President Obama won re-election by mobilizing the coalition of the ascendant...people of color and young voters. Everyone knows that the Republicans are toast unless/until they find a way to connect with the changing face of America.
I don't know yet if Hillary Clinton plans to run in 2016 - at this point I'd give it slightly better than even odds. But if she does, the one thing I'll be watching is whether or not she is able to match President Obama's appeal to that winning coalition.
The truth is that due to some of the tension that arose during the 2008 primary, the Clintons have some bridges to rebuild with the rank and file in the African American community (a major player in that coalition). My word of advice to her right now would be that this is a good time to start doing that.
I know that many in the black intelligentsia (ie, the Wests and Smiley's of the world) feel perfectly comfortable in criticizing the President. But based on what I'm hearing, the folks on the ground are having none of that. And so when Bill Clinton suggests that President Obama is a "wuss" if he doesn't intervene in Syria - he might be speaking his mind but he's doing his wife's potential political aspirations no favors. Running against Obama and the coalition he built is definitely not going to work - for the Clintons or anyone else.
Hillary Clinton already has the white baby boomer women's vote all locked up. If she wants to go for it, she needs to get out beyond that demographic NOW - before the spotlight of a campaign begins to shine - and start mending some fences. And she probably needs her husband to STFU when it comes to critiquing President Obama's policies.
Clinton isn't going to win with a majority of white votes any more than the Republicans are. So far I haven't seen that she or her political supporters have recognized that. If she wants to run - she's got some work to do.
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Tell it, Smartypants!
ReplyDeleteYou would think that the Clintons would have learned a thing or two after close proximity to Pres. Obama for four years. Given Pres. Clinton's Syria remarks, I'm not sure he's learned anything. Hopefully, Sec. Clinton can distance herself from her bratty husband and his foolish advisors.
Yeah and he didn't have shit to say during the eight years of the Bush reign of terror but just can't keep his trap shut when comes to PBO.
Deletewhen "it" comes to PBO.
DeleteI'm a white boomer female and I'm having none of Clinton's BS. I want a good president, not a woman president. There is no way for Hillary to distance herself from her husband's bumbling ways just as there is no way for her to keep people from thinking they'll be getting a third Bill Clinton term with her. When we do get a woman president, I want her to get there on her own, not on her husband's coattails.
ReplyDeleteHi Tien Le - right up there with you, thank you.
DeleteHer attempts to cheat once she had clearly lost the nomination for 2008 really offended me. I will vote for her if she gets to the general, but I am going to take a close look at the competition in the primaries. Demographically, I think I am supposed to be a ring wing sociopath. White, Male, late thirties.
ReplyDelete*right wing sociopath*
DeleteIs that redundant?
We like you anyway.
DeleteShe and Bill were despicable during that primary. It was the first time I was forced to consider the idea of racist Democrats. It wasn't that I didn't think they existed, it's just that I never thought about it. The whole idea of PBO being a foreigner came from the Clinton camp and her black supporters really showed their asses. It's why PBO has so little support among the CBC types. The overwhelming majority of them were Clintonites and the ones that did come on board only did so because their constituents demanded it.
DeleteI welcome a Hillary win in 2016 not because I think she'd be a particularly wonderful president, but for the immediate and wholesale inversion of the "base" and the "firebaggers." High comedy.
ReplyDeleteWho are the PUMAs now? Honestly, some of you are acting as though the only truly deserving candidate three years from now is the one whose platform is a repeal of the 22nd amendment. President Obama is term limited, get over it. We will have many, many, many new presidents for many years to come. And all of them will campaign on how they will be better than him and not immeasurably worse and unworthy.
If she wants to run, she's got some fences to mend. This kind of response isn't helping.
DeleteThis is not about us getting over it...this is about moving the country Forward...maybe you do not respect the "coalition of the ascendant"...maybe you do not respect the President...but know this ...the "coalition" is out on the scene and we will not be quiet and go back into the shadows...we are and will continue to be a force to reckoned with..
DeleteFrom another anon because I have messed up my passwords so badly I can't trust getting into anywhere.
DeleteThis attitude of yours very much resembles mine when GWBush was first elected: not who I prefer, but how can one president mess up the country. A pie-in-the-sky attitude that I now realize and consequently pay closer attention. Your comments hit home with me because they parallel my dangerous attitude.
