Is it over for HIllary? - Politics, anyone? - politicsanyone's Blog - Bakersfield.com

Feb 20, 2008 at 10:02 AM : The Clinton camp was...

The Clinton camp was certainly impressed. :)

Feb 20, 2008 at 10:02 AM : Can't wait for...

Can't wait for Thursday's debate. The talking heads are saying she has to go negative to survive.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : Not over for her yet...

Not over for her yet but it soon will be.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : I thought it was a...

I thought it was a Mark Abernathyesque BRILLIANT move by Obama's campaign staff! Hillary's speech was cut off and the nation went to Obama for a half hour. Clinton must be seething right now. It is certainly fun to watch the Clintons in a corner. I am willing to bet something very very bad is going to come out about Obama.... perhaps a picture of him smoking a joint. The Clinton's opposition research must have an Ace in the Hole and she will play her cards soon or she's OUTTA HERE!

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : Roysan, I don't...

Roysan,

I don't think a picture of him smoking a joint would prove anything he hasn't already admitted to doing. At this point I don't think the American public cares if he did drugs in his earlier years...I know I don't.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : I am planning on...

I am planning on voting for Obama in the fall, but if it is Hillary...I will have to hold my nose as I vote.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : I don't care if...

I don't care if folks have to wear a full gas mask to vote for the Democratic candidate. It'll still be better than McBush. The country needs more than Mr. 894.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : Random fully agree. ...

Random fully agree.

McCain sold his sole to Bush Co. during the past 8 years. Now he is bought and paid for by the lobby groups and special interest groups who are well off and have huge amounts of money to throw his way.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : BTW what...

BTW what would happen if McCain died before the general elections on Nov. 4th? Would the general elections be held off? McCain is in his 70s and not the best of health.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : And he has to be...

And he has to be pretty tired also. I'm not saying he's too old, but his choice for VP is extremely important.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : yes, question if he is...

yes, question if he is really up for the job due to his age. Not sure if the president should be someone in his condition.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : My hands are going to...

My hands are going to fall off and my head will explode,but I did much soul searching and candidate study..I will vote Democratic,I have never felt this conflicted in my life..let it be Obama.Please.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : Let me put it this...

Let me put it this way: It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings, but I see the fat lady stepping up to the mic, and I thought I heard her clearing her throat.

Feb 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM : Sf, it's not so...

Sf, it's not so much his age as the low capacity he *STARTED* with...we don't need another C student at the helm. But, like Reagan, his brain cells have been dying off much longer than his opponents'.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Oh God I hope Clinton...

Oh God I hope Clinton is over! Her desperate attempts to sway voters are getting more and more pathetic with each day that passes. We don't need another Clinton, one was certainly enough. The only problem with this is when Obama is elected, he will withdraw the troops from Iraq (which he should) but some catastrophic event might occur and then Bush can say "I told you so" even though I think Obama would be doing the right thing. God this sucks, Bush put us in a lose-lose situation. Grrr...just one more year, just one more year. Either way, people who don't support Clinton should be happy come November when Obama wins the White House, or if by some freak chance Clinton wins the nomination, McCain wins the White House.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : With the Clintons,...

With the Clintons, this is far (in political time) from being over, in fact:

MSNBC First Read is offering up a....

hat tip to the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, who broke the news that there is a pro-Clinton 527 planning "an expensive, stealth campaign to buttress her standing in the must-win states of Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania," he writes. "They're canvassing Clinton donors for pledges of up to $100,000 in the hope of raising at least $10M by the end of next week."

And a hat tip to Politico's Ben Smith, where we found the video of the 527's first ad for Clinton to run in Ohio.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Hillary is history,...

Hillary is history, but so is Obama! By the time the swift boaters and southern patriots get through with Obama, he will wish he was on a boat back to Indonesia to ready for Jihad.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : I see a lot of...

I see a lot of parallels between Obama's group now and the Clintons group in '92. No one had heard of him before, he hadn't really achieved a single thing politically, a lack of fatherly parentage, an overbearing spouse, a great orator, high likeability, no real plan to speak of, etc.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Blue-- It is Obama...

Blue-- It is Obama that is talking about "Patriot Companies" vs. "Non-Patriot Companies"

Didn't you listen to him last night?

