A 'Fighter' in the White House

If you've been listening to the pundits, the campaign staff and the candidate herself, Hillary's pugilistic display is a prime reason to back her. Surely we want this fighter in the White House. It doesn't matter that the election numbers are overwhelmingly against her. It doesn't matter that party leaders and political experts are screaming about the damage to the Democratic Party. Pay no heed to glaring reality; damn the torpedoes -- full speed ahead.

Who does this remind you of? Who else is a fighter in the face of overwhelming opposition? Who else listens to no one holding contradictory opinions? Is there another politician who ignores the numbers, the advice of experts and the popular consensus on critical issues?

Can you say 'George Bush'?

Yes, Hillary has displayed great tenacity. Yes, she is impressive in her drive and commitment to her campaign. But these characteristics are not inherently valuable. We have an outstanding example of this residing in the White House right now.

Comments

[Trace8089]

Comparing Clinton to the moron in chief is a low blow. Obama can't win a general election with his current voter demographics. He has the more problems than Kerry did in 2004. Kerry picked up 91% of the black vote, 43% of the white vote, 60% of asians and latinos. Obama hasn't done as well as Kerry with whites,Latinos and asians.

Blacks make up 13% of the general electorate. Hispanics and Latinos will make up 10 to 12% and Asians 5 to 6%. The rest of the vote roughly 60 to 65% will be white. If, Obama gets 100% of the black vote. He starts out at 13%. If, Obama gets the same 60% of latinos and asians as Kerry did. Add another 10 to 11%. Giving him a floor of 25%. If the white vote total is 60% Obama has to get a minimum of 45% to win. Obama is only averaging 40% of whites in democratic primaries. White democrats are a minority amongst white voters.

For a republicans to win they need a minimum of 55% of white voters. Along with 40% of latinos and asians.

We must realize Republicans will be ruthless this fall. McCain will play good cop to the 527's bad cop. They will have no compunction about race baiting. Who knows if there's a October surprise. We have to come together and be just as ruthless or we will be saddle with 4 more years of Bush on steroids.

[Doppler]

"Obama can't win a general election with his current voter demographics."

More sour grapes hiding as pseudo-analysis.

As the presumptive Democratic nominee, his voter demographics are Democrats. And Democrats not only outnumber Republicans, but do so in increasing numbers.

Clinton outperformed Obama in some of those demographics, but that's a false analogy, because those groups now must choose between Obama and McCain. For the overwhelming majority of the former Clinton voters, their choice will be Obama.

I prefer thin mint cookies to chocolate chip cookies, and I'd vote for thin mints every time. But when held up against broccoli, chocolate chips would win in a landslide.

No contest. Prepare to see the sight of the Obama girls moving into the White House in January 2009.

[Doppler]

"Obama can't win a general election with his current voter demographics."

More sour grapes hiding as pseudo-analysis.

As the presumptive Democratic nominee, his voter demographics are Democrats. And Democrats not only outnumber Republicans, but do so in increasing numbers.

Clinton outperformed Obama in some of those demographics, but that's a false analogy, because those groups now must choose between Obama and McCain. For the overwhelming majority of the former Clinton voters, their choice will be Obama.

I prefer thin mint cookies to chocolate chip cookies, and I'd vote for thin mints every time. But when held up against broccoli, chocolate chips would win in a landslide.

No contest. Prepare to see the sight of the Obama girls moving into the White House in January 2009.

[lorisc]

Good cookie analogy.

[RealistDem]

Do democrats have to continually play the same election as the last two. Cant we start even thinking about winning more states, like say the republicans. How bout Missouri-Obama/McCaskill could put that state in play, Obama/Webb could put Virginia in play, win back Iowa, win in Colorado put a lot of pressure on southern states with large, loyal, hard working african american populations. The mountain west, northern plains hell who knows. Montana has a democratic governor, Daschle and Johnson were from the Dakotas. The way GWB has messed up that last 7 years Democrats shouldnt be afaid to take the democratic message to all 50 states.

[lorisc]

Simply put, Clinton can't win without the African American vote who have been a significant and loyal base to this party. Clinton can't win without young voters. Both will be disillusioned by any attempt by the sd's to overturn the vote. Hillary won't get the votes of the Republicans and Independents to any significant degree. Hillary is the one who can't win in November. Hillary isn't the stronger candidate or she would have beat Obama.

[jahzilla]

Catherine, once again you nailed it. I believe that if more people would spend a little time in better understanding a particular candidate's psychological foundation (before they enter the voting booth), we wouldn't have seen the last 8 years dominated by the poster child for extreme narcissistic, megalomaniacal psychosis.

Ironically, through a softer, less virulent strain, the same issues oft-plagued this country during the administration prior to this current one. Hillary, believe it or not, IS closer to Bush (on so many levels) than to Bill. I would've voted for her had she gotten the nomination, but because the levels of (BushCo Fascism) reversal (facing whomever wins the White House) are so immense, my concerns about Hillary's psychological "default behaviors", have me deeply concerned that she would take myriad "path(s) of convenience", misrepresent reality to "We the People" . . . and attempt to sweep under the carpet, massive problems she wouldn't be able to address, simply to maintain her "dynamic" public perception (read:"illusion") within her own internal (narcissistic) power struggle.

