by
Jim Kouri, CPP
Political junkies are witnessing a true phenomenon in presidential
politics: more than two years before the next presidential election cycle
there's a movement to target someone considered by the news media and
pundits to be a frontrunner in 2008 -- Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Even with softball interviews by the likes of Katie Couric and Diane
Sawyer, and with almost a daily practice by some members of the mainstream
news media of publishing her press releases as if they were news, Hillary
Clinton is facing tough opposition not only from Republicans but also from
members of her own party.
Right after a poll showed last week that most Americans would “definitely”
not vote for her, Senator John Kerry suddenly sprung to life on the ski
slopes of Switzerland to head up an attempt at filibustering the
confirmation of US Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito.
It's no secret within the Beltway that Kerry believes he has a shot at the
presidency even after losing to President Bush in 2004. There's no doubt
that Kerry monitors the polls that are showing Hillary is vulnerable to
attack from both the right and the left.
In fact, there are many Republicans storing their symbolic "flip-flop"
sandals for the next Presidential campaign since Clinton is all over the
place on issues, taking positions based on whom she's addressing. She's
for tough border security, but votes no on legislation that would increase
the number of border agents and detention beds. She claims she supports
the war, but says she's sorry she voted to go to war after the reigning
queen of the anti-war movement, Cindy Sheehan, spanked her in California
by calling her a warmonger. She wants to curtail illegal immigration, but
she also wants to provide illegal immigrants with education and
healthcare.
Former staff members in Bill Clinton’s White House are privately saying
she could be a risky choice. To the left, an anti-war “stop Hillary”
movement is gathering traction, threatening her ability to unite the
Democrats. Which is possibly why Al Gore is criss-crossing the US giving
the most vitriolic speeches for left-wing groups such as MoveOn.Org. He
too envisions another shot at the White House prize.
According to the Sunday Times, Mike McCurry, Bill Clinton’s White House
press secretary, claims he fears the 2008 campaign could be brutal for the
former first lady. He said he remembers how she became a “lightning rod”
for conservatives during her husband’s years in office.
“She has proven that she works hard at being senator and does that job
well, but bringing the country together and moving it in a different
direction is an entirely different matter,” McCurry said. “It is very hard
to reinvent yourself in politics.”
However, McCurry proves that old habits, such as blowing smoke when it
comes to the Clintons, are hard to break. Ask McCurry what piece of
legislation Hillary has sponsored and you will get a glazed look. When
New Yorkers are asked what's she done for New York State or for the
nation, besides bloviating at functions and hobnobbing with the Manhattan
and Hollywood elite, they usually answer with abstract notions such as
"she gives us hope."
It's the same reaction you get if you ask African-Americans what Bill
Clinton, the "first black president" did for them in his eight years in
office. They think and think and then say, "He gave us hope." Hope doesn't
pay the rent, feed the kids or make car payments. The true answer for both
Clintons is: they do nothing but talk your ears off.
A CNN/Gallup/USA Today poll last week found that 51% of Americans
“definitely” would not vote for Hillary and only 16% said they definitely
would. Among men, 60% said they would not vote for her. And 43% of women
said they wouldn't vote for her either.
“Ultimately the issue is: do we turn to something new? We’ve been through
the Clintons, we’ve been through the Gores, we’ve been through the Kerrys,
all of whom are known quantities in politics,” said Leon Panetta, a
driving force within the Democrat Party and a Bill Clinton loyalist.
The Democrats have a new rising star in Mark Warner, who recently stepped
down as governor of the conservative state of Virginia. His proven appeal
to moderate voters is attracting Democrats of all shades who are eager to
win, but he remains little known on the national scene at this point.
However, that is likely to change as the perception of Senator Clinton as
damaged good starts to take hold within the Democrat Party.
The doubts about Clinton’s electabilty are growing almost with each
speech. On Martin Luther King's Birthday, during a memorial in Harlem,
Hillary chose to attack Republicans rather than honor the civil-rights
icon. She even managed to include the words "plantation" and "Republicans"
in the same sentence in order to continue the myth of Republican racism.
Talk host Laura Ingraham was incensed over Hillary's playing of the race
card. Ingraham told her listeners it was a speech designed to create fear
in blacks that the evil Republicans can't be trusted. Even news stories
about her ignoring washed-up Calypso singer Harry Belafonte at a New York
function were promulgated to protect her from being linked to the rantings
of an ignorant fool who prides himself as an intellectual.
Conservatives know that Hillary's heart is with Belafonte, but her mind
wants to reside once again in the White House. As with singer Madonna,
Hillary tries and tries to reinvent herself and it could have worked had
there been no Internet news and blogs, no talk radio, and no Fox News
Channel.
Clinton’s small successes with voters in the small towns in New York is
seen as proof that she can win over conservatives, although according to
last week’s poll, 90% of Republicans will “definitely” not vote for her.
Even New York Democrats -- many of whom are former Reagan Democrats -- may
be comfortable with her warming a seat in the senate, but giving her the
power of President and Commander-in-Chief is a horse -- or donkey -- of a
different color.
New Republic magazine, the left-wing weekly, argues in its current issue
that the voters of rural New York bear little comparison to diehard
Republican voters in the South and Midwest. “She is going to have to bring
something else to the national stage,” it warned.
So folks, the Stop Hillary train is leaving the station. And it's coming
to a station near you.
Discuss This Article
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National
Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a staff writer for the New Media
Alliance (thenma.org). He's former chief at a New York City housing
project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering
the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public
safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several
major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and
trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri
writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police,
Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer for
TheConservativeVoice.Com. He's also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com,
MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com.
He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and
talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox
News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com.
Kouri's own website is located at
http://jimkouri.us