You can't "swift boat" an anchor!

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Hillary is basically...

Hillary is basically toast. According to some of the analysis that I've been reading, the delegate count in Texas is very tilted towards Obama. Obama isn't quite to the point where he could eat a live pupy on stage and still win, but it's close.

As for the comment above, it reminds me of another reason that I'm proud of America: We will elect Barack Hussein Obama our next president because (to paraphrase) we care not about the color of his skin or the spelling of his name, but about the content of his character.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : "Hope a...

"Hope a Dope" Sage -- "Hope a Dope"

Enough thinking like you and it just may work!

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : we care not about the...

we care not about the color of his skin or the spelling of his name, but about the content of his character.

Gee, never heard that one before!

(Hope a Dope strategem)

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Wrong, you cannot...

Wrong, you cannot anchor a swift boat...for long!

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Chico, when did we...

Chico, when did we start talking about the Republican plan for Iraq? :)

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Its all you guys have...

Its all you guys have had to talk about for ages!

So I guess the answer would be "Moons ago -- Many Moons!"

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Chico, I'm glad...

Chico, I'm glad you've heard that before. You'll notice that I said "to paraphrase" just before it. In some circles, that indicates that the following phrase will be a riff on a commonly known quote.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Chico~lol..well hope...

Chico~lol..well hope may be a "dope" but I figure it's only 4 years no matter what..hope "floats",and no matter the outcome I will continue to support my country and it's citizens.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Well, Bush's...

Well, Bush's hope-a-dope strategy for Iraq has gotten too many of our men and women killed. Glad we'll soon have some responsible leadership.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : The etiquette dance is...

The etiquette dance is interesting to me as well. I heard that Clinton called before she left WI. On the other hand, tactically, he could have been trying to provoke another attack from Clinton. The ones she's thrown at him so far have been pretty funny, though my favorite so far is the 1st grade paper one.

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM : Well, Bush's...

Well, Bush's hope-a-dope strategy for Iraq has gotten too many of our men and women killed. Glad we'll soon have some responsible leadership.

The problem is, Bush has never had a strategy for Iraq. He's always relied on military leaders for that, and, in the case of Rumsfeld, he was too loyal for too long.

That's what resulted in so many needless casualties (not the direct cause of course, that being the insurgents). Presidents are not military strategy experts. Future presidents will also rely on military leaders for military strategy, but hopefully, they will be quicker to recognize when a particular strategy has failed than Bush was.

Feb 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM : Doc, Rumsfeld...

Doc, Rumsfeld didn't have a plan for Iraq either. No one did. When they didn't throw flowers at our feet, we kept running operations hoping something would work. Now that it looks like the Sadr army is going to call off their cease fire, we'll see if the surge has really been working at all.

Feb 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM : Bush's p...

Bush's plan for Iraq is what it always was: steal the oil and leave the problem for the Democratic president to follow.

Feb 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM : The surge is...

The surge is working. No operation is perfect, but even liberal pundits are beginning to admit that the situation has improved dramatically, at least in terms of security.

But it looks like we've stayed too far from the intended topic. Here's a song, to get us all back on track:

Is it Over Yet?

http://www.drblt.net/music/Over.mp3

Feb 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM : The surge has failed...

The surge has failed every test that was supposed to validate it. And Sadr is about to up the casualty counts again.

Feb 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM : Don't get your...

Don't get your hopes up about Sadr and the threat to call off the cease fire.

Also, the first step in counting your blessings is not to hide your face from them. Now, how about if we get back on the subject of Hillary?

Feb 20, 2008 at 01:02 PM : I hope to Allah that...

I hope to Allah that Sadr doesn't call off his cease fire. But don't pretend it's the surge that's making him do it.

I *DO* count my blessings. The Democrats have two first-class candidates still in the running, and a third who'd make an able VP or AG. The Republicans got a busted flush and a flustered Bush.

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : Was just teasing you...

Was just teasing you about MLK ref TomW

10-4 on meaning of paraphrase BTW

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : Roysan says:...

Roysan says: "I am willing to bet something very very bad is going to come out about Obama...."

Obama came up through Chicago/Illinois ward politics, specifically the infamous Daley Machine, where things are notoriously corrupt.

