So Hillary is running...

[DehydratedPorkMan]

NEW YORK - Democratic Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton will embark on a widely anticipated campaign for the White House Saturday, a former first lady intent on becoming the nation's first female president.

Clinton was expected to disclose plans to form a presidential exploratory committee on her Web site, according to Democratic officials familiar with the matter.

Clinton's planned announcement, coming days after Sen. Barack Obama shook up the 2008 race with his bid to become the first black to occupy the White House, establishes the most diverse political field. Clinton is considered the front-runner, with Obama and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards top contenders. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who would be the first Hispanic, intends to announce his plans on Sunday.

With millions in the bank, a vast network of supporters and top status in nearly every poll of Democratic contenders, Clinton has launched the most viable effort by a female candidate to capture the White House. She is the first presidential spouse to pursue the office; her husband, Bill, served two terms in the White House from 1993-2001.

The announcement was the latest step in a remarkable political and personal journey for the 59-year-old Clinton — from Arkansas attorney to first lady to New York senator to front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

A polarizing figure since she burst onto the national scene during her husband's first presidential campaign, Clinton engenders strong opinions among voters, who either revere or revile her but rarely are ambivalent.

She often is compared to her husband and found lacking in his natural charisma. Others have criticized her for being overly cautious and calculating when so many voters say they crave authenticity.

Many Democrats, eager to reclaim the White House after eight years of President Bush, fret that she carries too much baggage from her husband's scandal-plagued presidency to win a general election. Among many voters, she is best known for her disastrous attempt in 1993 to overhaul the nation's health care system and for standing by her husband after his marital infidelity.

Clinton's allies counter by citing her strengths — intelligence, depth of experience, work ethic and immense command of policy detail. Advisers argue those skills, plus her popularity among women and younger voters, position her strongly as both a primary and general election candidate.

In her first run for the Senate from New York in 2000 — a state where she had never lived and where she was branded a carpetbagger by many — Clinton won a landslide victory. Through dogged campaigning — including a "listening tour" of the state's 62 counties — Clinton was able to convince voters even in the conservative upstate region that she would represent them effectively in Washington.

Clinton's 2002 vote authorizing military force in Iraq has become a significant political challenge — angering activists who want her to repudiate her vote and aggressively seek to block Bush's proposed troop increase.

She has toughened her criticism of the conduct of the war and Bush's handling of the conflict, and she recently called for capping troop levels in Iraq at around 140,000. She has rejected calls from liberal groups and Edwards to cut off funds for Bush's planned increase in U.S. troops.

Clinton grew up in the Chicago suburbs in a conservative Republican household and was a "Goldwater girl" in 1964, supporting conservative icon Barry Goldwater in the presidential race won by Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson.

By 1968, she was a Democrat. After graduating from Wellesley College, she attended law school at Yale where she met her future husband, Bill Clinton. In 1974, she worked on the
House Judiciary Committee's impeachment investigation of President Nixon before moving to Arkansas where she and Clinton were married in 1975.

A key player in her husband's political career in Arkansas, she leapt to the national scene during the 1992 presidential campaign when the two fought to survive the scandal over Gennifer Flowers' allegations of a lengthy affair with Clinton when he was the state's governor. The Clintons appeared together on "60 Minutes" to talk about their marriage — her first famous "Stand by Your Man" moment.

As first lady, Clinton headed up a disastrous first-term effort to overhaul the nation's health care insurance system. There was more controversy as the couple battled allegations of impropriety over land deals and fundraising, missing records from her former Arkansas law firm and even her quick and hefty profits from an investment in cattle futures.

There was no let-up in the second term, as the president found himself denying — then admitting — having a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. As he battled impeachment and possible removal from office, his wife's poll numbers rose.

Her own political career began to take shape in late 1998 when New York Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced he would not seek re-election to the Senate seat he had held since 1976. Within a few weeks, the first lady was being talked up by fellow Democrats as a possible Moynihan replacement.

On February 12, 1999, the very day the Senate was voting not to remove her husband from office, Clinton met in the White House's family quarters with veteran New York Democrat Harold Ickes, a former Clinton administration deputy chief of staff, to talk about a Senate run.

The campaign trail was not always friendly. For almost every cheer, there was a shouted "Go home, Hillary!" and the emerging Republican theme that carpetbagger Clinton simply wanted to use New York as a launching pad for a later presidential run. She pledged to serve her full six-year Senate term if elected.

In the Senate, Clinton quickly moved to establish herself as someone who could work with Republicans or Democrats, often sponsoring high-profile legislation with GOP colleagues.

I still think Edwards is gonna come out on top. We remember him from last election and, well you know...

