Hillary

Had a good conversation over lunch yesterday with Anglican about the Senator from New York. Most Democrats that I know either don't like her or simply oppose her because they think she is unelectable. And I understand both arguments. I am not sure I like her either.

But I am starting to question this conventional wisdom about her as a Presidential candidate. A) she is scary smart, and after this President, I would love to have a bitchy smart President. B) we seem to forget that despite all the Clinton hatred that dominated the msm and talk radio, the man was at 70% after impeachment. Certainly, Hillary is not Bill, but you get my point. And C) the right has been pretty good at demonizing who ever we throw out there.

In 2000, they managed (with the help of the so-called liberal media) to completely distort Al Gore into a lying jerk. No doubt, Gore didn't fight back well, but as Bob Sommersby over at the Daily Howler demonstrated, the msm's willingness to spread GOP talking points that completely distorted Gore's points or statements.

In 2004, they pulled off what I thought was impossible. They turned John Kerry--decorated war veteran--into a anti-war hippie, while somehow managing to transform the lying, war dodging, drink-his-way-through-the-60s Bush into a freaking war hero! Again, Kerry didn't manage the campaign well, but we sometimes forget how close that election was. Depending on your faith in Diebold and the Ohio election. . . Well, we will just leave that.

My point is that we can nominate Jesus Christ for President as a Democrat and the Rove/Bush/Dobson machine will go after him. "Did you know he hangs out with lepers?" "I heard he would take away your extra bread and distribute it to the poor." "President Christ will embrace those migrants who are taking away our jobs." And, of course, "once we start turning the other cheek, the appeasement to evil will surrender our country to Al Qaeda."

We have to stop allowing the Repubs to dictate our choices. We have to assert our own ideas.