I view Hillary suspiciously because of her poor judgment in her selection of people to run her campaign. A president is very dependent on advisers and his success is dependent on his good judgment in selecting them. President Obama has excelled on this both in his campaigns and his governance.
The one thing Hillary has is chutzpah. Her success as SOS rested on that
and the fact that she was under a solid president who nixed her ideas on at least one occasion. Can she be trusted alone? That is the question we should be asking.
If Hillary Clinton runs, I don't give her much chance, unless she is very fortunate in her opponents, both in the primaries and in the general election. Likewise Biden, gobblessim. It's still early, but I'm looking for a "young" candidate along the lines of Obama in 08 and Bill Clinton in 92 and Carter in 76. I'm willing to wait. In fact, I strongly recommend waiting.
ReplyDeleteThis reflects my opinion almost verbatim.
DeleteThank you for this. Bill Clinton is the reason Hillary will never be President. President Obama's influence will not end in 2016 - his coalition will follow him.
ReplyDeleteAll HRC needs to do is to acknowledge that she's learned something from her tenure under Obama at State. She doesn't even have to mean it. She does that, she would get a ton of political mileage
ReplyDeleteDon't mistake me, I don't want this kind of empty verbage. I do think it would work, though.
My big concern with HRC is that she has no more of a core than her husband does, on any number of things.
We wouldn't have ACA if she'd have won. We'd definitely be bombing Syria. We would not be in negotiations with the Taliban, a huge faction of whom was ready to kick Bin Laden to the curb in 2001. Lots of other things, too.
One thing, though, and I think Booman might have made the point. At this too-early stage, it appears that she might have massive coattails. It gives me pause. I wouldn't vote for her after the racism of 2008 (Californian here, not a contest). If she IS the nominee, it might shift some numbers in the House our way. Just sayin'.
Sorry - white baby boomer woman NOT for Hillary reflexively. Pro choice (boots on the ground helping women into clinics for 15 years) and pro-immigrant rights, pro affirmative action, pro EVERY person being equal - I'm not enamored of her. Her personal pastor in DC has been Doug Coe, leader of the C Street Dominionists, and she has been far too corporatist for me.
ReplyDeleteBiden? Foot in mouth disease notwithstanding, he was the POOREST member of the Senate his whole career, and he has moxie she never has displayed. When he was on Oprah after the election, he told tales on himself about being miffed he was only VP to Obama's Presidential candidacy - and concluded smiling, "We got it right. We absolutely got it right." THAT is a man of principle before ego.
Don't know who else is out there. Will of course vote for Hillary against any GOP - ANY of them - or Nader or any of the self promoting fools who never spent one day making policy. But support her in the primary? Not bloody likely. White female boomer that I am, I know phony when I see it.
The one thing that Hillary Rodham Clinton has to understand along with Bill and the rest of their crew and supporters, is that it is not 1992, 1996, or 2000. Hell, its not even 2008. 2016 is a whole nother world from where our country was in 2008. In 2016, we will have a "knock on wood" popular outgoing and well admired U.S. President who was elected with a coalition that has sideswiped the Clinton, McCain and Romney coalitions. Now, we all know that coalitions change with every president and the same coalition that elected President Obama may not be the same with a President Clinton or President Biden or President O'Malley or President Cuomo, but a huge chunk of it will be needed for any of them to take the nomination and then the election.
ReplyDeleteThe Clinton coalition needs to stop being reliant on the people who propelled Bill into office twenty years ago. The Baby Boomers are no longer this quadrant of youthful people and I believe that the Clinton people still believe that for some reason. In 2016, the 18 year old voter would have been born in 1998, during the last years of Bill Clinton. Those kids are not going to remember the Clinton years. Its why the Republicans utilizing over and over again Ronald Reagan to people who only know of Reagan through watching Turner Classic Movies or a History textbook is working out the way it is today. Which is not very well.
Bill Clinton has to realize that it is Barack Obama that the current generation will identify with more than him. Its not easy to give that up. He's had nearly 12 years of being the living template of a well regarded former President. But in 2016 more than likely, he will have to share that slot with President Obama. And he will be needed as much as Bill will if Hillary is to win the nomination.
She won't be able to mend fences for many people like myself because even before she and Bill revealed what entitled, insufferable, racists they both are, I was already supporting Barack Obama so now with the benefit of hindsight there's no way I would support either of them for dogcatcher. HRC is one of the worst role models for women there is. She marries a predator who cheats on her and humiliates her for the entirety of their marriage and instead of leaving she remains and defends him against all manner of "bimbo eruptions." And for what what? Love? To preserve her own political viability? God only knows the answer but this is not the person that should be our first female president. I pray that someone else emerges because I intend to work for whoever that person is while simultaneously working to defeat her.