But if Hillary does win, I'll give it 28 days.

Clinton's 2002 vote authorizing military force in Iraq has become a significant political challenge — angering activists who want her to repudiate her vote and aggressively seek to block Bush's proposed troop increase.

If one thing I hope that changes if the Democrats to gain control of the office (I don't affiliate with either party) is that they don't bend over everytime a group complains. If she's got views she's got views but I understand the American people need a voice. But this is Hillary Clinton. The only reason she has a strong voice now is probably because of the recent house election.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

The only reason she has a strong voice now is probably because of the recent house election.

She IS the party establishment. Pelosi taking power has arguably hurt Clinton.

[Courage the Cowardly Dog]

I for one welcome our new female overlord.

Seriously though we are screwed, has nothing to do with her being a woman, has more to do with her being a radical extreme leftist who STILL voted for the war.

If only Condoloeeze wanted to run for it.

[Fathom Zero]

She's a whore and will agree to anything to be elected.

[FartinMowler]

I think I must have posted the same thing and lost by default :/ I wanted to have someone post something from a Hillary speach taht would actually persuade me to vote for her

[DehydratedPorkMan]

Originally Posted by Fathom Zero

She's a whore and will agree to anything to be elected.

Isn't that the whole Democratic party?

[Fathom Zero]

Probably, but you could say the same of anyone who's job is on the line and depends on what people think of them, sans George W. Bush. If I were him, I throw forth hundreds of nonsense bills about now. Throw caution to the wind.

[DehydratedPorkMan]

Originally Posted by Fathom Zero

Probably, but you could say the same of anyone who's job is on the line and depends on what people think of them, sans George W. Bush. If I were him, I throw forth hundreds of nonsense bills about now. Throw caution to the wind.

Didn't Penis Clinton do that when he was President? Right before he went out he threw around a bunch of bills to look good.

[Fathom Zero]

I'm not even saying he has to make himself look good. I'm talking about things like having Texas cecede from the Union.

[Preechr]

Originally Posted by FartinMowler

I think I must have posted the same thing and lost by default :/ I wanted to have someone post something from a Hillary speach taht would actually persuade me to vote for her

I would love it if you could vote for her, because then she'd be running for office in Canada.

When the man comes to take our vote away, I will remember this thread and not be as pissed as I might have had otherwise...

[Miss Modular]

Originally Posted by Courage the Cowardly Dog

Seriously though we are screwed, has nothing to do with her being a woman, has more to do with her being a radical extreme leftist who STILL voted for the war.

What's so "radical left wing" about Hillary? When I saw her speak last summer, she was speaking on behalf of Micro Enterprise (small businesses with 5 or fewer employees). A real socialist cause if there ever was one.

[DehydratedPorkMan]

I actually like Hillary but I'm kind of a pessimist (can you tell?) and I think if she runs, she is going to lose. I see myself as a skeptic to both parties (ie. I'm a Libertarian) so I'd vote for either party. I like John McCain and if he ran and I didn't like the Democratic front-runner, I'd probably vote for him. He's not a neo-con and Bush likes to slander him. I have good hope that he will be the front-runner if the Republicans want to re-establish themselves this time around because they're damn aware that we don't want another Bush. So if it's Clinton against McCain, I'll just vote Libertarian again next year and see who wins, unless I can be persuaded, because I kind of don't want to vote Republican, but McCain hasn't really said anything I didn't like. Also, any Republican bill he tries to pass like if he does want to ban gay marriage (which I doubt he will) or make abortion illegal (I doubt he will) will be voted down anyway.

[Angryhydralisk]

Somehow that dosen't surprise me, but then again I heard the '08 ballot was gonna be something like this:

Ah-Nold vs. Hillary vs. some gay guy....

If that was the case it'd be like they were trying to make a ballot more retarded than bush vs. gore.

[Courage the Cowardly Dog]

Originally Posted by Miss Modular

What's so "radical left wing" about Hillary? When I saw her speak last summer, she was speaking on behalf of Micro Enterprise (small businesses with 5 or fewer employees). A real socialist cause if there ever was one.

In her time in th senate the voted along party lines 97% of the time. Her stance on abortion, taxation, guns, capitol punishment, and pretty much everything but the war she's been helping to prop up are all hard line left side stances.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

And the country decided in november that they'd rather have people that think like her in office, so be carefulof who you accuse of being on the fringe.

Last I checked, the country was pretty evenly divided on abortion, guns, and taxation. She governs like a centrist, and if Rupert Murdoch can see it that way than I think others can as well.

Nothing she promotes is out of the ordinary for a Democrat, and Obama is certainly more of a Liberal than she is.

