I have never heard as many GOP talking points parroted on DailyKos as I hear whenever the subject of 2008 is broached. Hillary Rodham Clinton received a scant 9% of the vote in the poll Kos put up today. Why?
-She is too polarizing.
-America will never vote for a woman.
-She will not turn any states.
-She is a cold ambitious feminazi.
I am SO sick and tired of this passionate, smart, articulate LEADER of our party and our nation being characterized like this by our own side. I, for one, do not feel as strongly about ANY politician as I do about Hillary.
For starters, Hillary's life is an American story to be proud of. She was not, as most Americans would probably assume, raised to be a Democrat in an aristocratic family. She was a Republican, like her father, for the first part of her life. Only when she began to educate herself did her sharp mind form her OWN political beliefs which she holds to this day. Some on this site may consider these views too moderate for their taste. I respect that. But I do NOT respect the attacks that she is positioning herself for her run right now. She is an honest moderate on economic and foreign policy issues. SHe always has been.
For this reason she does have the crossover appeal that the Democrats are looking for in elections, not to mention the die-hard support of her base (frightened netroots nonwithstanding). She has proven this with an astronomical approval rating in New York, productive relationships with many Senate Republicans (Graham, Frist, McCain) and a current Gallup Poll with 53% of ALL Americans saying they would be likely to vote for her. Doesn't sound that polarizing to me.
As for the oft-spewed piece of punditry that alleges that Americans will never vote for a woman? That's not what they say. As Carl Cannon notes in his current article on this subject in Washington Monthly, close to 75% of Americans say they would vote for a woman. That number would likely be higher still if it were not for the minority of rabid Hillary haters who may have answered the question with her candidacy in mind.
As for the electoral "analyses" I have seen bandied around the blogosphere I think these folks are a)forgetting Ohio and Florida and b)underestimating the influence that local and state-level party organization going on under Dr. Dean's watch will have on many of these states. (especially in the West).
Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of my heroes. There is not a politician out there that can inspire the feeling and passion in me that she does. I consider her one of the brightest, most honest, and dedicated public servants this country has and I don't think any of the other potential nominees would make as good of a President as she would. However, I do not expect Kossacks to throw their support behind my choice, especially not at this early juncture. But I DO expect some civility to be returned to the discourse surrounding Ms. Clinton and some respect be shown to one of our party's great minds.