A comment that reader 'pw' made in this post made me consider a falsehood that's been repeated so often it's become assumed. He talked about the right's unique hated of Hillary Clinton. Though I've heard it espoused from many different people, both liberals and conservatives, I think it's worth noting what exactly this means in an electoral context.
Conservatives hate all Democratic candidates, at least enough to come out and vote against them. Though they may carry a special dislike for Hillary, I'd imagine you'd have a hard time finding anyone who was drawn to the polls by their dislike for Hillary Clinton, vs. any other Democratic candidate. My point is, I don't think she motivates the base at all, at least not more than Obama is, or Edwards and Richardson would have. Ever notice how every single Democratic national candidate is suddenly the "most liberal X" in the Senate, House, etc? That's the reaction of a movement that's not particularly interested in denoting differences, subtle or not, between Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton.
Monday, August 25, 2008
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2 comments:
Well, Antichrist might go a little far.
Certainly, it's become common for Republicans to attack Democratic candidates as "liberal," but arguably so common that it's lost most of its meaning other than to identify someone as having earned the wrath of the Republican party. Consider the lifespan of the "Obama as most liberal member of the senate" attack, and its near complete lack of traction.
Still, I think there is something to the idea that a fair number of Republicans keep a special fire burning for the Clintons. Many will not vote for Obama, some may well not like him, but I suspect few hate him. They don't have reason yet- Hill plugs the political discourse back into the years of Bill's administration. You may remember, they impeached Bill. These are the feelings that fueled the sale of Hillary nutcrackers (if these offensive toys somehow escaped you, http://www.hillarysanutcracker.com/ ). That is more than just the stuff of disagreement.
Actually, just see Aaron's post immediately above this- The Clintons in the Popular Imagination- he deals with this at greater length, and with greater subtlety.
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