Stopping Hillary
By Kevin Holtsberry Posted in 2008 — Comments (34) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I hope the fine folks here at Red State will allow me a point of personal privilege of sorts. Or perhaps disclosure is a better term. Whatever the label, I wouldn't normally take to these pages to announce the details of my new job. But in this case it is relevant to both the site and my participation here.
I have recently become the managing editor of Stop Her Now. My goal in taking this position is to make it one of the must read websites for the 2008 election and beyond.
My motto is honest, intelligent, and interesting. The bias is obvious, but I am not interested in conspiracy theories or bizarre smear attempts (we won't be discussing Vince Foster, etc.). Instead, I plan on simply countering the formidable spin machine of the Clinton folks and reminding people that she is not the charming, competent, centrist she is positioning herself as in the campaign.
The goal is not to just build traffic but to actually change some minds and votes by impacting the direction of the campaign and/or the media conversation. It will be a challenge to build a site that can make this kind of impact, but I think it will be great experience and interesting work.
Read on . . .
I am just getting started so the web site has to be redesigned - with a blog for the majority of content delivery - and implemented before I can start posting regular content. The goal is to get things running smoothly by fall and then really begin the push when things heat up in the new year.
Now, I am making note of this here for a couple of reasons. One, so that when I link stories to the site or offer opinions my perspective and employment is clear. I really don't think there is likely to be a conflict of interest - like working for a specific candidate - but it is always good to be open about these things.
More importantly, I share this because I think Stop Her Now has much in common with the Red State community and I am hoping that you will check the site out and offer feedback as the site develops. The web works best when it takes advantage of the knowledge and expertise of its audience.
Stopping Hillary will not be easy. She has a formidable campaign, lots of money, and strong anti-GOP sentiment behind her. But I think we can all agree that the last thing this country needs is another Clinton in the White House.
...and once upon a time we thought Rick Lazio would "stop" her. She's Bill Clinton with discipline, personal- and message-wise. IMHO she has a greater will-to-power than her husband and is even more ambitious. Bill likes being a Rock Star, Hillary likes being In Charge.
We'd best hope a lightweight like Edwards wins the Dem nomination. Not saying her coronation is inevitable, just that she'd be the most formidable Dem opponent, regardless of her negatives.
--furious
"I find your lack of faith disturbing." -- Darth Vader
Somehow that phrase, when applied to Hillary, invokes an image of Lady MacBeth in shoulder pads.
Romney/Thompson 2008
I agree with Karl Rove. Her negatives (49%!) are a great deal to overcome. She will also be forced to answer specific questions about HillaryCare if/when she is the candidate. She will have to answer for her votes that contradict her rhetoric. She has already started refusing to let people see her health care records, info, proposals etc... from the White House days. Judical Watch has been stalled for a month by the folks at the Clinton Library. And the camp has announced "no record release until after the election". Well that isnt going to sit well with voters. She's banking on HillaryCare as her ticket to the White House but no one can see what all of that in the work 90's produced, what advice she received and from whom? Were she to win election in 08,she would surely call it a "mandate for" her health proposals, right? But all of that "research" is hidden behind the "executive privilage" of the first Clinton presidency? The very "privilage" that Hillary claims Bush/Cheney abuse??? I think that this witch can be crushed, and I mean crushed, if the right person is charged with the responsibility of doing it on facts and figure, votes and rhetoric. We dont have to "attack" her (even though liberals call showing the record and facts "attacks")! Just show people the record and let them hear her speak against it. And do it over and over and over again for a year.
Rove also mentioned the "weak" candidates around Hillary. He's right, she's the one in 08. I, like you, think that she is a formidable candidate, but I think that she will take a pounding in the General Election UNLESS the Republicans nominate Mitt Romney. He is as much an opportunist as she and he will be painted a one term wonder as Governor with not much experience. My opinion, HE is the only one that would cost us the White House.
Hillary just put a seal on 2 Million documents. Raise $$ and litigate that under FOIA.
James Hansen - Scott THomas Beauchamp with a PhD.
yet, anyway.
Hillary's record is extensive. It might be worth considering a collective, Wikipedia-like effort effort to gather and recount information from the historical record that will make it impossible for her to paper over her past. Whether it's health care or her extraordinary "success" in commodities trading or her involvement in funding extremely left-wing enterprises (Tides Foundation if I recall correctly), your blog could be an easy resource for those who want to hold Mrs. Clinton accountable.
