Ohio GOP Roots For Hillary

Cincinnati Enquirer:

One of the worst-kept secrets of the Ohio presidential primary is that Republican Party leaders have a candidate they are rooting for on the Democratic side.

Her name is Hillary Rodham Clinton; and they believe that if she wins the Ohio primary and goes on to become the Democratic nominee, she will be the one who unites their dispirited and divided party and gives them their best chance of keeping the White House this fall.

Read more here.

Read more HuffPost's Ohio coverage.

Read the whole story: Cincinnati Enquirer

Comments

[Countess]

This should not be a surprise as Clinton is by far the weaker candidate and will give McCain a big boost by winning. She has absolutely no appeal to independents who will decide the presidential race.

[hydenorhare]

If Hillary wins the nomination she will have had to employ some nasty measures against Barack.

But she has to be a bit careful about what she does to Barack, as you've seen.

However by the time November rolls around the entire Party will be back on board the USS PIAPS.

And before then the Clinton machine will have dumped sludge of legendary proportions on McCain. Far surpassing what Barack has experienced.

[jankvkleve]

In their endorsement of Obama, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said that Obama’s experience compares well with Mrs. Clinton’s but he is much less divisive.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=718696

Of course the Republicans hope she wins the nomination! She doesn’t appear to care, however. She wants to grasp the nomination, even if doing so loses the election for the Democrats. Neither does she care about whether she wins or loses the popular vote. Any hook or crook will do as long as she gets the nod.

[Savanarola]

Clinton would rather win the nomination and lose than end the war, stop climate change or change the economy...this makes her unpatriotic, I say.

[JUSTME]

Hillary's overriding concern is Hillary. If her nomination results in another Republican win, so be it. What's important is that she gets the nomination because it is hers by right. The presidency belongs to the Clintons. And just who is this upstart Obama?

[Bozwellian]

...there is ineed the perceivement of CLINTON ARROGANCY in this nomination game..They are truly HURUMPHED at the audacity of that upstart Obama for stealing the thunder and votes away from their HISTORIC move...Hillary is a sure fire LOSE for the Dems, whether they realize or not and McCain is praying for her success in capturing the nomination...He will then get the conservatives on HIS wagon, no doubt about it !!!...as well as many independents , amazing that the C's claim to BE about public service, when so obvious that is NOT exactly what motivates them.

[Lisette]

To prevent further emabrrassment, Hillary should get out of the race. But, then again she IS shamless.

[eddiestardust]

Oh yes Lisette let's do that...

Of course it really doesn't matter that many voters in many states haven't voted yet now does it?

And voters in Florida and Michigan, who were not party to the DNC decision, don't matter either huh?

[misterbone]

Nope, it doesn't matter.

[scandals&skeletons]

actually eddiestartdust, the voters here in florida as well as mi do not count, as all the candidates signed pledges agreeing to this.
you can not change the rules because your losing as the clintons would like to do.

[Bozwellian]

LOL, Michigan and Florida KNEW their votes did NOT COUNT, so did the CANDIDATES but mmm, typical CLINTON attempt and why so eerily similar to what we presently have reigning with George W& Cheney...change the rules to accomodate their particular agenda...LOL, they tried it similarly in Nevada as well...when it appeared they set up that had been agreed to as originally thought to THEIR advantage, wanted it altered....Can some of you Clinton diehard supporters give the rest of us an acceptable , definitve definition of "IS" yet ?

[BrooklynLager]

The only way Florida and Michigan are going to count is if they hold a revote.

The rules are too clear on that point. The arguments by people who didn't vote because they thought it wasn't going to count will be too loud.

And there are way too many quotes by Senator Clinton saying that Florida and Michigan weren't going to count for her to argue otherwise.

[JerfyT]

Obama wasnt even on the ballot in Michigan...In what Universe is that a fair race?

[edayres]

You can be sure that the Republicans are saying this because they really want to run against Obama. The Clintons are the only ones who know how to beat them and they know it.

[BrooklynLager]

She should stay in the race through Pennsylvania, at least, but she needs to cut out the slash and burn tactics.

Her chance of winning the nomination is so slim that at a certain point she become objectively pro-McCain.

[ChimpmasterDJ]

Well sure... The reality that Hillary supporters refuse to acknowledge, is that she's the candidate who won't be able to hammer them on the war and on corruption. She simply has no room to talk on these two subjects. It's unfortunate for us Democrats, since those are THE two subjects on which Republicans are the most vulnerable and on which 70% of the population is pissed-off at them.

