Thursday, July 04, 2013
Political Mayhem Thursday: Clinton!... Clinton?
I was intrigued by a New York Times piece earlier this week on the potential Presidential candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton. According to the Times, Republicans plan to cast her as too old to be president. She will be 69 at the time of that election.
It seems an odd tactic for a party which has recently run Bob Dole (73) and John McCain (71) in that race. I would add, and this is important, that both Dole and McCain would have been good presidents, in large part because of their considerable experience.
Hillary Clinton doesn't have anything close to the experience as an elected official that Dole and McCain had, though most people think she did an excellent job as both a Senator and as Secretary of State. It is fair to say she has succeeded in every job she has held.
A Clinton/Chris Christie race would be fascinating. Rand Paul or Scott Walker? Not so much... I suspect that Hillary Clinton would undo them quickly.
What are your early bets?
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Being 69 years old is an obvious problem that no opponent will need to mention. As this article notes, Ronald Reagan is the big exception to an historic American preference for youth.
As you note, Bob Dole and John McCain ran as old men--and, as there is no need to mention, they failed to capture the imagination of American voters, both losing on a scale outside the norm. #EpicFail
Bob Dole was the old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn. McCain was just moments away from dying and leaving us with Sarah Palin as the accidental president. Those weren't very subtle memes, but they were ubiquitous nevertheless--and, worth noting, not coming directly from the mouths of their opponents.
Of course, Republicans do not have the media advantages that Democratic candidates enjoy. But, as Karl Rove suggests, there are ways to contrast the grizzled HRC to a young, fresh candidate with new ideas. Pretty simple Campaign 101 stuff.
As all the great consultants say: every election is a change election. And, generally, the candidate that we know the least about has the advantage.
As you note, Bob Dole and John McCain ran as old men--and, as there is no need to mention, they failed to capture the imagination of American voters, both losing on a scale outside the norm. #EpicFail
Bob Dole was the old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn. McCain was just moments away from dying and leaving us with Sarah Palin as the accidental president. Those weren't very subtle memes, but they were ubiquitous nevertheless--and, worth noting, not coming directly from the mouths of their opponents.
Of course, Republicans do not have the media advantages that Democratic candidates enjoy. But, as Karl Rove suggests, there are ways to contrast the grizzled HRC to a young, fresh candidate with new ideas. Pretty simple Campaign 101 stuff.
As all the great consultants say: every election is a change election. And, generally, the candidate that we know the least about has the advantage.
Go Hilary!
I don't think she is too old and aside from collapsing from a combination of illness and exhaustion earlier this year she is apparently in good health.
But given that, I think a Clinton/Christie contest would prove the most interesting.
I don't think she is too old and aside from collapsing from a combination of illness and exhaustion earlier this year she is apparently in good health.
But given that, I think a Clinton/Christie contest would prove the most interesting.
My thoughts: Hillary's age will not be much of an issue if she decides to run for president. Democratic party will strongly support her.
Hard to say if Christie would win the republican nomination because the people who are likely to participate in the republican primary are probably not Christie supporters. It will be an interesting fight for the republican nomination, probably more interesting than the race between the democratic and republican nominee for president.
I think Hillary will be elected president in 2016 if she is willing to campaign hard for it.
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Hard to say if Christie would win the republican nomination because the people who are likely to participate in the republican primary are probably not Christie supporters. It will be an interesting fight for the republican nomination, probably more interesting than the race between the democratic and republican nominee for president.
I think Hillary will be elected president in 2016 if she is willing to campaign hard for it.
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: 5:33 PM
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