Why Hagel will be swiftboated

[Horse with no Name]

Hegel is a threat. He is a conservative. He is anti-war.
BUT
He is NOT PNAC.
I have no doubts that he was threatened. My guess is that they told him to expect what they did to John Kerry at the very least.
Many Republicans WANT an anti-war candidate. He is a true conservative so the Evangelicals will want him AND he will take the moderate vote. He WON'T take the 30% that is implanted in Bush's ass.
But here is the deal. The only way he could get all of that support behind him is to call for impeachment which he has already done.
The PNAC'ers will NOT let this President be marginalized by his own party. Hegel is the one that can do it. Thus Hegel will "decide" to complete his job in Congress and not run for President.
That's my prediction.

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. What does the GOP have against a dead German existentialist philosopher?

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist :-)

[Horse with no Name]

3. I don't know why I do that

But I do it most of the time. It's like some kind of brain fart.
Thanks for the heads up!

[Odin2005]

28. That's HEGEL, not HAGEL.

;-)

[Canuckistanian]

33. Google it. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

34. It was my bad

I misspelled and edited it.

[knowbody0]

2. he appears very "troubled" and fragile

The PNAC'ers are a deadly dangerous bunch.

[Horse with no Name]

4. He looks like he didn't sleep a wink this weekend

He looked terrible at that Presser.

[Olney Blue]

5. The republicans will swift boat anything that moves.

[MichiganVote]

6. Well so far the republicans have a wanna be preacher, a mormon moralist,

a womanizer who hearts NY, a geriatric patient in McCain, and jock Hagel to appeal to the guy vote.

Send in the clowns....don't bother, they're here...

[Venus Dog]

7. Wonder if Hagel will change parties

Just saw his brother on Hardball. He's a die-hard Democrat.

[Horse with no Name]

8. Hagel is a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative

anti-everything that the Democratic Party believes in.
He won't be coming over to us.

[Octafish]

18. THAT would be great.

We could always use "smart" Democrats.

Hagel may still own a piece of e-vote company, ES&S.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm

Hey! Speaking of smart Democrats:



A hearty welcome to DU, Venus Dog!

[TwilightGardener]

9. See, I just don't think anyone could "get to him"--what could they do,

if he's lived a fairly clean life? He seems pretty fearless, not easily intimidated. I just don't see what everyone else saw, I guess. He ALWAYS looks sad!--he didn't look any different today, and sounded like himself, IMO. Actually, I thought he did better than usual...

[Horse with no Name]

10. Maybe his wife had an affair

Maybe his kids did something...maybe he did something...maybe they will find some Viet Nam vets that are willing to say he abandoned them and was a coward...or maybe they just created something. Who knows?
But you don't tease a big announcement and then back out. That is close to political suicide.

[TwilightGardener]

11. Sometimes I think "political suicide" is Chuck's middle name! But

I certainly wonder if he intended to announce today and something terrible made him change his mind, or if the press conference just got overblown--he never said he was announcing his candidacy, just that he was going to discuss his political future--there was even talk he would retire altogether. If he had just put out his delayed decision as a press release instead of a conference, that would have looked kinda weird too. He needs to face his constituents and explain himself. I think a press conference was actually a long time coming, at least for Nebraskans, because they want to know what he's going to do, and he's a big part of the party out here. A lot of political futures are at stake. But if his brother thinks he is going to run, he probably will.

[Me.]

17. Zactly Right

You don't tease a big announcement and pull out. Something is up and it's just a matter of what, not if.

[rebel with a cause]

41. Thompson is up, and he is the one that has been chosen.

Fred Thompson is popular in D.C. and among the media. He has the fame of Law and Order, and if he decides to run, it will be like Schwarzenegger when he ran for governor. Anytime the show is on, it is free advertisement for the campaign. No way to combat them for air time. A marathon of L&O would cover more time than his opposition could pay for, and imagine the boredom of watching that many political ads. I hate to think about it, but this may be what they think will be their way of coming back. Ughhhhhh.