[cougarrr15]

I agree. She can't hammer McCain on experience or "ready on day 1" either. It comes down to leadership, which I think he wins that too. Republicans will unite under McCain to beat her. Independents will feel cheated if she steals the nomination (which seems like the only way she can win now)and will either not vote or vote for McCain to spite her.

[ChimpmasterDJ]

Agreed, Cougarr15, and the sad conclusion which we cannot avoid, is that it would appear that Republicans are actually smarter than the Hillary/DLC wing of our own party.

How did we allow this to happen to us?

[Seafarer61]

Do some research kiddies. Republicans in open primaries voted for Obama 10 to 1 over Clinton. Do you think it's because his message of "change we can believe in" actually inspires them?
If Clinton was so "galvanizing" one would think they would WANT her to be our party nominee and thus it would be HER getting 10 to 1 action from conservatives voting in open primaries.

I can't believe, after all these years, Democrats are STILL biting into this chum like political guppies. I have more than 40, perhaps 50 (give or take) conservative friends and every single one...to a man and woman...wants Obama to be our party's nominee in the fall. Of course, in public, it's Hillary 24-7.

These folks are playing chess while Democrats continue to play checkers.

[Henry2008]

Obama fans just don't get it.

If the republicans wanted Hillary to win they would have voted for her, but they are not. They are voting for Obama.

Obama is the republican candidate of the Democratic party. These people are actually determining who the democratic candidate is.

[eddiestardust]

A heck of a lot of Independents have been able to vote in the Democratic Primaries.

This can skew the outcome badly.

Most voters who do vote won't vote in a primary but will vote in the general.

I think "Change" is so important that democrats will vote for whoever the nominee is.

So all this anti hillary talk is a bunch of you know what.

[scandals&skeletons]

henry2008, your reasoning would work except guess what, until these primaries it was not a done deal as far as the republican candidate. now they know it will be mccain so republicans voting for hillary will not change anything on the repub side.
nice try.
and obama supporters (fans? gimme a break, that showed where you are coming from)do get it.
hillary die hards just do not want to face the reality that mccain will beat her in a general and as every national poll shows obama beats mccain. it aint rocket science to recognize how polarizing hillary is even within her own party.
the republicans are salivating at the thought of running against hillary because it is the only hope of their party to galvanize and get disenfranchised repubs out to vote.
it truly is repubs only hope, and frankly i am not sure that will work.

[cougarrr15]

Did it ever occur to you all that the Republican may be voting for him because they think he is the best candidate?! To see who the Republicans want to go against (an organized, calculated effort) look no further than McCain's own candidacy. He has united with Clinton in criticizng Obama's "rhetotic" and "lack of experience." Did the RNC tell your friends to vote for Obama...I doubt it. McCain's criticism of Obama using public funds or not is proof that he is scared of Obama because he knows he can't hold a candle to Obama in private fundraising. Unless your friends work for the RNC, and this is a nation-wide political strategy (doesnt that just sound ridiculous!), then they wasted their vote and will regret it in Novemeber when their party loses to the man they help propel to the nomination.

[RealistDem]

Hillary fans just dont get it. Does Bush have a 100% approval rating with republicans--no. Why did Ron Paul do so well with fund raising. Wakeup henry there are republicans who are against this war and will vote for Obama. As a democrat i welcome their vote, you can shrink Hillarys pie further and ignore these votes.

[FreedomLoverX]

Kiddie, it said "Republican Party Leaders", not Republicans. I can't, after all these years, you are still selling this chum, like a political shark. The republicans are the ones who started running Hillary years before she announced, because they (and the pundits) think they can beat her. Do some research, Kiddie. Many Republicans have figured out what your party has turned into - dishonest, hypocrytical, thieving, anti constitution, anti freedom war mongers. What we can not afford is another minute of your party in the Whitehouse.

[Ides]

And yet, Republicans aren't even one percent of the votes cast in primaries.

[scandals&skeletons]

your numbers are not only skewed but the republican votes that went dem. in the actual primaries were minuscule.
nice try.

[HLMerkin]

I don't believe you.
You have 40-50 'friends' who confide in you, a self-identified Democrat, who they hope is the weakest candidate for the party they hope to crush.

[joja]

Of course the GOP is rooting for the Clintons.

