Election 2008: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Seventh in a series of preview posts regarding declared and potential candidates in the 2008 American presidential elections.

If Bill Clinton was Mr. Everyman, then what will be Hillary’s defining moment and can she translate that to a win come next November? Why is she championed as one of the best answers to the Republican right that has arisen in a long while, yet is seen by a significant portion of the population as unelectable? (Apologies to Mr. Obama.) It’s going be interesting to see how the Hillary story continues to unfold between now and January, when the first primaries are slated to occur.

A Conservative in Liberal’s Clothing

I find it striking that many people think of Hillary as your standard liberal Democrat when the truth is a bit more complex than what sound bites would have us believe.

For example, a Quinnipiac poll conducted on 5 May 2005 showed that 52% of respondents view her as liberal, 29% as a moderate and 10% as conservative (with a 2.8 percentage point margin of error) while another poll held slightly over a year later demonstrates a shift in numbers. In those results, 47% viewed her as liberal, 34% as moderate and 11% as conservative (with a 2.8 percentage point margin of error).

On social positions (i.e., abortion, civil liberties, gun control), Mrs. Clinton tends to be perceived as liberal to the umpteenth power. I would say liberal with “nuances”. She views abortion as immoral but would not support a constitutional amendment against it. In Arkansas, she supported parental notification but as Senator from New York, now supports informed consent.

A longtime advocate of the death penalty, she, along with Orrin Hatch (R-UT) co-sponsored the Innocence Protection Act of 2003, which provides for DNA testing prior to administering federal executions.

Senator Clinton purportedly believes that homosexuality is unnatural, and while she opposes a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, nevertheless she is against legislation that would facilitate LGBT individuals gaining access to the right to share in this institution. Sorry, but the argument that ‘civil unions’ should be equal to marriage doesn’t hold water. Something less equal than full equality is total bullshit and should remind you of similar instances in American history. Besides, her husband signed DOMA into law and you can bet your biffy that she’ll stand for the same.

My Schwartz Is Bigger Than Your Schwartz

Remember that line from Spaceballs?

Sometimes I feel that one thing that separates Hillary from the current neo-conservatives in power is that she feels the need to maintain the image of a protective mother so as not to repulse potential voters. Before there was Hillary, there was Pallas Athena, warrior goddess and patron of the home and hearth.

I’ve blogged before about Hillary’s hawkish views in the foreign policy arena so I won’t repeat myself here. I will say that her insistent statement that “had she known then what she knows now when she voted to authorize the Iraq war in 2002″ demonstrates the cowardly side of Hillary. Madame Senator, true leadership requires, nay, demands that one admit to being erroneous when called upon to do so. By and large, we Americans do not expect perfection with regard to our elected representatives. Nevertheless, we appreciate and respect those who possess the courage to own up to their mistakes.

A Rendezvous With Destiny

We’ll never accomplish what we need to do for our children if we burden them with a debt they didn’t create. Franklin Roosevelt said that Americans of his generation had a rendezvous with destiny. It’s time to protect the next generation by using our budget surplus to pay down the national debt, save Social Security, modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit, & provide targeted tax cuts to the families who need them most. — excerpt from a speech that Mrs. Clinton gave during the Democratic National Convention in August 2000

All well and good, but where’s the money going to come from that’ll pay for all of the proposals that you’ve put forth? Both Social Security and Medicare are on the brink of insolvency, and while ‘tax relief’ is a nice buzzphrase for voters, it’s not like dollar bills grow on trees. It’s going to take a tremendous amount of political capital, not to mention some creative financial bookkeeping, in order to be able to deliver on these and future promises IF you manage to get elected next year.

Oh yeah, and a hefty dose of luck too.

Next: Joe Biden