Hillary cannot win the South. She will get votes but not enough to carry the entire South. If Al can't win...she doesn't have a chance..WHICH IS GOOD THING.
Even Barack on the ticket - it will not help the Dem's carry the bible belt.
I'm of the opinion that a Hillary Clinton candidacy will be what the GOP wants next year.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
I am no fan of Hillary . . . and I would vote for any of the Republican candidates ahead of her.
But I do think that there are worse Democrats in the field. I think Edwards would be worse than Hillary, and I think Obama would probably be worse, too.
Frankly, as bad as she is, I'd rather see the Dems. nominate the "least worst" candidate on the off chance that he/she might win the general and be President.
So do I want to stop Hillary from winning the Dem. nomination if it means that Edwards or Obama might win in the general?
I dunno . . .
BRASSBAND77
...I agree that Edwards would be far weaker, but he really has no chance of winning the nomination. Obama has a small, outside chance, but ultimately I don't think he can overcome the Clinton machine. Certainly the clowns like Dodd, Biden, Kucinich, et al would be a gift from God to the GOP, but they are in the midst of vanity runs and aren't going anywhere. Between Obama and Hillary, I believe Hillary is the opponent that we want to face - she is the quintesential bogeyman for the Republicans. I could be wrong, but that's how I feel.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
I think that it is about time for us to start rooting for Hillary to get the nod.
I think taking her down would be like shooting fish in a barrel. And what would be sweeter than crushing the Clintons in front of the World?!? All of this courtesy and respect that she is getting in Republican circles is nonsense. Sure, she will be formidable. About as formidable as any other liberal/"modern progressive"/socialist, whatever they are calling themselves these days?
We have let 06 mid-terms get in our heads! The Dems see that win as some sort of "mandate for change" but they havent changed squat! That was a narrow victory painted with historical precedence, nothing more should be taken from it. Yet it has us curled up in a ball in the corner fearing them? What's up with that? They are losers when the message is strong. We just need a good messenger with solid policy ideas.
"Clinton machine" = money, thats it. Look how much they spent to lose in 2000 & 2004.
Fred/Rudy 08
All we need is a strong CONSERVATIVE candidate leader who can articulate conservative values to the country at large. America is a center right country, all it takes is leadership.
I get the idea, but it has a sort of MoveOn.org/ACT/Soros/BushLied™ feel to it. I'd prefer that you be for something, frankly.
--
We would also like to know your advice for somebody like my daughter, who's going to graduate in two years, advice that you would give a young person.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Advice for a young person. Study history.
Let Stop her now work on stopping her. Let RS work on educating the electorate and promoting Conservatives to office.
I tried accessing the site from work, and ran into a block by our watchdog software (made by one St. Bernard).
Access was blocked because of:
intolerance/extremism, high bandwidth.
Meanwhile, I can get to Kos and DU easily.
I kid you not.
-TS
"When men fear work or fear righteous war, when women fear motherhood, they tremble on the brink of doom; and well it is that they should vanish from the earth." - Teddy Roosevelt
Just play a collection of clips, with the tag line "4 years of this?"
...or should we just wait until after the coron...inauguration to pull your FBI file?
--furious
"I find your lack of faith disturbing." -- Darth Vader
whoever said just nominating a conservative would beat Hillary should join a reality based community- because after 8 years of GW this is today's Quinnipiac poll:
Republicans:
Giuliani 28 (-1 vs. June 13 poll)
Romney 15 (+5)
Thompson 12 (-3)
McCain 11 (-4)
Gingrich 7 (+2)
Head-to-Head:
Giuliani 43 - Clinton 46
Giuliani 42 - Obama 42
Giuliani 42 - Edwards 43
Thompson 38 - Clinton 49
Thompson 35 - Obama 46
Thompson 32 - Edwards 49
In the RCP National Average, Giuliani leads Thompson by 10.3 points.
United States Air Force
http://airforcepundit.blogspot.com
That Rudy is the only one with a shot to beat Hillary.
Rudy negates many of the negatives which the present administration and the republican senate have brought to the party.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
I don't mind Rudy SO much, but believe it better to have a conservative more than him at this point.