Kate O'Bierne was on Tim Russert's show yesterday, proudly showing the cover of her Neocon rag's latest issue which proclaimed, "Nominate This Woman, Please!", only the word "woman" was crossed out and, "Couple" was substituted.

I wonder why the Clintonistas still don't get it -- the Republicans can beat the Clintons, so why are their supporters so hot to have them nominated, knowing that they'll lose?!

[scandals&skeletons]

joja, saw the show, it was very telling with kate and novak salivating at the thought of running against hillary.

[RealistDem]

We Obama supporters are called naive. Yet Hillary supporters bury their head in the sand and ignore the FACT that she has a 49% negative rating. Sorry but I dont think going into a general election trying to win by working with only the remaining 51% is a smart strategy. Call me naive. Sorry but im going with the candidate that is appealing to independents, both sides will have their base so the tipping point is independents. Yeah call me naive. Im going with the candidate who polls higher against McCain. Yeah call me naive.

McCains one weakness is his base, the only thing that will energize it into frenzy is if the democrats nominate Hillary.

You can ignore these facts, not me, I want democrat in the white house in November. I know a womans right to choose hangs by the single vote of 86 year old John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. McCain replaces him with a Scalia, which he has promised, then women lose their right to choice. For me this election is too important to nominate a flawed candidate.

[Seafarer61]

If polls taken six months before an election mattered, your fella wouldn't even be IN the race.
Note Clinton was polling at 65% approval back in October. They should of just canceled the primaries back then and handed her the nomination using your analogy above.

You're of course, free to make your point as you wish but using a FEBRUARY poll to predict a NOVEMBER election only makes you out to be an Obama droid.

[smzzzz]

The polls taken involving your lady have been consistent all the way through so when they are taken hasn't mattered when it comes to her negative numbers. They are at a steady, high rate and there is no reason to think that will change if the Dems make the mistake of nominating her. Those numbers should be a cold does of reality for the unrealistic HRC supporters.

[Ides]

Hillary Clinton was polling at 47% disapproval in October.

Stop lying.

[RealistDem]

Six months before the election Hillary was inevitable until she actually started campaigning. Once people actually got to see the 2 of them is pretty clear who are party is choosing. Kind of the same reason she did so well in California and Florida where people were voting a month early.

PS im sure Hillary would of been fine with changing the rules and cancelling the primaries and handing her the nomination.

[BrooklynLager]

"If polls taken six months before an election mattered, your fella wouldn't even be IN the race.
Note Clinton was polling at 65% approval back in October."

And this is supposed to be in argument FOR Hillary Clinton? If she's so "vetted", how did she manage to bollox it all up?

[Jonny38103]

And it is Obama supporters more than Republicans who have hurt their fellow Democrat, Ms. Clinton. It's like they're reading from the Republican play book while saying they're going to support a different kind of politics. Such crap.

[eddiestardust]

I don't think the negative rating will matter much. If she becomes the nominee people will vote for her.

[scandals&skeletons]

eddiestardust, your post was an attempt at humor i presume.

[BrooklynLager]

Democrats will. Other people? Doubt it.

[cougarrr15]

HRC's tremendous fall from the inevitable presidency is another failure in her long resume of failures. She can't manage her own household, she can't manage her irratic campaign, she voted for the war, the patriot act, no child left behind....that should be enough said!

[Henry2008]

I want a Democrat in the WH that is nominated by DEms, not Republicans.

[JaneBecker]

Maybe they want Clinton because they're not really listening to what Obama is saying:

http://thedamedomain.blogspot.com/2008/02/parsing-obama.html

[rachaelisacancer]

Informative and hilarious all at the same time! Excellent job Jane Becker!

[MoeSart]

Yeah.

Give the nom to the rookie Obama. Throw a kid into a grownup's game. He'll get stomped.

Why is it that Dems don't want the White House?

[Bagger]

I'll take All-Star rookie over the has-been veteran holding onto to the last straws of her career.

[Bozwellian]

agree Bager, but would add, over the experienced veteran who now even allows that SOME torture procedures are possibly useful and see's possibility of Iraq occupation for next 100 years all on our dimes !!!
(someone needs to ask McC, the Vet, the one who claims to understand all things military/etc...HOW CAN A ONE HUNDRED YEAR occupation of Iraq be accomplished with a military that is so strained at the present as well as the monetary costs that leave little to right the infractructure here in the homeland....WOULD like an answer to that from McC....!!!)

[HLMerkin]

Cast Hillary as Shaq.