[Czolgosz]

12. Guiliani will be swiftboated by pro-Romney folks (the same ones who swiftboated McCain in the 2000

South Carolina primary).

Hagel is playing to an empty room (the anti-war voter who votes in the Iowa caucus or New Hampshire primary) so he can be ignored as irrelevant unless he runs as a third party candidate (which would be interesting).

[TwilightGardener]

14. That particular swiftboating would be a joy to behold. Romney's

the Bush family choice--that counts for something, although he seems to have lost most of his credibility and mojo. I think Hagel will run as a 'Pug, and do much better than expected, maybe even go all the way. No, I'm not smoking anything, why do you ask?

[Czolgosz]

15. The Giuliani roast scheduled for South Carolina's primary will be a sight to behold.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Yeah, that should be a good time--popcorn time! I just don't see him

flying down there--I used to live there.

[Czolgosz]

19. "Anyone wanting to own a gun should have to pass a written exam that shows that they know how to use

a gun, that they’re intelligent enough and responsible enough to handle a gun. Should both handgun and rifle owners be licensed...we’re talking about all dangerous weapons."

Rudy Giuliani - March 21, 2000

Even leaving aside all the other issues which could cost Giuliani the nomination, this issue alone is fatal in the Repub primary.

[TwilightGardener]

23. Oh, yeah--over in Freepville, the "Gungrabber" charge is

what's probably going to sink him in support.

[Czolgosz]

32. That's the silver lining with Guiliani's rise in the polls: the NRA goons are freaking out (not the

hunters/members - just the one-issue extremist political leadership).

[AlCzervik]

21. works for me.

[frankenforpres]

13. Why do DUers care?

why is hagel such a big issue here?

i dont get it.

[TwilightGardener]

22. I care 'cause I am a constituent of his, and I happen to like him, despite

my being a Dem. Plus, we're sizing up the competition--can't start that too early!

[AlCzervik]

20. i know this will sound bad but i don't care which republicans the republicans

swift boat, i don't care unless they're coming for our side.

[TwilightGardener]

24. Not even for sheer entertainment value?

[AlCzervik]

25. i don't want to see how the sausage made really and if they go after him

on his military record i would say that would piss me off, he served honorably but republicans take your strength and turn it into your achilles heel. I far more up for seeing Rudy get swift boated and then romney.

[TwilightGardener]

26. Yeah, I wouldn't want to see Hagel swiftboated--you're right.

That wouldn't be entertaining. Hope he likes his purple hearts, he better hang on to them tight!

[AlCzervik]

27. swiftboating him on military service--no, anything else is open game.

[TwilightGardener]

29. Yup, open season--get'cher orange vests on!

[Horse with no Name]

31. I agree

That sends a message to these kids fighting that no matter how brave you were, it can become irrelevant in the wink of an eye.
This cabal has cheapened everything--purple hearts on bandaids, Congressional Medals of Honor handed out like party favors, and silver stars being tarnished by lies.
That is NOT supporting the troops.

[Canuckistanian]

30. Rush hates him

And from where I stand, that's endorsement enough.

Not just because I'm a Limpbutt contrarian.

Hagel has had his moments. At times, he gets it right.

PNACers never do.

It's our job to make sure that he gets it MOST of the time.

[AlCzervik]

35. why does Rump Leakage hate him? Is it all about the war?

[TwilightGardener]

36. Rush started spreading the term "Senator Betrayus" after Hagel

had his big outburst in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee--doesn't matter how much you serve your country or how much shrapnel you still have in your chest, it's not enough to please these psychos.

[Canuckistanian]

37. Rush audibly yawned during Hagel's announcement

Than made some snarky responses about it.

Commissar Rushbo obviously has some problems with him. (so the rest of the flock does too.)

[AlCzervik]

38. maybe Hagel is lacking the right amount of that extra faux piety the rest of the gop

displays.

[TwilightGardener]

39. He is a throwback to another time--before

the evangelicals and neocons took over.

[AlCzervik]

40. i remember that time, Nixon opened door for them, St. Ronnie had them in for dinner

and Glorious leader bought a time share with them.