Feb 7, 2007 7:37am
Provocative statement of the day
EmailSo in hopes of ginning up debate on the ol’ blog here (which shockingly my discourse on the filibuster failed to achieve), I’ll be throwing out some provocative ideas, ones I do not necessarily agree with, for debate.
Here’s today’s:
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, is like the movie "Steel Magnolias." They can pack it with stars, jam it into every theater, run it on TNT and basic cable every single weekend, and still men aren’t going to want to watch it.
Discuss.
- jt
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I would have to agree, but I don’t think it is all her fault. Sure her health care plan was a bomb, but I think Bill can be blamed as well. Let’s see, Bill’s legacy — satellite secrets given to China, nuclear weapons secrets given to China, a strong economy (or so we thought) based on bloated earnings reports by corrupt executives that cost 2 years and several court cases to fix, and last but not least the White House became a brothel. Do we really want those people back in the White House? Will there be any furniture left when they leave this time?
Posted by: R. Lucas | February 7, 2007, 8:04 am 8:04 am
That’s some dossier against Bill Clinton. Eight years and you come up with “satellite secrets given to China?” The current administration does worse than that every day, before the President’s English as a Second Language class.
But Jake, your question is a good one. I think there is still a significant portion of the population that will not vote for a woman for President and an even more significant portion of the population that will not vote for Hillary Clinton. It will be very difficult for her to overcome that.
Posted by: DKNY | February 7, 2007, 8:42 am 8:42 am
As a male, I would have to agree with your contention about Steel Magnolias… but NOT about Hillary Clinton.
Hillary has proven as Senator of NY her ability to win over skeptical males of both political parties. She has shown herself to be highly capable on the Armed Services committee and fighting for our first responders. As more and more people get to know her, they will see her for what she is — a highly accomplished senator who surely has the potential to be our nation’s President
Posted by: LI Dem | February 7, 2007, 8:46 am 8:46 am
I’m not sure today’s topic of discussion is really that provocative, since I’m not sure you can break down Hillary’s appeal (or lack thereof) by gender. More importantly, I think men would’ve watched “Steel Magnolias” if Dolly Parton’s character would’ve worn more revealing outfits. Then, they wouldn’t have been able to tear themselves away!
Posted by: chuck | February 7, 2007, 8:51 am 8:51 am
Likening Hillary to a chick flick? Beyond insulting.
oops! I must be at the wrong website. What’s all this stuff about politics? I’m confused. And bored. Must seek the refuge at iVillage, where everything is pink.
Posted by: cordelia525 | February 7, 2007, 9:23 am 9:23 am
The general election will come down to two choices: Republican or Democrat. Maybe some centrists will look at a female Dem and decide against her, and voting instead for a male GOP, just because of gender. And I think that is exactly what the GOP wants. With all of the “rumors” that the GOP feels ‘President Hillary’ is inevitable, they are quietly hoping that the Dems take the bait. And although I would certainly vote for Senator Clinton, I still find it hard to believe that our country is ready for a woman president when we can’t even elect a Northeast liberal. (But I hope we are.) Go Sabres.
Posted by: reyonthehill | February 7, 2007, 11:08 am 11:08 am
The race I would love to see would be Clinton-Obama vs. Rice-Lieberman.
Posted by: James Danley | February 7, 2007, 12:10 pm 12:10 pm
What I don’t understand is why is Bill Richardson at only 1% in NH poll? I can understand why he isn’t up there with the media stars but the guy is:
A successful Governor, the background of most winning Presidential candidates.
Has a recognizable name/image as Ex-UN Ambassador.
Has more Foreign Policy experience than everyone except maybe Biden but he doesn’t have the Senatorial baggage that’s so easy to attack.
Moderate-Liberal/Progressive positions on Iraq, Immigration and Healthcare.
Great speaker, most reports said he gave the best speech at the DNC last week.
Has the ‘authenticity’ factor so valued by the pundits. I’d have a beer with the guy, wouldn’t you?
Is Hispanic and can also win in the vital Southwest and Mountain states that we’re going to need.
I took part in a conference call that he had last night with supporters and bloggers and he was great. Took questions on Immigration, Iraq, Native American concerns and was right on, prepared, clear and articulate (and probably clean too!). He even had a heckler out of Las Vegas that he handled well.
So the point is, why isn’t this guy in the mix? Is it all just organization and money? Is it already too late for him to build the team necessary to win? Or is there some other reason why he isn’t catching on?
I just don’t get it.
Posted by: not the senator | February 7, 2007, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
Right now it is all about organization and money. Twelve states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina and Wyoming) are attempting to move up their primaries to Feb. 5, 2008. There are currently eight states (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and West Virginia) which are scheduled to hold their primaries on that date. If all 20 states were to hold their primaries on that date, according to one source, two-thirds of the Democratic delegates and 80% of the Republican delegates would be determined in just three weeks. With so many delegates being determined so quickly it can cut both ways. If someone is lucky to run the table the race could be over! But if there are 5 or more winners (in one party) and the 2nd through 5th place finishers are just as spread around, it could result in a multi-balloted national convention. Then even less popular candidates could emerge out of no where to win the nomination.
Posted by: James Danley | February 7, 2007, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
If you say the name Hillary Clinton-I really could not say that there are Big Ideas there..just the reality that people can be “spoofed”..
If you say the name Obama-I can only fester some “imagination” of a future..<<–looking for a POLITE..weakness in the day..
If you say the name-Jonathan Edwards I figure out that the nice guy did finish last/he just back for more..and nicely quoteing HIMSELF..
If you say the name Joe Biden-it really places work and rights in that passage of time the others(all of them)just seem to fail horribly AT..
Then there's Joe Lieberman/or/Chris Dodd..its a differance in that you don't just get too use the name..its something else..(??)Questions get answered-along the way I quess../another/passage of time..
That leaves the Republicans to run the country from the OPTIONS-that Leadership can have its Namesake in a more Value oriented place..
..
Between/Besides/the names..
Its the OPTIONS that really work well that have Leadership-situated properly..
..
Its early yet in the Who's Who of American-Primary-Stratagies..
..
and I've never even seen the Movie STEEL MAGNOLIA's..
..
The winner..if Hillary Clinton get there..??
..
I think I might just laugh.
Posted by: MarkSM | February 7, 2007, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm
Mr. Tapper I think you degrade the movie Steel Magnolias by comparing it Hillary Clinton. And unlike some of the other posters I believe it is completely her fault that she has the likeability factor of a snake. Speaking as a black woman from California I have absolutely no respect for any female that would allow her husband to treat her with little to no respect so that she could launch her own political career. If she considered herself a true feminist she would have dropped Bill like a hot potato. There is no way I would ever vote for her and I hope the rest of America see her for the calculating, scheming person that she is.
Posted by: Amanda Madkins-Choyce | February 7, 2007, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
Hillary will do just fine. Let’s see it has been 7 years since the Clinton White House and Republicans are still running against them. I would bet money that if Pres. Clinton could run again he would beat all the Republicans out there.
Posted by: sam | February 7, 2007, 7:46 pm 7:46 pm
DKNY,
There was much more than satellite secrets given to China. You only saw one of my assertions out of the five.
Posted by: R. Lucas | February 8, 2007, 10:37 am 10:37 am