Markos going easy on Hillary. Good God.

[beachmom]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/1/19/121627/898

He does an analysis of Richardson, Edwards, Obama, and Clinton (guess nobody else is running, apparently). This, I thought was striking.

Hillary Clinton

By all measures she's been a great Senator. She's got a great "story", and has taken more shit from the Right than any other Democrat in existence (besting husband Bill by a longshot). She's a tough one. And really, while Republicans may talk about swiftboating her, is there anything left for them to hurl at her? Unlike what some naysayers say, she can absolutely win the general election. And it's well past time for this country to join the 20th century, much less the current one, and start feeling more comfortable electing women to the top offices.

Then again, Hillary would be a drag on races lower on the ballot. In fact, her potential nomination is already creating all sorts of headaches for Senate and House recruitment efforts in tough states and districts. This is a dynamic not at play with any of the other serious candidates. She is also the DLC candidate, literally. From Harold Ford's memo accepting the DLC chairmanship:

"I assume there will be an effort to help Senator Clinton's campaign, and I would support such an effort."

At least Vilsack can say that he was sacked by the DLC. Hillary is the DLC's last chance at some measure of relevancy. She loses, they've got nothing left.

And Clinton didn't exhibit the sort of coattails that should've netted us several more House seats in New York. In fact, I'm bitter that more of her millions (and those of Spitzer, for that matter) didn't make their way into more down-ballot races at both the state and federal levels.

So the main problem with Hillary is that she's unelectable and the label of DLC, without going into why that's bad. I commented and said he was going easy on her and her lack of leadership in the Senate. But this does make me wonder if he's hedging his bets. His not mentioning Kerry was appropriate here, because Kerry has not said whether he'll run or not. But throwing Hillary softballs? Well that DID surprise me.

[wisteria]

1. I smell some rotting fish. Sorry, but the cynical person I am leads me to

believe that some sort of deal was fleshed out between the Clinton people and Kos. Feel sorry for Hillary? Actually, I hope we do see an end to the power of the DLC. Is she electable. Maybe, who knows.

[MarjorieG]

2. Wants a winner and swim with the big guys

Kos liked the idea of what a Dean could do, was hired by him, yet could not pull off the Dean win. Despite smashing the other candidates with lies that affect to this day. Just for the win.

Figuring more mainstream candidates, with a country that currently has been told to think its conservative, he'd get a win with the less self-proclaimed progressive/liberal/whatever. I'm not sure the DLC founding principles are that bad, polishing up our fiscal concern as a party. Just don't always like the people and what they say, like Al From.

I don't like the Clinton triangulation on important principle for power, a runaway corporate consideration, and not a disingenuous Bill3 run. As a New Yorker, I especially did not like the fundraising to the exclusion of needed money for other races; I'd get her camapign calls about the right wing media not liking her and she's in danger.

I think with Warner, and now Hillary, he sees his win and connection with DC power. Peter Daou went over, and we're not sure who else is being drawn in.

[wisteria]

5. oh, those pleas from Hillary and Bill claiming the RW was going to go after Hillary with both

barrels loaded was a real joke. She was a sure thing from the start. The RW waisted no money trying to fight her. They also wanted her in so she could run in 08.

[karynnj]

7. At least you were a NYer., I got them and Bill's letter

referring to Hillary being the number one target of the right in NJ - where Menendez WAS vulnerable.

In fact, Menendez was possibly hurt by Clinton. On Stephanopolis, Kean,jr said that Clinton agreed with him that Menendez was wrong on Iraq. Stephanopolis then took what was a true statement and misinterpreted it - exactly as Kean intended, asking Menendez about Kean's statement that Clinton agreed with him - Menendez just explained his position - likely because he hadn't heard Kean's statement or any of Clinton's. Kean DID get part of the anti-war vote.

[whometense]

3. Re: the DLC

Just read this very interesting article about the DLC's relevance over at Salon: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/19/harold_ford/

[wisteria]

8. It looks intersting but I can only read it so far. I am not a member.

What else did they say?

[whometense]

13. You should be able to read it by clicking through a few ads.

It basically says that the DLC's time has passed.

...Indeed, there is an imperfect, but revealing historical analogue to the situation in which Ford, the DLC and other party centrists now find themselves. In the late stages of the 19th century, Democratic New York Gov. Grover Cleveland broke the Republicans' grip on the White House by fashioning himself as an acceptably moderate Democrat willing to accede to Republicans on key policies. Like Bill Clinton, Cleveland won twice -- albeit non-consecutively -- without obtaining 50 percent of the popular vote in either election.

