Hillary, Rove, and Electability -- the Real Numbers

NOTE: I'm the Clinton campaign's Internet Director

There's been lots of discussion in recent days about Hillary's poll numbers and I figured I'd share a batch of links that give perspective on where things stand:

http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=28477 (Excerpt: "A review of Gallup poll data suggests that Hillary Clinton's current high unfavorable ratings are not unprecedented. Other candidates have had similarly high unfavorable ratings at various points in presidential election campaigns in previous years. Two of these candidates -- George W. Bush in 2004 and Bill Clinton in 1992 -- went on to win the election. Additionally, Rove's assumptions that Hillary Clinton's candidacy is "fatally flawed" run counter to the historical finding that candidates' images often change, sometimes dramatically, as the campaign progresses.")

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/8/22/02050/6475 (Jonathan Singer discusses Markos's post about Hillary's strong showing in three red states. Excerpt: "Markos passes on some very interesting polling of registered voters in three Southern states -- one of which that hasn't voted Democratic since 1996, another that hasn't since 1976, and yet another that hasn't since 1964 -- that seriously calls into question the contention by some that Hillary Clinton is not electable in a general election.")

http://georgep.mydd.com/story/2007/8/22/12351/9500 (georgep at MyDD links to Gallup's latest national survey -- with video from Frank Newport analyzing the numbers)

And here's Hillary responding to Rove's attack:

Cross-posted here and here

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Comments

[oafishcad]

No one should vote in their primary for who they think someone else will vote for (electability). Vote for the person who most closely matches your own thinking. Same in the general election. Representative democracy means who best represents YOU, not the masses. Quit buying the same crap. Vote for who YOU want. If you do, eventually evolution happens, otherwise you continue the status quo.

[mari2JJ]

I still have friends in the Republican Party (remember I am a has-been Republican) and most of them think Hillary is very electable and even some of them are working to elect her. Amazingly they give as their reason is that there would be NO surprises from her and they know her record. they feel she has the guts to stand up to their own party's shameful, hateful treatment of her. All I ever hear from there is "You go, Hil!!!!"

[disgustedcitizen]

First off, screw Rove. He's an idiot.

Second, I have been for Hilary since she announced, however, some of her latest pronouncements, particularly in respect to the Iraq Occupation, concern me deeply and have me looking around again. I thought it was abundantly clear last November that the majority of the American people wanted us out of Iraq sooner, not later. IO understand that the votes are still not there to get the withdrawal done, but by the same token I, for one, will not vote for even a Democrat who says we need to stay there longer. We have already been there six years too long.

If you want my vote, and I suspect others, then I would convince Hilary to come out and tell us she is going to do everything to get our troops out of Iraq immediately.

Thanks you.

[flatus]

Reason is, by it's very nature, rational.

[mrkerb]

I still say that folks hate Hillary, not because she is a woman, not because she voted for the war and not because she can seem to be on both sides of an issue but instead they hate her because her last name is Clinton. I am and always will be a fan of Bill Clinton but I remember how much he was hated and none of those haters are likely to be converted to the Hillary camp. The GOP will beat-up and swift boat any strong candidate and leave a second-best candidate to fight for the presidency. It's my guess that they will let Hillary squeak through just so that the GOP can win (again)

[Purple Girl]

44 yr old white female- not convinced she's not sitting at the good ol' boy table. Also smells of corporate control.
Not voting for her because she DOES NOT have a penis either- I'm truely not sexist
(or racist) when it comes to my country's leaders.
By the way what's the deal with 'Is Obama black enough- he's half white too, nobody seems to be acknowledging that he is MULITIRACIAL. He may be claimed by both races- now that's the American melting pot ! that question makes me wonder if a KKK member thought that up as a mind game of irrelevance.