You can't get elected dogcatcher there without quid pro quo help from the controlling powers that be.

I, too, suspect something might surface that could sink his campaign.

He's already been closely aligned with at least one real estate partner, a Chi town slum lord crook who is on the legal hotseat.

So far, it seems he has successfully distanced himself from the dirt and there have only been a couple whispers. The fact that it has been kept so quiet is curious. Perhaps the timing just hasn't been right. But it's hard to believe that no one has yet swung that hatchet.

If the Reps have anything juicy on Obama, they will hold on to it until after he wins the nomination before whacking him with it and leaving McCain the default winner.

The Clintons, on the other hand, need to dish the dirt - if there is any and they have it - quickly in order to blow him out of contention in time to take the nomination.

Or, despite his Chicagoland political and business associations, maybe Obama somehow miraculously managed to skate through The Loop and come out clean?

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : The surge...

The surge is working!

They are only killing a few of our guys a month, the money is great, the future of the oil supply is better and higher, the defense budget is bulging, and our new man in the White House will keep the game going.

Tomorrow we will shoot our target satellite out of space. Do you really believe that we would have money for all this fun if the war ended?

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : The Democrats have two...

The Democrats have two first-class candidates still in the running, and a third who'd make an able VP or AG. The Republicans got a busted flush and a flustered Bush.

If Hillary is one of your "first-class candidate," then I guess you'd just as soon drink Boones Farm as a $1,000 bottle of wine. McCain is not as handsome as Obama, or as eloquent in his speech, but he still makes more sense than both Hillary and Obama put together.

Hillary is the only candidate that has run (among Democrats and Republicans) that is known to talk at length without saying one bloody thing. It's all a bunch of BS.

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : Neither of whom is...

Neither of whom is electable in the real world!

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : They are only killing...

Tomorrow we will shoot our target satellite out of space. Do you really believe that we would have money for all this fun if the war ended?

You've been drinking too much of that cyanide of cynicism, I keep warning people about.

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : BLT, Clinton and Obama...

BLT, Clinton and Obama are fairly close together on basic policy--and lightyears away from Mister 894. Either would make a good President.

By the way, my tastes in wine are closer to Boones Farm than to $1000 a bottle. I don't wear designer clothing, either, unless you count 501's as "designer."

I don't speak of "first-class candidates" as "first-class campaigners." Her campaign's missteps have been many and varied.

As for the satellite shoot, someone noted it's good to know the Navy's SDI can shoot down incoming missiles so long as they're the size of buses, been tracked for weeks, have no countermeasures deployed and the weather isn't too bad. Maybe.

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : randomfactor is...

randomfactor is probably the person I would most like to debate in my life, seriously he takes these cheap shots and no one calls this person out. I mean I don;t want to personnaly attack anyone, All Im saying is Randomfactor doesn't know what the heck he's talkng about..........

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : Thank you,...

Thank you, BS. Cheap shots like:

George W. Bush was unqualified for both the TANG and the Presidency on day one and made things progressively worse? He got into both jobs by cheating? That kind of cheap shots?

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : Let's let the...

Let's let the historians settle the score as it applies to Bush. It's time to look towards the future, and make sure it's a Republican that goes to the White House.

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : They already...

They already have.

Worst. President. Ever. Whoever succeeds him is going to look like a blooming genius. Unless it's More-of-the-Same McCain.

Feb 20, 2008 at 02:02 PM : BakersfieldSuperman,...

BakersfieldSuperman, why don't you do it then? That's the beauty of these blogs: you can call out anyone you'd like.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Back on topic though,...

Back on topic though, I still think Hillary is in really bad shape. If she hits the triple bank (Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania) she'll be in the running. If she doesn't win both Ohio and Texas, watch the rats (ie superdelegates) start fleeing the ship.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Even Bill apparently...

Even Bill apparently said as much, Tom.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Worst. ...

Worst. President. Ever. Whoever succeeds him is going to look like a blooming genius. Unless it's More-of-the-Same McCain.

Let's not get myopic. For Presidents to be understood, a few decades need to pass so you can look at their term through a longer lense and put their actions and the consequences of their actions into an historical perspective.