William Whitney, the corporate benefactor of the conservative "Bourbon Democrat" wing of the party, was a top advisor to Cleveland. Just as Clinton would adopt the Republican position on trade protectionism a century later, Cleveland adopted the Republican position on the major financial question of his era, the dispute over whether to add silver to gold in a new, bimetallic monetary policy. Cleveland favored gold, while the nascent farmer-populist wing of the party wanted "bimetalism." At the party's 1896 nominating convention, Cleveland paid for his choice. Democrats rejected the incumbent Cleveland as their presidential candidate in favor of populist William Jennings Bryan, who swung the crowd his way with his famous "Cross of Gold" speech.

The short view of history is that Cleveland helped Democrats temporarily postpone the Republican realignment that began with William McKinley's election that autumn and, had they followed his lead, may have prevented it. William Jennings Bryan, after all, was the Democratic nominee for president in three elections (1896, 1900 and 1908) and lost by wider margins each time. But the longer view invalidates the tack advocated by the Bourbon Democrats, who ignored the underlying currents that, as early as the 1890s, brought "Coxey's Army" on foot all the way from Ohio to Washington to protest unemployment and poverty. Two later New York governors, Al Smith and Franklin Roosevelt, understood what those rumblings meant, and their ideas ultimately led to the New Deal coalition and an enduring Democratic hegemony.

A century after Cleveland's interregnum, DLC founder Al From -- Bill Clinton's William Whitney -- is betting that Harold Ford embodies the Democrats' future. The trouble for From and Ford is that the centrists' future has already passed them by.

[wisteria]

16. Thank you for giving me the summary. And, I just hope the DLC time is past also.

It is really time to move on! Unfortunately, I believe we have so far a large majority of DLC candidates running. Biden, Edwards (formally),Clinton, Vilsack, Richards and Obama.

I also hope that Kerry isn't our Willams Jennings Bryan.

[MarjorieG]

9. That conservative or just Tennessee necessity.

I'm getting all bollixed up with these labels again. Met Ford when he was a chair to the Kerry campaign, a bachelor and very charming. Ideologically he was stuck in a state more conservative than when Gore was there. Each state has become exponentially more so with this media. Ford had one bad reaction to the "botch," but after that refused to become drawn in to pronoungate.

That Carville wanted to replace Dean with Ford, certainly would have paved the way for a "centrist." That term just goes the same place as the truth is somewhere in the middle, a good compromise. We say we shouldn't be quite that compromised, but that is different than saying coming up with a suitable solution.

Common sense centrism is okay. Our problem is that any necessary, bolder, too far a jump, considering where we are on so much bad policy, requiring that bigger jump, has built-in discomfort and reaction as unfair. Unfortunately.

Hillary wouldn't be better just because centrism seems fair. She is also better than the people around her, who will do anything for a win. Did I say I was never thrilled with the manipulative Bill, and am not looking forward to a dynasty, a Bill3.

I so trust Kerry being able to navigate the labels, the fairness, what's reasonable, possible, and when we have to just push harder than even comfortable for some. How do well sell less caution? How do we sell good policy as just good policy? How do we sell finesse, maybe a french word, yikes?

[karynnj]

4. I don't know - he was for sale once

Tie this with the diary yesterday - I bet he's been BOUGHT. The good news is that he couldn't sell Warner when he was selling him.

[sandnsea]

6. Richardson?? He hasn't announced

Why Richardson? And why easy on Hillary? Richardson is the 'on paper' choice for the go west governor contingent which Kos favors, and he has Clinton connections. If Kos et al is expecting him to announce and to support him eventually, then they can't hardly bash the Clintons since he's so connected to them. I just find that inclusion interesting, with nothing on Biden or Dodd who have announced.

[wisteria]

10. Good points. I get the impression the Clinton's are covering all the bases by

having Vilsack run and possibly now Richardson.

[sandnsea]

11. Makes it easier to frame the debate

The more DLC jabbering away, the easier to manipulate people into thinking the populist left is fringe. If the primaries keep going this way, we will need Kerry's voice just to add authority on progressive issues.

[saltpoint]

12. I pop into DailyKos rarely these days because he

is too limited and petulant regarding Democrats.

He's stingy of spirit.

Any number of other sites are more insightful and take a broader, deeper view.

[whometense]

14. "stingy of spirit"

Well put. I agree - there's something small about him, and I'm not referring to stature.

[wisteria]

15. Thanks for the tip! n/t