[FartinMowler]

Hillary has as much chance of winning as Ross Perot did and I would have liked to have seen what he would have done with the chance, unlike Hillary who looks like she will end up being a puppet.

[Courage the Cowardly Dog]

Originally Posted by KevinTheOmnivore

And the country decided in november that they'd rather have people that think like her in office, so be carefulof who you accuse of being on the fringe.

Last I checked, the country was pretty evenly divided on abortion, guns, and taxation. She governs like a centrist, and if Rupert Murdoch can see it that way than I think others can as well.

Nothing she promotes is out of the ordinary for a Democrat, and Obama is certainly more of a Liberal than she is.

50% is hardly a huge margin. She is a hardline democrat and her power to get swong votes is..... limited. She is going to have to be a little closer to the middle if she wants to win otherwise she will alienate the middle AND the right.

She has the average democrat for sure. But can she really get swing votes with her hardline stance?

Oh and I agree 100% on Obama. I find it sad that the last moderate democrat of promise Joe Lieberman was forced to leave.

Wherever the party wind blows, so blows she (except for voting for Iraq)

[DehydratedPorkMan]

Write in Ross Perot?

[DehydratedPorkMan]

Forget what I said about McCain. He votes for more troops. There goes my vote.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Originally Posted by Courage the Cowardly Dog

She has the average democrat for sure. But can she really get swing votes with her hardline stance?

I'd love for you to elaborate on all of these hardline fews she supposedly holds. 50% isn't a sizable number? Isn't it half?

A December Newsweek poll showed her as the only Democrat who can beat McCain and Rudy head on.

I find it sad that the last moderate democrat of promise Joe Lieberman was forced to leave.

Lieberman votes the party line a majority of the time. What makes him a mderate and Hillary a "hardline" liberal?

Wherever the party wind blows, so blows she (except for voting for Iraq)[/quote]

[ranxer]

what a mess

[Abcdxxxx]

I think it's safe to predict the ACLU, and Move On will pick Hillary above the others.... so in that regard, she will play the role of Leftist candidate irregardless. Guilliani is the only candidate that makes that crowd turn red, and if it ends up with the two of them head to head we already know how it ends.... he get's cancer and moves in with some queers.

[mburbank]

I can't speak for the ACLU, but I'd put money on the table that Moveon.org won't back her for the nomination unless they back someone else firts and she crushes them.

I think Hillary deciding to run shows that her bubble, while nowhere near as reality impervious as W's is pretty damn good.

Concider this: Whatever her much ballyhooed support, Pretty much all my personal cohort loathe her, and we are NOT the far left fringe. We are the 'Dennis Kuccinich is a very bright, nice guy, but why is he bothering' Left.

Mod made the point. To Left of center voters who actually listen to her instead of just getting a woody 'cause she's woman, a Clinton and a Democrat, she sounds not just way too close to the center, she sounds full of shit. She wants to triangulate ala Bill, but she's utterly charmless. In addition, she'll need to fight a too front war as the R's favorite target accused of being a commie liberal and a large chunk of the D's calling her a sellout, which by the way I think she is.

She may cause a bitter battle amongst party money elite, but I'll be very, very surprised if she even ends of doing well in anything accept the money and media attention races. And I think right now in our hostory, despite the VAST importance of money and media, niether one has a clue where the country is. Power and punditry have spent the last two years being dragged to the table of actual public opinion kicking and screaming.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

She will need to run tough. SHe will be as hawkish as possible, without upsetting the anti-war activists too much. But upsetting some of them is a risk she's probably willing to take, because they won't be worth a damn in a general election anyway.

It's an unfortunate double standard, but in order for a woman to run for this office, she needs to be Margaret Thatcher. If she's mean well than she's a bitch. If she's sweet and soft spoken then she's too soft to lead. She can't be too cute, and she can't be a bitch. Hillary handles this fine line very well, but her campaign will constantly be keeping this in mind.

I think Edwards has the labor union crowd right now, but they'll fall in line behind whoever the candidate may ultiamtely be.

[Preechr]

The left's blogoshere is the reason that "redeployment" has entered the political lexicon. The term means whatever you wish it to. We can redeploy troops to ther places in Iraq or Afghanistan, or we can redeploy them to Okinawa or back home. Redeployment is going to be a part of whatever we do in Iraq. Saying you are for that means nothing, but it has the potential to make anyone that hears it think you have a plan they'll agree with.

As long as the activist wing of the party remains happy with "redeployment" as a strategy for the war, she can ride the fence. I don't see the Republicans letting that happen after the primaries are over, though. I doubt disagreements on war strategy will be a factor in the Dem's primaries, though I think it'll be the focus of the Republican candidates during their scrimmage.