senator Obama and with his name coming up in a current ongoing criminal trial as often as it seems to, that alone is enough to cause voters to be wary of him.

Hey, for what it's worth I hope your right and I'm wrong about all of this. I do know for a fact that young voters do not always show up in November when needed and that being painted as a "liberal" is an anathema to many voters, both of which work against the possibility of a President Obama.

[Berry Cool]

29. You have your speculations, I have mine.

I believe Obama will stay on message just fine, and I believe many of his supporters won't bail out just because of stories about "mooslems," Husseins, scary black men and God-damns and Rezkos. It may be difficult to deal consistently with rabid dogs, but so far he's doing well. I don't see his "looking uncomfortable" as anything negative. Most people would be annoyed with this shit, and I expect many a voter can relate to that.

As for ignoring tabloid issues altogether, what's so wrong with saying "OK, I've told you time and time again that this is trivial; I'm not going to spend two more hours letting you fling pointless shit at me"?

As for October surprises and "a current ongoing criminal trial," surely you can't still be holding out Rezko as a ticking time bomb? And if you are, why do you think Hillary's closet is so very clean that she doesn't run the same risk?

I know young voters can't always be counted on, but maybe this time will be different. And maybe we're past the era where people react in a knee-jerk fashion to "liberal" as a dirty word. Perhaps you're only playing devil's advocate here, and you may be legitimately concerned, but I'm not as concerned as you are.

[Taxmyth]

30. maybe I'll hit the lottery

Like I said, for what it's worth if Senator Obama gets the nomination, I hope you're more correct in your speculation than I am.

[bowens43]

19. Rejoice, thank the gods and karl rove for the victory

[JVS]

20. They win big

[Captain Sensible]

21. Smile..............nt

[joeprogressive]

23. They wake up because they would be dreaming. It won't happen. n/t

[Bensthename]

25. 527 Commercial: McCain the ultimate soldier vs. Hillary's Bosnia "experience"

She's done right there.

[Diamonique]

26. Hillary says her garbage has already been sifted through.

But has it really?

Yeah we know about all the BS the Rethugs threw at the Clintons in the 90's. They'll bring all that stuff up again of course.

But what's been going on with this couple since they left the White House? Is there anything the Rethugs can bring out and twist to make Hillary look bad? I'm sure they're looking.

And even if they don't find anything new, we already know they just make shit up whenever they want to.

So this argument that Hillary has already been vetted doesn't work for me anyway. The Rethugs will find something -- or make up something -- no matter who our nominee is.

[ZinZen]

31. Looking at Republican comments on Hillary

they will be calling her a Lesbian every chance they get. They will also make shit up and say she is having a torrid affair with one of her female staffers. Repubs love that stuff.

[Zachstar]

27. The republicans will play like they are shocked for a bit then go into the archives

They will load the archives into ads. And play 24/7

Things we never have known about Clinton from decades ago will be in our face and there will be alot of em.

Clinton will try to defend but likely because the only way she can effectively win is by supers overturning the pledged delegates... Well the party will be split with large sections falling apart... They can't help.

I watched from the other side as we tore Kerry apart politically because of the lack of unification. It will be 100x worse with Clinton.


Just saying what I view it as. I know what the republicans will do.

[NashVegas]

32. Shit Their Pants

Because they know that when they try to pull the same old shot they've always pulled on Hillary Clinton, the public won't be buying it this time.

[Lucky 13]

33. Dance an evil jig and roll out the smear-machine.

[Awsi Dooger]

34. Deep down, they will expect to lose

Anyone who believes otherwise is exhibiting wonderfully inept handicapping. It's like when Tiger lost Doral a few weeks ago. The inept handicappers, and I saw plenty of this on The Golf Channel and elsewhere, insisted it was a bonus for him, heading into Augusta. "From 40% chance to 50%," one gushed.

Glorified BS. Winning and losing trend in the same direction, not reverse. Republicans have experienced nothing but Ls to the Clintons in presidential terms, and that's exactly what they'll fear. Just talk to them. I have, hundreds of times, among a group of friends. They despise the Clintons due to the bottom line, nothing else.

If Obama is the nominee they'll be uncertain, an unknown quantity. More often than not, that's worked in the GOP's favor.

Scarborough said the other day that GOP operatives he's sampled recently now view Obama as the easier mark, unlike a couple of months ago.