TIME: The World of Hillary Hatred

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1682291,00.html

The World of Hillary Hatred
Thursday, Nov. 08, 2007 By RICH LOWRY


It's a paradox of this election season that the most conservative candidate in the Democratic presidential field is the one most hated by conservatives. Hillary Clinton will not make extravagant promises about pulling American troops from Iraq, defends declaring elements of Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization and won't endorse massive new payroll taxes to fund Social Security. For this, she is attacked by rivals to her left, who are then cheered on by conservatives.

Welcome to the world of Hillary hatred, which will be a fixture of our politics for at least the next year if she wins the Democratic nomination. The animus against her is the latest round in a revenge cycle out of a classic Greek tragedy. First there was the conservative hatred of Clinton of the 1990s, avenged by the liberal Bush hatred of today, to be repaid in kind with four or eight years of rollicking Hillary hatred should she be elected President.

Liberal, Phony--Same Difference

With conservatives, she is caught in an inescapable trap of acrimony. The two things they most dislike about her are her liberalism and (what they consider) her phoniness. When she adopts a standard left-wing position, it is taken as confirmation of her plans to impose a Euro-socialism on America. When she takes a more moderate position, it is taken as confirmation that she is hiding her true plans behind dastardly artifice. Either way, she evokes conservative scorn.

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Stuck in the Middle

But Hillary hasn't exactly been a provocative liberal lately. Her primary campaign has been marked by her careful avoidance of any positions that would swing her too far left for the general election. Conservatives fasten on her caution and stiff demeanor as proof positive of her fakery and insincere maneuvering. Prior to her widely panned performance in Philadelphia, she met practically every verbal challenge at debates with a studied laugh, which might have softened her image but galled conservatives more than anything she could ever say.

One might expect at least a little grudging respect from conservatives for how Hillary has managed to hold the right flank, such as it is, in the Democratic field. And one might expect some grudging respect for her record since the 1990s as their hardened enemy combatant. Alas, it won't happen.

Conservatives might hate Hillary desperately--quite literally. They want to believe that her sheer unlikability will make up for all the Republican Party's weaknesses going into 2008, that the public is as vested in hating her as they are. They may despise Hillary Clinton, but it's on her that they now pin their hopes.

There is a good reason that Dennis Kucinich gets grudging respect and even mild approval from the far right wing - he's undeniably courageous and sincere. There are some on the left who look at Ron Paul the same way (without scrutinizing his policy all that closely).

If winning requires a candidate who displays this courage and sincerity, we might as well put our support behind a courageous and sincere person who shares our policy goals.

mean anything in the red heart of Texas? I'm trying to find out as I want to cast the best primary vote possible.

they would admire her.

The story confirms that the MSM < hates / loves > Hillary!!

:crazy: This story confirms that conservatives don't know who/what they want, except the current batch of rethugs.

And we all know that with the media's left wing bias they want to shove Clinton down our throats!!
Wait... or is it... we all know the corporate media is owned by ultra Conservative mega multinational war mongers, and *they* want to shove Hillary down our throats!!
No, wait... we all know the corporate media is owned by ultra Conservative mega multinational war mongers, and *they* have always hated the Clintons and always will!!
Or maybe, reporters are just trying to report on what happens as best they can?
:crazy:, indeed!

Now, wait a minute, time: is Euro-socialism that bad?

You be the judge: which one is the best?

Euros vs. Dollhurs:
Winner = Euros
Score = Euro-socialism 1, America nothin'

Universal healthcare vs. Less 'n less healthcare:
Winner = Universal healthcare
Score = Euro-socialism 2, America nothin'

Four to six weeks vacations (+) vs. two weeks vacations (-)
Winner = Four to six weeks vacations (+)
Score = Euro-socialism 3, America nothin'

Which one wins?

Oh! We wish... DJK for President!
:toast:

that we peons in Canada don't want this North American Union or the amero. What would happen then is that our system would become "harmonized" to match yours. We would be the losers, it would affect our health care, our jobs, our environment, ...everything.

No thanks!

Dennis Kucinich for president! He's the only one who will put the brakes on this disaster.

not work best for this country or my family. I could care less how many jokes or crap that comes across this board... I weigh each candidates policies with my own brain... I am not a sheeple and do not get into hype crap... When hype happens, I tend to run away from it.. I hate clones and the main mantra... Hillary is not Progressive enough. She is backed by money that is tainted. And I feel that she will allow herself to be backed into a corner, and if elected, will be the one to signal bombing Iran, and not George Bush. He is correct, he will fuel the fire, but will not be the one to initiate. Anyway, by the MSM coining this Hate Hillary theme, people become defensive and don't like it... Its just another way to push her name like she's the only candidate running. Wish she had decided to stay a Senator from NY.

irrational Hillary hatred of the right.

Eels aren't as slippery as she. She stands for nothing--except keeping the status quo with herself as the figurehead. I'm not voting for a cypher.

but Hilary is "The Man". She is in neck deep in dollars from every corporate corner.

Also, why if the US is trying to break out of a red-neck persona would you keep electing people from the same families?

Looking down from the Great Green (nee white, thanks to global warming) North I see some amazing candidates. Edwards, Biden, Kucinich, they are the real deal. They'll do more for the people of the US and the world, they will do more for the women of the US and the world, then Hilary will. Just because she is a woman doesn't mean she's gotta right. We can thank Margaret Thatcher for Gulf War I - urging on GHW Bush.