Dispirited conservatives haunted by the unthinkable - a Clinton victory

[SaveElmer]

Thousands of American conservatives gathered in Washington yesterday feeling betrayed by President Bush, dispirited by the calibre of Republican presidential candidates and depressed by the once unthinkable: their failure to demonise Hillary Clinton. The thought of a female President Clinton once seemed a horrifying prospect, guaranteed to galvanise the Right just as her husband did in the 1990s.

But with morale among conservatives at its lowest ebb for over a decade, and the movement more fractured than at any point since the Cold War, the grassroots uprising against Mrs Clinton has so far failed to materialise. Many are now realising that the determination with which she has embarked on her quest for the Democratic nomination makes defeating her a formidable challenge.

After a President who has indulged in a spending binge greater than under Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, and embarked on a catastrophic war in Iraq, many said conservatives were looking inward, rather than at the spectre of a candidate Clinton.

David Franke, a veteran conservative and author, said that one of the main reasons the former First Lady had not yet suffered a barrage from those on the Right was because conservatives were so dispirited.

"Bush has not governed as a conservative, and this has sown confusion in the ranks. We are too busy trying to sort ourselves out. And it is going to be hard to come up with the level of animosity (against the Clintons) as it was in the 1990s."

Cliff Jackson, an old Clinton foe from Arkansas, believes a certain war weariness has set in. "Some people are sick of it," he said.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1459344.ece

[mtnsnake]

1. haha, looks like the neocons are petrified at getting just what they know they deserve

Great article.

[BeyondGeography]

2. They can have her

"She’s moderated her image. She’s tougher on the War on Terror and she has not aligned herself with the antiwar Left. Some conservatives think she’s not all bad.”

[yellowcanine]

3. So Cliff Jackson is sick of it? Good. He is a sanctimonius old fraud anyway.

The Clinton bashing was all a way of getting his "15 minutes" anyway.

[quinnox]

4. Poor conservatives

HRC will kick their asses so bad it will make their head spin. Clinton 2 - the revenge

[XNASA]

5. A lot of Progressives aren't exactly geezed at the prospect either.

But if I must, I must.

[PresidentObama]

6. Victory will be ours in 2008.

With or without Hillary as the nominee...

If she's the nominee, so be it.

But I just don't see any way for McCain/Romney/Giuliani to beat any one of our qualified 08' candidates. They all bring something valuable to the table to beat these thugs.

[mtnsnake]

8. "If she's the nominee, so be it."

Yeah, as much it'll be hard for you to stomach, it'll be better than a Republican, right. :eyes:

[PresidentObama]

10. Not hard to stomach.

I like Hillary Clinton :hi:

She is TONS better then any Republican.

[yellowcanine]

7. Chris Ruddy? Another publicity seeking scaifinista a-hole.

[jaksavage]

9. There is no difference

Bill and GHWB decided that hillary would get the nod in 08. Good candidate cause the repub core hates her, but her policies are very centrist, which is business as usual. They know a repub doesn't have a chance in this election. They know how hill will lead. She is a semi dem.

[paulk]

14. that you, Ralph?

;)

[zulchzulu]

11. Dispirited now perhaps, but certainly unified later...

Kick me and call me a "hater", but Senator Clinton certainly would unify and awaken the masses of Righties "across the fruited plain" if she makes it past the primaries... To think otherwise is to not see the obvious.

[johnnyrocket]

12. It's good to have conseratives in our society...but these folks...

and just plain criminal, racists, warmongering assholes.

[Arugula Latte]

13. And we're currently haunted by another Bush disaster.

What's more, there are more of these fucking Bushes in the wings. Someone drive a stake through Jeb's heart.