I really believe ANY qualified Republican, at this point WILL destroy her.
Her negative numbers are at 49% already and those numbers are supposed to go UP during a candidates run. She will actually help Republicans in the House and Senate races too, because of higher turnout to make certain she doesn't win...This is MCGovern all over again. They just can't listen to themselves and think that the stupid people don't believe what their circle of people believe.
It will be another rude awakening...
and America still has another year of a Democrat congress to remember what they're all about. A lot of the people who voted them in last year were of the "eh, let's give the other guys a shot" mindset, and now they're seeing what the alternative is.
It's really too early in the election cycle as no one is still paying attention, so the polls mean nothing at this point IMO.
I have a difficult time believing what the MSM is trying to prove...ie. Kos belongs on Meet The Press as a voice in a debate??? Only in Chris Matthews nutty world. I still believe this country is center right and once the real 'debates' about ideas start coming out and the public starts listening to what Hitlery is REALLY saying..."we need to take more from some people", etc is just getting a pass right now because nobody is really listening. Start putting her past quotes to questioning how she plans to get from point A to point B and it will be plainly clear where her ideas are coming from.
I predict this defeat by the Democrat party, by whoever gets the nomination (but especially her) will make the Dukakis landslide look like a close election.
Also, as an aside, even when nobody is paying attention the republicans are pretty close, which should scare the dems because that doesn't reflect the electoral vote...only the popular vote.
Don't buy the hype...
_The world only goes round by misunderstanding - Charles Baudelaire_
They better put a relative 'conservative' Democrat (General Wesly?) on that ticket or it will be over by Missouri on election night. I'm not sure who is in that camp now that they threw Lieberman out.
Richardson is about as foolish in his foreign policy statements as Obama. His state has a horrible education ranking (mine too, in AZ) His pandering to the far left is not really where he ran on in his state or he never would have won.
It's gonna be almost as fun as baseball season...
As much as they are trying to give their side props it will have the opposite effect. They are in a dangerous (for them in hindsight) echo chamber environment that only agrees with their visions and Republicans are smartly not denying how much 'trouble' they (the Republicans) are in...(to get their vote out) Who do you think will energize the Republicans to go out and vote???
So curious-lib, there's your answer...don't say I didn't tell you
Republicans still have a very high negative reaction right now with the Swing voters, those are the important ones. You seem to think that America will not elect Hillary, but I am not so sanguine.
Never bet against human greed, envy, and the inability to remember. The Dems are going to play the class card, offer unlimited give aways, and there are many voters who do not remember the 1970's.
I am not saying she will win, but she certainly CAN win.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
Given the right conditions, she can pull it off.
Imagine a huge recession brought on by the credit crunch and the MSM whipping the market/economy crash fear factor.
Over extended Americans suddenly out of work, facing the new bankruptcy laws, cannot pay for health care, losing their homes, daily news stories about the tragedies...
The GOP candidates can hardly say "The GOP will fix it", heck, they'll all own it by virtue of the 'R' next to their name.
A panicky people can do incredibly stupid things.
Look at depression era Germany.
There are millions that go only as far as the headlines and catch phrases. "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit" or "Bush Lied". There are relatively few that view the MSM with a critical eye. Being on a site like this gives you a false impression of how media literate our population is.
Imagine if the media were pro conservative look how much farther we would be today.
Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite
by the nose, we generally look up when it is time to pay attention and see 2 candidates and the issues they are running on and go, huh??, no, sorry, 'Socialism' is not what I want...and move on. Just like what happened when the Clinton's first won and had a Dem majority in both houses and tried to pass Hitlery Care one...ain't gonna happen. We just need to have the ammo ready when the argument/'real debate' starts so we don't miss the opportunity to show what she is proposing. I guarantee you that the rank-n-file public will not agree to 'Socialism' under any guise. It's our responsibility not to let it be described as anything else. That is a sound bite to fight to the death for...and we'll win. Just let her talk. Just like Mondale. "I'm telling you we're gonna raise your taxes and they won't"...end of story, they lose, we win, let them describe in detail their plan and they lose.
They never learn...
And keep in mind that Hillary herself is by her very nature your biggest ally; no need to dig for dirt, the real deal is worse enough.