How long will it take for Hillary to turn things around?

[mtnsnake]

Poll question: How long will it take for Hillary to turn things around?

Hillary herself said the other day in Iowa that bringing about real change to the United States won't be easy and it won't be done overnight, but she will make it happen.

Personally, I'm not sure if anyone, even someone as brilliant and determined as Hillary, can turn the beat around in less than 4 years, considering the monumental task that Bush will be leaving behind.

Just how long will it take her to turn Bush's mess around and make us the dignified country we're all hoping to see again soon?

[PresidentObama]

1. ....She hasn't won the nomination....

Not sure if you knew that or not.

[SoxFan]

2. As I see it

With a little marriage counseling and a lot of effort, she and Bill can get their marriage patched up in o time.

:sarcasm:

[mtnsnake]

3. She'll make great progress in her first 4 years, but I think it's going to take her 2 terms to close

the deal and make this country dignified and respected again, both within and abroad.

[demnan]

4. I didn't vote but would like to comment

Whoever gets in this time, I don't envy them. They will have a horrific mess to sort out. I also believe, that unjustly whoever is elected this time will be a one-termer because of all the dissatisfaction.

So I actually believe this mess won't be turned around by the next President, whom I assume will be a Republican.

[mtnsnake]

7. Yup, it's going to be a horrific mess that Bush is leaving behind

I agree that there won't be much envy for anyone who's got the job of trying to clean up the mess.

[maddiejoan]

5. I think we'll feel some very positive results even within the first year.

But it will take 2 terms for ANY Democrat to undo all the damage.

If we elect a Republican though --not only will we see no improvement, we will see it all get even worse.

It's a tough spot, the FED is clearly holding off the coming economic disaster for the minute a Dem steps into the Whitehouse. Any Democrat's first 2 years in office is going to be fighting the economic collapse.

[phantom power]

6. how things work

A Democratic president, no matter who it is, is going to pay for the Republicans' sins. But it won't be just because the Republicans and Blue Dogs in congress suddenly "realize" they have co-equal power. I predict that the right wing noise machine will shout far and wide that the election was stolen (probably with the help of "illegal aliens.") The new president will not be allowed to weed out even one right wing plant anywhere in the executive branch without being accused of politicizing it. There will be no executive privilege as the courts rediscover their "responsibilities." Scientists and experts will all be accused of being shills for the liberal special interests. The president will be accused of violating Americans' civil liberties and destroying the constitution. There will be widespread accusations of fraud and corruption and non-stop investigations.

(...)

The media, who know the real story (they helped cover it up, after all) will lead the charge. The GOP will feed them juicy stories with just the right amount of sexy detail and they will rush to tell the American people, gravely intoning their deep concern for the integrity of the office and "their town." (And the children...)

Atrios says this is better than the alternative, which is sadly true. The country can't survive another GOP administration right now. But Democratic presidents are going to have to learn that their most important and difficult job will be dealing with relentless baseless political attacks from the Republicans and the media. It's the way our politics are currently constructed. Republicans accrue vast amounts of power and wealth for themselves at the expense of the taxpayers, and the Democrats are expected to clean things up by paying the debts for them. The Dems don't do it out of altruism or commitment. They do it because they are held to standards of integrity and effectiveness that aren't expected of Republicans --- and they refuse to effectively fight them, even when they have the advantage.

(...)

And so the new Democratic president will be nearly paralyzed, standing there like a deer caught in the headlights when the Republican Semi bears down on him or her, horns honking and whistles blowing. If we're lucky, he or she will be agile enough to survive it for a term or two and the country will at least have a little time to take a short breather from the worst of the Republican treasury pillaging, disasters and unnecessary wars.

It's not a very uplifting or efficient way to run country, but it seems to be the way things work for the moment.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-things-work-by-digby-what-atrios.html

[lapfog_1]

8. What makes you think she WANTS to turn things around?

I haven't heard boo about undoing of the damage done to the constitution by the Bushbots from anyone (except maybe Biden) as the first order of business in 2009. What I want to hear is that a candidate will push for a complete deletion of FISA, Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, etc. With a sane rewrite of FISA. And in the first 30 to 60 days of their term.

[mtnsnake]

9. Because she's the Republicans worst nightmare. That's why.

They know that once she's in office, it's curtains for them and their evil ways. That's why they have such an organized effort going on to derail her, an effort that even goes as far as manifesting itself right around here in some of the anti-Hillary vitriol we see everyday.

[BringBigDogBack]

10. great

we'll be in Iraq from here on out...

[mtnsnake]

11. Hillary pledged to end the war immediately upon taking the oath

if the war is still going on at that time.

[JackORoses]

12. she may 'end the war', but she leaves the troops

Not much of a change, really.

Why don't we have the option in the poll of "Hillary won't turn it around. She will lose the early primaries as her campaign dissolves into fisticuffs, and after losing the nomination, she and Bill will limp off into the Sunset"

[mtnsnake]

13. Ending the war is 1st & she pledged to do it. As far as "she & Bill limping off into the sunset"

the only place she and Bill will be limping off into will be the White House, only I doubt they'll be limping. They'll be skipping zippity doo-da on their way into Hillary's first term. yeah