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There's no real need to stop her now.  She was stopped in Iowa, and she's digging the hole deeper by playing the Rudy Mussolini card on terrorism -- I venture to say she came dangerously close to earning a special comment on Olbermann's show last night -- and going after Obama for wanting to lift the cap on payroll taxes ("a $1tn middle-class tax increase" that only affects the top 6% of earners).

So she's got the GOP fearmongering mixed with the trashing of a more progressive tax structure.  That just about covers it all, and now it's just a question of how much she ruins the Clinton name.

Edwards's basic strategy -- and Joe Trippi has been very open on it -- is essentially to "hang around the drain and hope he doesn't get sucked down it."  His only prayer, at this point, is for Clinton to get out, and for Obama to screw up.  If Obama doesn't screw up, -- and he doesn't seem to be prone to it thus far -- Edwards is left to play for a spot in the administration (Veep, Attorney General, Secretary of Whatever, etc).

The more interesting bit to me now is the GOP side.  My thinking is thus:  If McCain does not win the nomination, the Republicans lose the White House.  He'll probably win tonight, but if Romney somehow pulls it out, it's difficult to see where McCain goes.  In my view, he's their only semi-credible candidate, being able to play against Obama on experience.  Romney's trying to play the "change" card, but he lacks any credibility.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue Jan 8th, 2008 at 08:11:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Do you seriously think McCain is competitive in the Presidential ? If this is an election to move into the 21st century then McCain is back to Goldwater '64. Maybe even Nixon '60.

This is a man wreathed in the garlands of past failed ideas, there is nothing of the future about him. Even his website smells of mildew.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jan 8th, 2008 at 11:22:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
All good points.  But I'm not sure about them, honestly.  Part of the reason I'm not sure comes from the fact that, as you know, the press has produced this huge image of McCain as some kind of maverick.  We all know that's not the case, that he's really a hard core militarist, but his base has always been the press, not the Republicans.  Needless to say, that's a powerful ally.

McCain can run on experience against Edwards and Obama.  I don't think it'd be enough to win the day, because I lean towards the belief that he's ultimately doomed by the war.

Your Nixon comparison is one I've thought of.  McCain would look old and tired next to either E or O, and it likely becomes a Kennedy-Nixon thing, but I'm just hesitant to count him out because of the cult built around him by the media.

Certainly against Clinton, I'd worry it would completely ruin us.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue Jan 8th, 2008 at 11:46:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Good job it won't be Clinton then.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jan 8th, 2008 at 12:59:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, to her credit, she does poll pretty well in some key states.  In some polls, better than both Edwards and Obama.  But given the cult around McCain the Maverick(TM) and Hillary the Great Divider(TM), I think we'd run the risk of losing the independents -- not because of a love for McCain, necessarily, but because we'd be fighting to stop McCain from raising her negatives to the point that independents don't show up as we need them to.

I think I'd still bet on Hillary, but I'd worry.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Tue Jan 8th, 2008 at 01:40:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I agree with most of what you say, but I do believe that you underestimate the ability of the American public to be snookered by the myth of Reaganism once again. McCain is attempting it and I suggest that it could work. Democrats are already dreading the idea of running against McCain.

by shergald on Wed Jan 16th, 2008 at 08:45:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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