Cast Obama as Chris Paul.

Who has the better odds of being the NBA Finals MVP?

[JerfyT]

NICE!

[Eddy333]

I seem to remember another rookie who's only experience was serving as governor of Arkansas. He ended up doing quite well as I recall...oh, that is until the whole losing control of congress thing and screwing an intern in the oval office which opened up our country to the wing-nut indignation syndrome and 8 year of a psychopathic frat boy for President..

If Hillary can do for the Democratic party in 4 years what her husband accomplished in 8, maybe our party will just cease to exist and this country will become the one party oligarchy that the Rebugs have wet dreams about.

Keep up the good work, Bill--oh, right I forgot, it's Hillary that is running for office. My bad.

[Ides]

This vet's never even hit a homerun.

[RealistDem]

Then how come the grownup cant beat the young upstart? Cant run a general election on 'Im inevitable'.

[scandals&skeletons]

moestart, bama is running against the supposed best political machine in history, the clintons, and yet you make light of the fact that his campaign has outdone hers by light-years.
the clintons machine is run better than mccains so actually what it does is season obama for the general.
thanx for pointing that out to us.

[scandals&skeletons]

obama

[standforpeace]

As an Ohioan, I know that this is no secret at all. The Republican Party received a knockdown blow in the 2006 elections here in Ohio. I really believe that Barack Obama represents the best chance to deliver the knockout here in November while Hillary Clinton might inspire a Republican Party comeback.

[larry278]

Oh, Ohio, on to cupidity.

[hydenorhare]

Some pro-lifers at one of Bill's rallys made his nose light up.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/angry-bill-clin.html

Bill said "...she said again, at the outset of this election, that every abortion is a tragedy..." ... "And I agree with her."

So, the question that always hangs out there unasked ... "Why is it a tragedy?"

Because it's a medical procedure and carries a risk?

Because it's inconvenient?

Certainly not because it's an innocent human life.

So ... why is it a tragedy? And for whom?

[Bozwellian]

Much is noted regarding Bills flare up with the anti abortion group , at same rally, he wagged his finger in the face of one who shouted out Obama's name and trying to mitigate that one as was an Obama PLANT in the crowd, not just an average everyday sort who felt it his right to shout HIS preference even at a CLintonian event...How does Bill expect to get NEW votes if refuses to allow those that presently feel aligned elsewise..He is just preaching to his choir, and THAT IS NOT going to be enough, not in the long run of this !!!

[sockman]

Arianna knows quite a bit about what unites Republicans so to say that this is any 'secret' is quite disingenuous. Remember this is a woman that greatly admires Newt Gingrich and was a right wing hack only a few years ago. Arianna, we may recall, was the go to person on issues of Monica's blue dress, stains and bodily fluids, knee pads and cigars. She went to the gutter before in order to pull the Clintons down and as is evident from her blog, is prepared to do so again.

[hydenorhare]

"...a right wing hack only a few years ago"

That was quite a few years ago. Before she got into bed with Al Franken.

If Arianna went to the gutter it was to REACH the Clintons.

[Bozwellian]

...uh, lol, need to remember, Hillary got together with Newtie ....on several matters, and hey, even Newtie supports Hillary, says SHE is the Dems strongest cnadidate, so does George W and ROve and Lynn CHeney and so many others ....lol, whatever, Clinton koolaid drinkers forever more evidently ...say, if HIllary so sure she can win, how come she does NOT give up her Senate seat ? Can understand Obama NOT , for we're told he is not likely to even get the nomination and OH, helle would definitely need to be frozen over for Obama to accept a VP to the Hillary/Bill CIC reign...LOL, can NOT imagine just WHO would even take that on...seems it would be so self destructive and a NOT WANTED on any resume for future REAL consideration !!!

[viewfromiowa]

The only people that don't get it are the ever dwindling Hillary supporters. This has been going on since the beginning amongst the core Republicans.

[Henry2008]

Dwindlig Hillary supporters? Are you kidding me. Obama would not be winning if it was not for the Republicans.

Obama could not win without them. The enemy.

[scandals&skeletons]

henry2008, show proof of that.
you can not b ecause that is utter bs.
keep trying

[HLMerkin]

Despite polling and crowds as evidence to the contrary.

Other than facts that can be substantiated, you theory makes perfect sense.

