Will Hillary Clinton win the presidential election?

[michaelskis]

Time magazine has her face on the front page showing her as the potential front runner for the democratic ticket for the 08

[MadVlad]

I'm not a Hillary fan, something I can't put my finger on rubs me the wrong way about her.....

[runawayjim]

Time magazine has her face on the front page showing her as the potential front runner for the democratic ticket for the 08

[AuLukey]

I'm not a Hillary fan, something I can't put my finger on rubs me the wrong way about her.....

I'm the same way. I'm not sure exactly what it is. She just seems cold to me.

On principal, I think that when the time comes and a woman runs for president, I worry some people will vote for the wrong reasons. Whether the reason is to put a woman in the oval office, or to keep her out, voting should be based on the candidate and their agenda. I feel that the American public will vote for or against a woman candidate based solely on sex and even less about their party (which already creates a very sad bias in elections on any scale.)

[runawayjim]

I'm the same way. I'm not sure exactly what it is. She just seems cold to me.

On principal, I think that when the time comes and a woman runs for president, I worry some people will vote for the wrong reasons. Whether the reason is to put a woman in the oval office, or to keep her out, voting should be based on the candidate and their agenda. I feel that the American public will vote for or against a woman candidate based solely on sex and even less about their party (which already creates a very sad bias in elections on any scale.)

that's why i don't think she'll win... too many people would be voting against her because she is a woman.

she's not a great speaker, her voice is very robotic, but i think that's just the way she is. she's very passionate about the things she believes in, one of which is children and education, which i think has taken a back burner with our current administration who basically said to the states "here's the standards you need to meet, you're now on your own" and then went and took all sorts of federal money and threw it away in iraq.

[Snowguy716]

That's why a race between Hillary and Condi Rice would be the most fair election if Hillary was running..

But the most recent polls asked between John McCain and Hillary put McCain at a 2 point lead 49% to 47% with 4% undecided.

But don't expect any major liberal policies from Hillary.. she'll be running on a centrist platform while McCain would likely run on a populist conservative platform.

I think Hillary has a chance of winning if she can prove herself.

[Charlotteman]

I would not vote for Hillary in the primaries, but I would vote for her if she won the Dem nomination.

If the Dems nominate Hillary, we can look forward to 4 more years of right-wing Republican nonsense. I'm afraid that's the reality of it. And it's not that she's a woman, it's that she is perceived as "ultra liberal" especially in the South.

In the Dwight Isenhour thread I mentioned the states I think Hillary could carry, if she was nominated in 2008:

Maine

Vermont

New Hampshire

Connecticut

Delaware

New York

Massachusettes

Maryland

District of Columbia

Rhode Island

Hawaii

Minnesota

Oregon

Washington

I haven't done the electoral college math, but it looks like she might carry the states that Gov. Dukakis carried in 1988. Dukakis lost. Can any of you guys think of other states she might could carry?

[runawayjim]

i bet she could carry california as well...

[Snowguy716]

I think it would be like this between Hillary and McCain

Easily for Hillary:

Hawaii

New York

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Maine

Connecticut

Vermont

Delaware

Maryland

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

California

Illinois

Likely for Hillary:

Minnesota

Washington

Oregon

Toss up but leans Hillary:

Michigan

Wisconsin

Iowa

Possible new pickups for the dems:

Nevada

Ohio

Arkansas

Arkansas is one of those states that never really lost its Democratic identity even though it has trended republican. But I think HIllary could pull it off being that she's from there and they liked Bill.

That would be a win for Hillary.

I would say that John McCain would take Wisconsin and/or Minnesota.. but both states have a tradition of voting liberal in statewide elections, and I think with Bill standing behind Hillary she'd take both states.

[runawayjim]

something that upsets me is how mccain went all neo-con lately... he used to be a voice of reason and i would've voted for him at one point in time... but he's gone the way of guiliani and backs bush up on almost everything.

hillary would be a much needed centrist in the white house, and i think she'd almost definitely win if she were male... the female thing makes it questionable.

[monsoon]

hillary would be a much needed centrist in the white house, and i think she'd almost definitely win if she were male... the female thing makes it questionable.

Hillary lacks the acorns to put together the coalition needed for the Democrats to win office. If the Demos nominate her, then they have thrown away the election. I don't think McCain will be nominated either. He has made too many enemies and is too unpredictable in the GOP for them to throw much support behind him. And his shameful pandering to the Bush camp now, as mentioned above, is about as transparent as glass. If they are not routed in this fall's election, they the GOP is going to pre-ordain someone else.

My prediction is that you will not see Hillary, McCain or Condi on the 2008 ticket.

[Snowguy716]

It'll probably be some blah election like Edwards versus Mitt Romney or something and everyone will just be heated and passionate as hell over two blah candidates... just like in 2000.