Now, back to the subject of Hillary, I think the media is trying to push her off the cliff, but just because the media is after you, doesn't mean you wouldn't already be slipping dangerously near the edge of that cliff anyway.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Well, then Bill is...

Well, then Bill is right. :)

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : I've always had...

I've always had this strange feeling Bill wanted her to lose.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : How was Clinton as a...

How was Clinton as a President, BLT? How has your opinion changed over the past eight years?

For that matter, I wonder how much better Warren G. Harding looked at the end of his term, than he does now. Harding might have been impeached for his screwups; of course, Harding had the advantage of dying in office--Bush can still hope...

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Doc, in some cases...

Doc, in some cases I'll agree with you. Reagan is a good example of a President who was very popular at the time but ran up huge debts and created Osama bin Laden. His economic policies (recognized by Republicans as Voodoo Economics) have been with us for 30 years since they feel good even though they hurt this great country.

This president is probably a different story since in order for Bush to be seen as a hero, we'd have to continue the policies that took Bush to his 19% approval rating.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Interesting,...

Interesting, Doc. I can see what you mean. He certainly hasn't helped.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : I think he's...

I think he's ambivalent at best, TomW. I think they have a love/hate relationship, and I think he wants to remain king of his own castle.

How was Clinton as a President, BLT? How has your opinion changed over the past eight years?

Yes, my opinion has changed. I used to believe he got what was coming with the impeachment and all. Now I think they were a little too hard on him. Yes, he lied under oath, but I don't think that was the real issue behind many people who wanted to see his head on a silver platter.

Do I agree with everything he did? Certainly not, but I like to look at the glass as half-full. His diplomatic language was better for creating harmony in the world than Bush's often divisive language. And, Bill Clinton was, in many respects, a conservative.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Doc, there's a...

Doc, there's a reason why a lot of liberals call Bill the best Republican President in the last 30 years.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Though I am loath to...

Though I am loath to admit it, TomW, I believe that there may actually be some truth to that.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : How was Clinton as a...

How was Clinton as a President, BLT? How has your opinion changed over the past eight years?

I like to look at the glass as half-full. His diplomatic language was better for creating harmony in the world than Bush's often divisive language. And, Bill Clinton was, in many respects, a conservative.

BLT,

As always you didn't answer the question. For once why don't you give a definitive answer. Tom didn't ask if you are a positive person (glass half-full), he didn't ask you to compare Clinton and Bush, and he never asked you if you thought Clinton was a conservative. The simple question was How was Clinton as a President?

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : Truthhurts, sorry to...

Truthhurts, sorry to pick nits, but I asked him nothing of the sort.

Unless you think RF and I are the same person.

Feb 20, 2008 at 03:02 PM : We aren't, are...

We aren't, are we, Tom?

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : Wow...I feel like a...

Wow...I feel like a jackass. Sorry for the mistake, guess I need to read a little slower. The question still has not been answered though...BLT, still waiting.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : Well, I was trying to...

Well, I was trying to answer Random's question, not yours, so as long as Random is satisfied with my answer, I'll leave it there. If not, I'll try to take another stab at it.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : Thanks for the answer,...

Thanks for the answer, by the way. You may see why I'd rather see a Democrat win the White House for the first time since 1976, although I *WOULD* vote for Clinton in November.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : You've welcome,...

You've welcome, random. And he did call it an "answer," thetruthhurts. Geez, you're starting to sound like Sean Hannity with all of those demands.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : As well they (supes)...

As well they (supes) should TomW!

Should the Clinton "Machine" try and over rule the "will of those who caucused or voted" woe be unto them and the Dem Party!

I think most reasonable Dems know this intuitively.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : BLT, Do whatever you...

BLT,

Do whatever you like. It doesn't surprise me that you can't answer a direct question with a direct answer.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : I've said it...

I've said it before, but I feel like a broken record today. Those who think Hillary has a chance in hell of winning the nomination are grossly out of touch with Obama's momentum, and the mood of the country. Do I want McCain to be the next president? Yes. Do I think he has a chance against Obama, save a major Obama scandal? Only a very slim chance.

I bet Hillary wishes she never would have used such glowing terms to introduce him as a keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic convention. She was feeding the mouth that now bites her.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : BLT, six months ago...

