So conservatives “might” have had a point about the Clintons’ character? The Clintons “seem” to have a feeling of entitlement to power? I should say so. What conservatives saw in the Clintons wasn’t based on any remarkable and hard-to-discern insights. After all, the Clintons’ character problems were not being hidden from public view; they were, in fact, out there for all to see, often flashing in bright neon lights. Yet people like Chait were, for political and ideological reasons, blinded to the ruthlessness and corruption of the Clinton Machine. Now that the Clintons are using their tactics on an inspiring liberal figure like Barack Obama, the scales are suddenly falling from their eyes. We are now seeing the zeal of the recent converts in action.
Better late than never, I suppose.
Comment:
I think it’s great that many Democrats are coming to see the Clintons as Clinton opponents do. However, if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, the people who now complain about the Clintons’ tactics will almost certainly rally behind her against the Republican candidate. Why wouldn’t they? Republicans will rally behind John McCain if he is nominated, even though many Republicans despise him.
People forget that Clinton was wildly unpopular during the first two years of his presidency even among democrats. He burned a lot of democratic congressmen by claiming to support bills and then bailing. It was only after the Republicans took the House in ’94 and the Left panicked that Clinton got converted to the democrats second coming.
The Left supported Clinton and ignored his transgressions because he was the only game in town during the 90’s. Now they have a new star and they are letting themselves really see the Clintons for the first time.
This Republican won’t. And at least the Libertarians won’t be running Ron Paul, I hope.
McCain is much better than either of the Ds, from a conservative perspective.
That will be pretty clear by November.
Conservatives rallied to Nixon in 1968 and 1972, despite not liking him, and despite him despising them. He won both times. Conservatives went for Bush, Sr. even though they didn’t like him very much. Bush, Jr. ran as a “compassionate conservative”, which was irritating, but he was better than Gore.
Elections are about picking the least bad option.
Conservatives are always being nostalgic about Reagan since he was the last genuine conservative who also knew how to win elections.
We may see another one some day. But not this year.
“McCain is much better than either of the Ds, from a conservative perspective.”
I’d have to disagree Lex. On the mid-east policy, Hillary, is I think, pandering to the left wing of her party re. “Iraq” and would, in the event of her election, not withdraw precipitously even if she appears to be less adamant than McCain.
Econmically, both McCain and Hills are both big government people, again with Hillary being possibly slightly more so.
OK, thus far perhaps McCain would be slightly more acceptable than Hillary. The rub comes when McCain, as a republican, gives us an administration only slightly less(?) liberal than Clinton would. If he is successful or if he ends up with Carter-like mess he will drive the Republican party to the left. Conservatives lose either way.
That’s why I’m not a Republican.
Not that my vote will matter much, in either capacity (R or Indep.).
McCain has repeatedly promised to give us Supreme Court justices like Alito and Roberts.
One such appointment would make him monumentally better than any Democrat.
I also trust former pilot and POW McCain as commander in chief much, much more than either of the two D contenders.
Just to be clear where I am coming from, Thompson was my first choice and I voted for Giuliani in the primary, but I will vote for McCain over any of the Democrats in November. I think that he is likely to be a poor president but that any of the Democrats would be worse.
There’s no way that I would consider voting for a third-party candidate in this election. Not only do I think the likely third-party candidates are unqualified, but in a close election if I vote for one of them I am effectively voting against my second choice, whose odds of winning are far better.
If we let the perfect be the enemy of the good we’ll not get perfect, we’ll not get good. A part of me longs for the drama of a brokered convention; I can’t believe that various members of both parties aren’t going to self-destruct before the conventions. Still, everything else seems petty beside the differences on Iraq, on the Supreme Court, on being an American, on being a solldier, on being responsible.