[runawayjim]

It'll probably be some blah election like Edwards versus Mitt Romney or something and everyone will just be heated and passionate as hell over two blah candidates... just like in 2000.

god i hope it's not those 2...

i think hillary, with bill's help, can do it. and i think she's been doing the right thing in her senate seat and not trying to be "bill's wife" and be overly vocal. the people of new york seem to like her (heck, they voted for her when she moved there simply to get in the senate). i also like how she's said she's more concerned about her senate re-election bid than possibly running for president in 2 years.

[suburban george3]

hillary would be a much needed centrist in the white house, and i think she'd almost definitely win if she were male... the female thing makes it questionable.

I just can't picture Hillary as being a centrist president. If she was elected, the Republicans would do their best to avoid voting for anything she put forward out of spite. I feel she would be much more "left-leaning."

[Gusterfell]

I don't know where people get the idea that Hillary is such a liberal, unless it is from Rush Limbaugh and other right wing blowhards. She has never been anything more than center-left, and in recent years has shifted even closer to the center than that. Like I said in some other thread recently, there are almost no true left-wing players in mainstream American politics. (And look at where this has gotten us .)

[waccamatt]

I don't know where people get the idea that Hillary is such a liberal, unless it is from Rush Limbaugh and other right wing blowhards. She has never been anything more than center-left, and in recent years has shifted even closer to the center than that. Like I said in some other thread recently, there are almost no true left-wing players in mainstream American politics. (And look at where this has gotten us .)

I agree with Gusty, Hillary is certainly no liberal in my book. She grew up in a Republican household and her views are much more centrist than they are liberal. This country has gone so maddeningly conservative it makes me want to pull my hair out. I'm ready for a revolution.

[egrguy]

I think it would be like this between Hillary and McCain

Easily for Hillary:

Hawaii

New York

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Maine

Connecticut

Vermont

Delaware

Maryland

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

California

Illinois

Likely for Hillary:

Minnesota

Washington

Oregon

Toss up but leans Hillary:

Michigan

Wisconsin

Iowa

Possible new pickups for the dems:

Nevada

Ohio

Arkansas

Arkansas is one of those states that never really lost its Democratic identity even though it has trended republican. But I think HIllary could pull it off being that she's from there and they liked Bill.

That would be a win for Hillary.

I would say that John McCain would take Wisconsin and/or Minnesota.. but both states have a tradition of voting liberal in statewide elections, and I think with Bill standing behind Hillary she'd take both states.

I don't think Michigan goes Hilary's way, especially if its McCain, he trounced Bush here in the 2000 primaries. However, I would agree that Michigan generally leans left and will only go Republican if its more of a centrist pick, al la McCain or Guiliani.

[Charlotteman]

I've enjoyed reading everyone's take on this! Thanks for sharing everyone:)

I don't think Hillary could possibly carry New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Arkansas.

And I don't think she's ultra liberal either. The right wing nut cases just love bashing the Clintons, and they would have a field day if she's nominated. They would accuse her of being to the left of Dennis Kucinich. Right wingers love to paint Dems as ultra liberal~~~

Oh by the way, New York is Hillary's home state, so it's not really that big of a stretch for her to be representing N.Y. in the US Senate:)

[RustTown]

She could most definitely carry Michigan. Hillary and our current governor match up quite well in terms of ideology and policy.

[Charlotteman]

Kerry's 2004 majorities in Wisconsin, Pennslyvania, New Jersey weren't overwhelming wins. It makes me question whether Hillary could carry some of those states.

Without a doubt I can tell ya this--my adopted state, Washington won't be going red anytime soon---no matter who the Dems nominate. Washington is as blue as South Carolina is red-lol

[monsoon]

Without a doubt I can tell ya this--my adopted state, Washington won't be going red anytime soon---no matter who the Dems nominate. Washington is as blue as South Carolina is red-lol

Is this an opinion or do you have some facts that would indicate how Washington state will vote in the future? Kerry beat Bush by 200,000 votes out close to 3,000,000 cast, so it is not quite as one sided as you indicate. And the vote for governer was so close between the two parties, they could not figure it out for days.

[michaelskis]

She could most definitely carry Michigan. Hillary and our current governor match up quite well in terms of ideology and policy.

I don

[monsoon]

Hillary will not win one single state in the South and there in lies the problem. No president can be elected today without carrying at least a few southern states. One day the Democrats might wake up and realize this, but until then they will keep losing. This is what killed Kerry.

[somad]

Hillary will not win one single state in the South and there in lies the problem. No president can be elected today without carrying at least a few southern states. One day the Democrats might wake up and realize this, but until then they will keep losing. This is what killed Kerry.

The key is to run a southern candidate... though any southern candidate won't do. The guy must be able to at least carry his own state.

[egrguy]

The key is to run a southern candidate... though any southern candidate won't do. The guy must be able to at least carry his own state.

very true, al gore in 2000