[Bozwellian]

Henry, guessing you ought in really early o how INEVITIBLE Hillary and Bill were, perhaps wrapped/engulfed in nostalgia for those Clinton reign years especially due to the abberational Bush2 years..Think you need some reality checking and perhaps, an "update"..There were few CONTENDERS , a few POSSIBLES and too, even MANY were awaiting the POSSIBILITY OF EVEN GORE to return for another go at this CIC thingy !! Gore was SMART, smarter than many gave him credit for "being" but the CLinton machine was in full swing by 2004 (and even was evident pre 2000 when decisions made WHERE Hillary was to establish a "toehold" and the RFK territory of NewYork was selected to become their base encampament ...Logical location would have seemed perhaps ARKANSAS , near the Clinton Library/etc and their governing roots their but...well, obviously, a POLITICAL calculation WHERE BEST TO BE more visably located and even then had eyes on a "return" (redemption) to the WH. Some may LIKE to ignore all that prepositioning and the whyfores/etc...but like, well, LOL and is rather an absurdity as well as audacious/bodacious and even tinged with arrogance to PRETEND such was NOT calculated. THe C's 2004 support of Dem candidates, was LUKEWARM at best for if that HAD been a Dem/Kerry win, would have DELAYED the C's plans/assumptives for 2008 race/etc.
Now SINCE 2004, we ALL have been bombarded rather in ALL FACES and full force with the pronouncement that Hillary WAS THE INEVITIBLE and not likely ANY could usurp the CLintons position--at least from the Dem points of view/skew and as the Bushler regime proved so onerous, was actually rather good news for the GOP for even as Bushlers LOST support in the GOP other than that 1/3 or so that have remained stalwart, the way to RALLY up MAJORLY, the GOP rank and file, was to present HILLARY AND BILL for a return engagement

[Jonny38103]

They're only dwindling on this site because it may as well be Obama's webpage now. There is no intelligent discussion left here, only Obama cult members.

[Bozwellian]

oh gosh, the CLinton folks getting dishearten ?Gee, what about the long years of Clintons being supported NO MATTER WHAT and even if obvious "delimma" as to their TRUER innatenessings ?
Gimme a break, until this last year, hard to have ANY other POSSIBLE discussed and have been TOLD that the return of the Clintons was INEVITIBLE no matter what others appeared in the field as POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES !!!
Hey, if you were REALLY out for EXPERIENCE, then it would have been Richardson or Biden or if REALLY out to sooth the savaged lower echelons, EDWARDS....Give the WHINE that renders the position that cuz NOT falling in line for CLintons a REST...it is a BORE and does not cut REAL MUSTARD among a goodly majority of DIVERSE VOTERS, be the white,black, hispanic asian, dem or independent, male or female...SOME OF US ARE INDEED OUT FOR REAL CHANGE and don't mind a whit bit that included is the HISTORIC MARKER of MOVING BEYOND RACIAL DIVIDE which serves the divsion of "geneder" divide as well in the process for IF we CAN OVERCOME THE INNATE PREDJUDICE of bashing just due to SKIN COLOR, we CAN INDEED OVERCOME GENDER obstacles as well !!!

[Seafarer61]

We've heard this time and time again but in reality, it's fairly transparent marketing by the right. The master Ghepettos WANT lefties to go scrambling for Obama to prevent this "galvanization" of the right; thus ensuring the conservatives get EXACTLY what they want for the general election...the opportunity to run a decorated POW fighter pilot against the starry-eyed community organizer.

Hillary Clinton and John McCain share a fair amount of agreement on many issues, which common sense would indicate would make it much easier for independents and moderate Republicans to shift in Hillary's direction in the fall just as water is more easily siphoned the closer you are to it.

Obama is the most liberally ranked Senator in Washington and will be painted as the naive community organizer who promised his own state "I wouldn't run for President" and one year after defeating that political juggernaut, Alan Keyes, announced "I'm running for President." I can see the debates now...to quote Reagan, "I won't hold my opponent's youth and inexperience against him."

I like to call this type of "strategery" from the right as the Al-Qaeda ploy. Two weeks before the elections in 2004, they release a statement, more or less, "endorsing Kerry." As a result, voters who might have been on the fence, thinking they were thumbing their nose at the terrorist organization by showing that "nobody will tell US who to vote for. As a result, they promptly gave Bush, the Al-Qaeda poster boy for recruitment, another four years.

The righties want Clinton about as much as red states want Obama.

[Ides]

What advantage does Hillary have over McCain? She's less experienced, less honest, less trustworthy, less committed, and less principled.