In a
piece in Sunday's WaPo, James Carville and pollster Mark Penn argue that if Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2008 she will win. Anyone who isn't totally delusional acknowledges that she is the overwhelming favorite for the nomination, but many of us have serious doubts about her ability to win a general election.
Carville & Penn argue, however, that those concerns are unfounded, and make three basic arguments:
1. Rove & Co. beat John Kerry by suggesting that he wasn't tough enough to protect us against terrorism. It would be impossible to make such a charge against Hillary; she is seen as a leader by 64% of the population, and clearly has the biggest balls on the Democratic side.
2. She is battle tested; she has taken everything the Rethugs could throw at her. By the end of the campaing, thougt, the other candidiaes will have higher ratings than she does.
3. Hillary is extremely popular among women, and could turn back the gains Bush has made in the women's vote in 2004.