Are Republicans Actually Scared of Hillary Clinton?
02 November 2007 12:11 am by Taylor Marsh
It’s interesting that when I write pieces about Clinton I’m attacked for being
in her camp. But when there’s an all out attack, with most of the venom focused
on her personally or she and her husband, it’s just because she’s the frontrunner. I can’t possibly be writing pieces on Clinton because she’s the frontrunner, too. Interesting how people parse their problems with me these days. When talking
about Russert’s sexist targeting of Clinton, getting personal, bringing up Bill
Clinton, who isn’t running this time around, and treating Obama to Halloween
costume, air travel and life beyond earth questions, while not following up
on an Edwards money angle, or asking Obama about Rezko, I’m called out for changing
the subject, as Dan Abrams did last night during my guest appearance on “The Abrams Report,” or for unjustly attacking poor Tim Russert. Amusing, really. As an aside, I didn’t write or mention a word about Brian Williams’ questions, just to be clear. Evidently Dan doesn’t
get that by the very action of treating Obama with softball questions, while
ignoring Edwards money angle, especially since he’s pilloried Hillary on hers, that very
act is treating the boys differently than Clinton. Nothing personal about Obama.
Nothing personal about Edwards. Oh, but it’s all because she’s the frontrunner. No follow
ups when Edwards was asked about his campaign contributions that had him admitting
nobody is pure. Letting that slide to go once again at Clinton. There’s a reason
Chris Dodd’s team has a debate clock available and it isn’t because the election
is over.
Clinton gets hit for acting like she’s inevitable, but when I talk about the lopsided questioning from someone like Russert, everyone cries, but she’s the frontrunner.
It would be terribly humorous if this wasn’t a serious issue. We’re selecting
the Democratic candidate who likely will be the leader of the free world.
The tape above is interesting for what Scarborough has to say about Clinton.
It’s honest and transparent, something that is very rare right now. I’ve taken
out after Scarborough before, but he is very frank about Republicans. … …
.. In the deep dark, club chaired back rooms, Republicans are talking about
what a nightmare Hillary Clinton might be to run against. As the Democrats in
1980 wished for Ronald Reagan, and got a nightmare landslide, Republicans are
fearing, well, Hillary Clinton, according to Joe, while Democrats try to convince everyone they’re hoping for her.
“Republicans are scared of Hillary Clinton.” – Joe Scarborough
Karl Rove gave it away when he left the White House. Going on every show that would have him, including
Rush, he stated over and over again that Clinton was flawed
and had too many negatives. How many stories have been written saying many Democrats think the same thing? That was the giveaway.
Because if Rove really wanted to run against Clinton he would have been talking
about her formidable presence and how she was the one to beat, not playing into the real Democratic fears of some. Rove was trying
to scare Democrats away from Clinton.
Democrats try to do the same thing over and over again while trying to do whatever they can to beat her.
Edwards and Obama talked about it in the Drexel debate. They believe Republicans want
to run against her, saying so often, loudly and in every medium they can. Considering that right now she’s kicking the collective butt of her opponents you have to ask why exactly would Republicans want to run against her?
**crickets**
Unfortunately, nobody is asking that simple question. Everyone’s too fixated on the conventional wisdom being dispensed, regardless of whether it makes any sense or is supported by facts.
It took a debate brawl at Drexel, where most of the questions were directed
at Clinton, with every man on stage hitting her again and again before she finally
skipped one beat. But even then she didn’t forget to protect our own, Gov. Eliott
Spitzer, who is trying to solve a national security issue in New York without
any help from Bush or the Congress. Never mind that Clinton realizes Spitzer is actually charged with solving a problem, it’s more important for Russert, Edwards, Obama et al. to make a point that she didn’t answer a 15 minute question in 30 seconds before being asked to answer yes or no.
I also have to wonder if anyone else gets that the illegal immigration license question has got to be boiled down into a domestic and national security imperative, or if Democrats are just going to let Republicans turn it into their dog whistle issue of the ‘08 election. You know, like anti gay marriage amendments, or that all time wingnut favorite, abortion.
The issue is that Barack Obama and John Edwards have their own foibles, faults
and not so shiny problems that are being ignored in the campaign so that everyone can rip into Clinton. Tearing down the frontrunner to make this a closer race, which allows the ones she’s beating to rise is much easier when she gets the bright lights and the majority of the tough questions, sometimes even hostile charges. Newsflash: She is the frontrunner but she’s not the only one in the race. It’s called democracy and the primary isn’t over. But again, because Clinton’s got a big lead most of the tough questions should be thrown at her, while giving the others trying to catch her a pass so they can, even though that will mean we know less about them than her. But at least she’ll be taken down a peg, right? Go figure.
Scarborough, in his very matter of fact, here’s the truth way, revealed the
Republicans’ real feelings about Clinton. This week Russert went after Clinton because she’s way ahead. I called him on it not because I’m in league with Clinton, but because this primary season isn’t over yet, and even as Russert tries to help everyone else tear Clinton down so they can catch up, in the process we learn everything about her, but little about them and their flaws.
What if it works? What if the candidate Republicans fear is taken down by these tactics? Will we even know the weaknesses of the person who emerges? Or in the end will the only candidate we get to know be Clinton? That’s fine if she wins, but what if she doesn’t?
Then there’s the other issue. What if Clinton wins the nomination, but in the process we hand the Republicans all the tools they need to take her down?
