Monday - August 21, 2006

Polarization

OK, I’m hereby giving all of you fair warning: the current issue of TIME is about to hit the streets and The Hildabeast is once again (the tenth time) on the cover with the cover story titled “Ready To Run”. Unfortunately, you have to be a subscriber to read the entire article by Karen Tumulty, however the brief excerpt below should give you a good idea of what to expect.

If Hillary runs and is elected this nation will be ripped apart. Period. If there are people out there who think President Bush has been a divisive figure, let me be the first to tell them, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” TIME’s poll really says it all. People either love her devoutly or hate her very guts. There is no in-between. I’m reminded of 1860 when all the Southern states (Democrats at the time) said that if that “abolitionist monkey” Lincoln was elected there’d be hell to pay. And there was.

In recent years the polarized divide in this country has grown into an abyss of gargantuan proportions. I’m referring to the Grand Canyon between the Left and the Right, between Liberals and Conservatives, between Democrats and Republicans. Harsh words and insane rhetoric fly back and forth with foaming at the mouth madness coming from Lefty blogs like DailyKOS and MoveOn.org and Democratic Underground. The rants from the Right-wing blogs are considerably more intelligent but just as partisan.

The battle lines are being drawn. The first salvos are being fired on the blogs and in the media. Two radically opposing viewpoints are choosing up sides and all this tinderbox needs is a match thrown in the middle. That would be Hillary. For the sake of my country and my children I sincerely hope she is content to stay in the Senate and commiserate with Teddy Kennedy over “what might have been.” The alternative is unthinkable ...

Ready To Run
(TIME) - August 28, 2006

Should Hillary run? Could Hillary win? Is this a dynasty in the making? Is a Clinton candidacy good for the republic? Normally, those would be questions that only political consultants would be asking at this stage, but given the outsize status of both Clintons, ordinary voters are already wondering the same thing. Hillary would step into the race as the instant front runner, but the risks would be enormous.

It is hard to imagine a greater vindication than seeing the second President ever impeached hold the Bible as his wife takes the oath of office. But if Hillary ran and lost, both Clintons would come out tarnished--no small consideration when a promising Senate career and a presidential legacy are in the balance. So sensitive is the question of Hillary’s future that both Clintons refused to let TIME interview them about it, and they discouraged those around them from talking, which explains why nearly all the people who did talk did so on the condition that their name not be used.

Other candidates may have a chance to persuade voters of their merits, but people have pretty much made up their mind about Hillary. Only 3% of those surveyed in the TIME poll said they had no opinion of her, positive or negative. She is the inkblot test of a polarized electorate. In the TIME poll, Democrats overwhelmingly describe her as a strong leader (77%) who has strong moral values (69%). Republicans by and large see an opportunist who would say or do anything to further her political ambitions (68%) and puts her political interests ahead of her beliefs (60%). As for independents, more than half (53%) of those surveyed said they would not support her, with 34% putting themselves in the “definitely not” category.

- More Hillary cheerleading at TIME (subscribers only) ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 08/21/2006 at 09:25 AM   
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