Politicians like Hillary...

[kentuck]

seem to think that the country has moved right on issues like abortion, guns, education, and perhaps, Social Security. So, the smart politician is the one that can look at it realistically and fashion their message to the "new" reality. Otherwise, they will not survive in the topsy-turvy world of politics. It is foolish to fight that reality.

It never seems to occur to them that if they only proposed another solution or an opposing idea, then that might be the "new" reality. But that would be taking too much of a gamble. Their opponents may use that against them in the next election. The trick is to be ahead of the curve. And the curve at this time in our country is "conservative". It is not about belief or principles - it is about clinging to power.

[sasquatch]

1. Hillary is as clueless as ever

Perhaps the "doctor" needs to treat her before she fucks anything up.

[Dr Ron]

2. And the time to start is now

If liberals remain quiet until the 2008 election, it will be too late. During election campaigns, it is difficult to get out more than sound bites. The right wins the sound bit battle as they have had years of spreading their message. They can use their buzz words in sound bites, and people know what they are talking about (or at least think they do).

Democrats need to start getting out a coherent vision of what they want to do now, so that when a candidate is picked in 2008 they don't have to start from scratch in trying to move the country in a new direction.

There is plenty of polling data to show that the public supports liberal positions in many areas. They key is for Democrats to define their positions first, rather than allow the Republicans to do it. By the time Kerry got through the primary battle, the Republicans were ready to define him even before Kerry could get his general election campaign up and running.

[karynnj]

6. Totally agree

Not just on the issues. Kerry had (has) an incredible background most of which never came out. If his strength, persistence and moral clarity in going against corruption (whether Vietnam, mafia,BCCI) were pushed it would have been harder to paint him as a flip flopper, a politician who would say anything, or weak in any way. (If he were Rove's candidate, the country would think that Superman had nothing on him!)

[Dr Ron]

8. Not getting out his whole story was a big mistake

There was so much more to Kerry which most people don't know.

His history of going after corruption may still be of value--I think he will be a far more significant Senator in the future with his increased national following as he goes after Bush.

They also needed to do a better job of getting out how he backed balanced budgets, to offset the claims of him being so liberal, and to highlight one of Bush's biggest weaknesses.

One of the stock anti-Kerry emails was a claim that he had never handled a payroll. Actually Kerry had experience as a small businesman before becoming a prosecutor. He also has a strong history of support for small business. This could have been helpful in making it a battle of small businesses (and honorable people in all businesses) versus corporate welfare.

[diplomats]

3. Hillary did not move to the right on abortion

She's still as pro-choice as ever. People need to read what she SAID instead of what they heard she said. As for Social Security, the Dems are virtually united against Bush's phase-out, Hillary included. Don't confuse her with Joe-mentum on that issue.

[Placebo]

4. Why do people think Hillary has moved "right" on abortion?

The last comments I heard her making about the subject basically amounted to "No one is pro-abortion", which as far as I can tell, is true. No one wants abortions to take place, but she never said that any steps should be taken toward overturning Roe v. Wade or restricting abortion access in any way. Why is that a problem? It seems pretty rational to me, and quite smart politically to try and re-frame the abortion debate on our terms, not the Republicans'.

[DemDogs]

9. They think so because she embraced the Arkansas parentel notification law

In her speech in NY, she spoke favorably about the Arkansas parental notification law, which is not a pro-choice position, and later her staff talked it up as if she was talking about the NY law, which is better. There was no excuse for not being clear on this important issue. She lived this. It's not abstract. It is fine to talk, as Bill Clinton, did about making abortion rarer, but she didn't stop there. Listen, maybe it was a one-time mistake, but it was a mistake that pro-lilfe women are unlikely to forget. It is on these margins that the right attacks.

[Warpy]

5. This is just a symptom of the power struggle beginning

to take place at the top of the party. The DLC wants to cling to power, so they're using Clinton and others to try to make their case directly to the grass roots, hoping they can undercut some of Dean's support.

The grassroots, for their part, are thoroughly sick of the DLC and their uncanny ability to lose even sure elections and want them shoved back to the sidelines of the party as quickly as possible.

Don't take this stuff that seriously. It's the symptom, not the disease.

Nobody who has a grip on reality wants the DLC to stay in power. They've been wrong from the beginning and they're wrong now. It only remains to be seen whether they're willing to destroy the party completely in order to retain control over part of it.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. This is the same Hillary who was blathering "What did the president

know and when did he know it?". She shoulda stayed with it.

[NVMojo]

10. when did Hillary and Bill become so up the neocons butts???