[LannyMacD]

You also miss a couple of key points. Obama has dominated the youth market (voters 17-29) and has mobilized a massive number of new voters in that demographic. You also failed to acknowledge that the demographic that Clinton has been very strong in (the poor working class vote, to be polite) has not voted for the Democratic candidate in quite some time. That vote traditionally goes to the Republicans, and there is no indication of it sliding to the Democrats even if Clinton is the candidate.

If anyone saw McCain on the Daily Show yesteday they will see a candidate that should be unelectable. Stewart had him chasing his own tail and staring into the headlights of that on coming truck more than a few times, and Stewart was playing pretty nice. This is a guy that will not hold up to the bright lights, especially the same intensity we just saw Obama exposed to. I also don't think for a second that Clinton will stand up to it either. The Right Wing press has been exceptionally nice to Clinton during this campaign and have left her pretty much alone. That won't happen once she is the Democratic candidate. The media, especially the Right Wing media, will endlessly attack her and she will crumble. Democrats will quickly see just was unelectable means at that point.

[lavisiter]

Hillary WON the "youth vote" in CALIFORNIA! As for the other states - I can't stay but THIS is a BIG STATE!

[OtayPanky]

The past 16 years of the presidency have been characterized by a certain sort of psychological narcissism. It's really time - and past time - to move on.

[mj11051]

Geesh Hillary give it a rest. Everything can't be your way or the highway.

[hopeless277]

Yes, she is a fighter. Too bad the opponents she chose are the American people.

[zeiben]

What's cool about this analogy (if not particularly original) is that the money aspect is also similar. HRC is not only unwavering in her course despite its lack of wisdom, but is bankrupting herself and thousands of 70 year old widows in the process. If talk of Barak bailing her out comes to pass, then she's also effectively bankrupting the general election warchest.

[WorkingClass]

If Hillary was a fighter she would have been fighting George Bush. She is a panderer and a character assassin. I'm glad she lost.

[fairwitness]

It cannot be said often or loud enough:

"If Hillary was a fighter she would have been fighting George Bush."

She not only did nothing to oppose his worst abuses, she enabled his worst crime:aggressive war. Now she will "obliterate" Iran if she imagines a threat to Israel. She IS George Bush in spirit.

[Trace8089]

How has Obama fought the Bush administration? He has been just as bad. He gave a great speech before the war. What has he done as a sitting senator to stop the war? Nothing!!!!

[DickTater]

Exactly. If she really had been fighting for us these last 8 years, she would have some record to show for it. If she had been fighting GWB all these years, she would be first in our hearts and ballots.
The Clinton preznincy was basically to talk populist and then bend over and grab ankles before the corporations.
She then leveraged THAT into carpetbagging a NY senatorship. Shame on NY.
She then triangulated the whole time in the Senate, except when she overtly stood up contrary to the dems and outhawked the chickenhawks. Flagburning, BombIran, BombIraq you name it.

Then she tells us, spending millions and millions, about how she is a fighter and that only she can win the working people, hard working people's votes. Like only uneducated whites are hard workers. And that she will never give up on working hard for US, fighting for US. I want to know, when did she start working for us? I am not so worried that she will never give up, I am worried that she never will begin to work for us.

[ZeusBoots]

SO TRUE! During the 8 years they were in the White House and since then she has not done one thing to remedy our dependency on foreign oil, or anything else as far as I can see.
From what I hear from my family in New York, she voted for everything the Democrats brought up so she could have more Superdelegates in her pocket come election time.
Let's face it, she voted for the war because she thought it would help her politically. Too bad she didn't stand up for principles rather than what seems to be a "good political move". What she fails to see, is that she is playing with people's lives! This is not a gameboard. Young men and women have died and have been maimed because she only thought about her political future.

[allonfla]

I thought people were exaggerating when they started to compare her to George Bush, but as I listen to her speak , the similarity is scary. Obama fought for his wins also but he used a well planned strategy that made it look easy.

She was like someone who is drowning and desperately trying to survive. Certainly not a fighter for Americans.

[MPeter]

Absolutely. It is time to have a leader who listens to the people. We are a democracy and leaders must derive legitimacy from us. They have to represent our will, not their own!!!

[Countess]

This is precisely why Hillary Clinton is the worst possible candidate against the republicans. She is too much like them and offers no positive alternative. Mike Tyson is also a fighter but he is hardly qualified to be president.

[lucky54]

Bravo !! Love this Mike Tyson comparison :))

[RENREVARD]

LET NOT FORGET THAT HILLARY HAS WON ONLY 5 TIMES SINCE FEB 5TH!

[MollyN]

Let us remember, the very first Comeback Kid was not Bill Clinton, but Richard M. Nixon. It is Nixon who seems most like the template that has formed Hillary Clinton's political life. She has remade herself multiple times, a shape-shifter with no apparent center other than a thirsty greed for power and the destruction of her perceived enemies. That she would even consider the VP slot is telling. She has proven divisive time and time again, she never takes responsibility for her failures, and, like Nixon, because of her character flaws, will continue having what she can only see as a binary view of the world. This is not suitable in a time in which we need to develop unified goals which embrace all Americans as one family.