BLT, six months ago McCain didn't have a chance at the nomination. I don't discount anything this year.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : Blognroll, the...

Blognroll, the Clintons have been bitten by the "PC Bug" and I'm sure are smarting from its sting right now.

I classify this as "Poetic Justice with a PC Pentameter!"

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : I'm right with...

I'm right with you, Chico!

You've got a point, random. It has been a year for comebacks. I'm just talking national mood and momentum. Of course, that can all change in a New York minute.

Feb 20, 2008 at 04:02 PM : Chico, in this case...

Chico, in this case "PC" stands for "poor campaigning."

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Case in point,...

Case in point, BLT. The 2000 McCain affair?:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21mccain.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : RE: Cheap shots...

RE: Cheap shots although I'm a little late in responding. I've not been blogging as much lately.

1. Harding had the advantage of dying in office--Bush can still hope... Cheap shot in poor taste.

2. Bush got his girlfriend a job.. Cheap shot and unfounded rumor.

RF..you're too intelligent to use that sort of thing. I don't agree with you politically but you present yourself well most of the time and you really are better than that.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : I agree Bush did not...

I agree Bush did not get his girlfriend a job, she did it all on her own.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Nancy, Bush's...

Nancy, Bush's execrable Attorney General is now touting Bush's resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. I sincerely believe that Bush's approval ratings--at *NINETEEN PERCENT* as of the latest count--would go up if he were to complete the resemblance. It would certainly

Bush did indeed get his girlfriend a job as SecState. Her experience, *AT THE TIME OF HER HIRING,* was as an expert on the Soviet Union, which does not exist anymore. Her performance in the job has been abysmal. Her "husband," as she referred to Bush on one occasion, chose her...why?

Poor taste it may be. Shall we compare it to the stuff ladled out here, daily, upon Senator Clinton? And every day since about 1992?

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Only diff RF, with...

Only diff RF, with Billy Boy 99% of it was (is) true!

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : No, Chico, it is...

No, Chico, it is not.

What do you think of McCain's 2000 affair with the lobbyist, by the way?

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Finally, a Republican...

Finally, a Republican sex scandal involving *HETEROSEXUALS!* :)

Guess you can't blame him. But who's the guy in the picture with her?

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : You know the answer to...

You know the answer to those comments RF..

The cheap shot was the girlfriend thing and a slip of the tongue does NOT mean she was his girlfriend. My memory isn't the best in the world but it seems to me that back when that comment came up before even you admitted it was just a rumor with no basis.

As for her lack of qualifications for the job (in your opinion) she's far from the only one who has held office without experience of what you would call qualifications.

I really don't care if anyone on here bashes anyone else in politics as long as it's a fact, but at least use comments that have something to do with the issue and not Enquirer style rumor mongering.

Using "they started it" for an excuse to use cheap shots is beneath most of you folks on here. Most of you are a lot better than that.

OK..Mom's done.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Nancy, I suggested you...

Nancy, I suggested you compare with the stuff ladled out daily against Senator Clinton, and Chico obliged.

How many times have you "slipped up" and referred to the boss as your husband?

But you're right, that she's hardly the *ONLY* person Bush hired who was completely unsuited for the job.

Not only did "they start it," "they" are *STILL* doing it. And the gandersauce serves them right. "They" will keep doing it until it bites them in the gluteal region. And this year, it just might. In fact, today, it just might have.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : NOW, you worry about...

NOW, you worry about true facts, love it!

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Bit less cryptic,...

Bit less cryptic, please bw?

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Whatever...

Whatever RF... The two statements I pointed out had nothing to do with actual politics. One was basically wishing someone dead and the other perpetuating a myth. I just thought you were better than that. After all, you do have better ammunition.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : By the way RF,...

By the way RF, I'm told I have you to thank for a lunch. Thank you. You're an honorable man.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : Nancy~ keep trying~...

Nancy~ keep trying~ things get heated and "funny" slips into not so funny real quick,i.e. "hope a dope" ha ha...there is enough cheap talk,we should try to do better~all of us.

Feb 20, 2008 at 05:02 PM : I have great hopes...

I have great hopes that the 2012 presidential election campaign will be a vast improvement from this year's.

But the Democrats are *NOT* going to let the Republicans pull the same crap again this time unanswered.