[deegee]

The people that voted for Bush voted for him because he represented thier point of View,Hillary represents mine so I will not worry about what Rove thinks or does not think, I will not worry about the haters, I will not weigh what the talking heads say, I will vote for the person I belive will be best for this country, and in this election Republican or Democrat, Hillary in my opinion is the best choice, not only because of her qualifications but because bottom line we will in fact be getting two for one, and to me that is a great thing,there is not a single Politician in Washington, that has any better qualifications then Hillary, either in expierence, in Character, in values,in compentence or any other area that you would want to measure, People hate her because of her Personality of what Rush or Rove or the hate machine may be spewing out,but for People with just enough common sense to get in out of the rain, we see that for what it is, just plain unadulterated hate and if I may say FEAR, fear that she may get things done that they have been against for so long there is an adage that says
"for those that belive, no explanation is nessasary, for those that do not, no explanation is possible" I am a beliver

[filmcwby]

For starters, Hillary has surprised many of us Dem "Hillary doubters" with her command of the debates. Then--she has put together the best funded and smartest campaign team, plus she has Bill, who's probably the most brilliant politician since LBJ. Hillary is not, I repeat NOT, John Kerry, who "whimped-out" and let Rove "Swift Boat" him out of the Presidency in 04'. There's no way--even though the Repugs will throw EVERYTHING they have at her--that Hillary (or Bill) will let that happen again. I'm particularly upbeat about Hillary's chances when I consider who the Repugs have put up; a bunch of tired old angry white guys that stand up at the debates and speeches and virtually try to OUT "NO" one another! No one, no American at least, wants to hear that. HC is offering experience and positive--and needed--change. Go, Hillary!

[TheDoomed]

It's called most democrats don't like her, but won't vote for a Republican, especially since they all insist on talking like Bush who most Republicans can't stand anymore.

[Unrepentantliberal]

Peter
As much as I'd like to believe and trust Mrs Clinton, her speech in front of the VFW today has once again illustrated a maddening flaw in your boss......­she always wants to be on both sides of an issue. I have absolutely no idea where she really, truly stands on ANY ISSUE. Therefore I cannot support her in the primaries and have real doubts about what she would be if elected. Bush 'lite' probably.

[nolalily]

As a Democrat, I don't want her as my nominee. Period. That's as civil as I can be regarding my opinion on Clinton.

With that said, I want real change. REAL CHANGE. I want someone who will really protect us, down deep, and that person, the person who can face the rest of the world and make it better for us is Barack Obama.

[OB]

I agree with almost all of you, Hilary may not win in 2008. Why gamble,polls I read recently show that Edwards is the only one who beats Guiiiani. A woman and a black comeon a sure fire loss. Lets not give voters a reason not to vote for Dems in 2008.

[flatus]

aahhh. The voice of reason. Sweet.

Edwards '08

[MPeter]

Senator Obama makes us all look good. Independents, Republicans, Democrats, young and old. He is a unifier. And don't forget, he is an extremely capable man!

[oafishcad]

Please stop worrying about who some yahoo may want for President. We's still have slavery and women couldn't vote if we kept worrying about electability instead of what we think is right. Everyone should vote for who they think would do the best job, end of story.

[Dap]

Exactly...

That would be John Edwards then.

John Edwards *Gets it*

[apcalc]

Hillary Clinton is extremely competent, a thinker and a problem solver. (Just look at how prepared she is for the debates.) She is a thorough worker, no stone is unturned.

In my view, a person like her is exactly what we need to straighten up the mess we have in this country.

I will support WHOEVER wins the Democratic nomination. I also believe that person will win the presidency.

[altohone]

She didn't read the NIE before voting for the war... just the summary.

Is that the thoroughness you praise?
Was that stone too heavy for her to turn?

[Swift2]

You really take every Republican talking point as gospel, don't you?

[flatus]

Didn't she forget to turn the foot-in-mouth stone Monday? Or do you agree that the surge is working?

[ecotopian]

You can groom anyone to be prepared for a debate. Isn't that why she has all that money? To look like she knows what she's talking about?

As for cleaning up this mess, we need either someone who is untainted by it, Obama, or had the guts to apologize for it, Edwards. Hillary isn't this person. She is seemingly incapable of admitting a mistake. She'll just rephrase her previous answer and hope you weren't paying attention the first time.

If you want her, you are going to have to accept all of her. Including her vote for this fiasco.

[jmpurser]

If Hillary is the Democratic nominee then I will write in Donald Duck.

[DieboldHacker]

Her positive numbers in some southern markets is just another nail in her coffin. Speaking as an ex-Dem, and her “Base”, her positions are terrible. She is a corporate DLC shill, and I don’t trust a word she utters. She might win some southern voters, but she has already lost the rest of us.

Vote Green. Let the DLC know that they are done.

[Swift2]

Vote Green and brown out.