ReplyDeleteSmarty, I'm glad you aren't part of the crowd that's acting like a primary is going to be easy for Clinton. It's pretty annoying that people are polling an election where we don't even know who's showing up. Anyone that believes a rival would not pull quotes from 2008 is probably new to politics. I don't believe Clinton and their people understand the environment. People had better snap out of their dream world and deal with life outside the bubble. I would love to see the Clintons humiliate themselves again.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time forgetting what Bill said to Ted Kennedy about how Obama would be back in the day. Cee lo made a song a couple years ago that sums up my feelings toward those two(Bill and Hillary). Right now I'm about as forgiving as Vlad the Impaler.
Vic78
Milt Shook appears to think she may not run. I think she would do good work on the international stage for women's rights and other causes. I am tired of having her shoved down my throat, and I may be too sensitive about this, but it seems pretty dismissive of President Obama to basically ignore him in favor of the 2016 election two days after the 2012 election. I am trying not to let this prejudice me. As good as somje people think she looks right now, I don't see how she can dump all the baggage that comes with being a Clinton. And frankly, I don't think we need to constantly pick presidents from the same two families.
ReplyDeleteSorry I meant to link to the article. I think this will work:
Deletehttp://sulia.com/miltshook/f/2508f106-f68e-4493-834c-e7b6c0c790df/
I'm beginning to believe that HRC's number 1 liability is her husband.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Bill, but you are starting to get on my nerves. Your lack of restraint here explains why your "good" Presidency never became a "great" one. And you are doing no favors here for your wife if she's serious about running.
I have a feeling that the GOP aren't the only ones who falsely believe that all they need is the white vote to win. HRC made this same mistaken assumption in 2008. And not only did the GOP not learn from it, they took one of the memes her campaign started and tried to spread...birthism. Yep, folks, we have to come to terms with the fact that birthism started within the Democratic Party. Fortunately, HRC and her team quickly realized what a huge mistake they made and quickly let it go. However, the GOP was dumb enough to take the ball and run with it.
It goes without saying that the GOP hasn't learned from past mistakes, but Democrats can't be like this. And if HRC hasn't learned from her own mistakes in 2008, there's no hope she will be President in 2016.
Indeed, Hillary Clinton does have some work to do.
As for Bill, he needs to STFU! It's so easy being an armchair President. There, you can forget all of the times you were a "coward" when you sat at your desk in the Oval Office. Somebody needs to remind Mr. Clinton of his own record in the Oval Office. Then, maybe he's show a little more humility when criticizing the White House's current occupant. Bill showed restraint when using military force, yet he criticizes Obama for doing the same thing. Sorry, Bill, but you need to STFU!!!!
I don't know if Hillary plans to run in 2016, but as a African American I have a few words for her die heart supporters and her husband Bill Clinton, I have seen Republicans disrespect this President every since he walk into that Oval Office.They have disrespected the First Lady, and even gone after Malia and Sasha. And the racists ugly disrespect from the right shown toward this family have piss me off. Bill Clinton and Hillary supporters need to watch their mouth. I am so glad to see this article because I am not sure I would vote for Hillary if she runs. And disrespect toward President Obama from her supporters and her husband will not help her. I hope they don't just assume that we all are going to go running to her camp because that is not so, and she need to reel Bill in starting yesterday. What Bill Clinton said concerning Syria and why this President had not done anything was not call for.Hillary need to be very careful , and pass that advice on to Bill, and her supporters. I am not one who think that having Bill Clinton as a co-President is a good thing.
ReplyDeletethank you for this.
ReplyDeleteI am so tired of the Clintonistas beginning again with the inevitable bullshyt.
Why can't she run and win like any other candidate?
How come they think it should be handed to her?
Fuck that.
I am DONE with Clintonism and its slow sabotage of the Democratic Party. I want Uncle Joe to run and continue Obama's work.
ReplyDeleteThe frontrunner in 2001 for the 2004 election was Joe Lieberman. And we know how that turned out.
ReplyDeleteNo more dynasties in the WH. This includes THE CLINTONS, THE KENNEDYS, AND THE BUSHES! NEXT
ReplyDelete