Hillary Wins New Hampshire

Wow, just wow.

As recently as this morning, the media was on a Hillary death watch.  Now, she wins New Hampshire.  Incredible. 

So what happens now?  Is Obama done for?  Is Doyle regretting endorsing Obama?  Or is this a blip and Obama wins South Carolina and rolls on Super Tuesday?

Interesting times…

1. I think a Clinton win is good for America, insofar as she’s infinitely more qualified than Obama.  Obama’s running for captain of the debate team, and the free pass he gets from the media for whatever reason (white guilt maybe?) is nauseating.

   If the media pushes on Obama even the slightest bit, that house of cards will fall over.

   And if anyone’s interested, here’s the kind of leadership Obama really shows.  On big issues, he likes to vote “here.”

   Posted by Recess Supervisor on January 08, 2008 at 2339 hrs




2. I keep hearing that one of the factors in Hillary’s win was that a large number of Independent voters expected to vote for Obama in the Democratic primary instead chose to vote on the Republican side for McCain.  I’m not sure exactly why this happened, but it seems significant.  The conclusion I am drawn to, without any real evidence to support it, is that these voters, hearing for days about Obama’s huge lead, and the tightness of the McCain/Romney race, chose to cast their ballot in a race they thought their vote would matter in.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 0802 hrs




3. It was the American Idol/reality TV effect.  Anytime someone sheds tears they get voted through to the next round.

   “[sniff-sniff]I really really need this. You guys don’t know how important this is to me!

   Excellent tactic on her part.  Likely saved her candidacy (for now).

   RS wrote: ...the free pass [Obama] gets from the media…

   I agree.  Obama is a smoker, but for some reason we’ve never seen a photo of it.  And I refuse to believe it’s because they just haven’t caught a photo of it yet.  I guarantee you that if Romney or Huck were captured with a grit hanging from their mouth it would be the stock photo used by all media outlets in stories about them.

   Posted by David on January 09, 2008 at 1123 hrs




4. Hillary defies logic for me.

   I can understand why people like Obama. I understand why people would vote for him.

   I see Hillary on TV and I can’t believe anyone would trust her.

   I watched an interview with her on Fox this morning and every sentence out of her mouth was about all she does and all she cares about is people.

   You’d think this lady was Mother Teresa the way she talks about herself and how she has NO personal ambitions other than to ‘help people’

   She actually very confidently stated that “for the last 35 years she has gotten up EVERY SINGLE DAY and asked herself how she could help people today”

   I’m sorry but God himself is the only person who gets up every single day and only thinks of selfless good things to do for people.  (disclaimer, I’m agnostic, so I make no endorsement of the existence or non-existence of God)

   Just the audacity to make that kind of righteous claim to piety. 

   She’s proves herself a liar just to make that claim.  So NONE of what she’s done has been a result of “her ambtion”?  None of her and Billy-boys political career of the last “35 years” has been motivated by a desire for personal advancement. 

   She’s the scariest person in politics.

   Joseph Goebbels could not sell the big lie like Hillary Clinton can.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 1251 hrs




5. The post above proves why if Hillary Clinton is nominated you’d better be afraid, very afraid.

   Hillary literally reaped from the invective that was heaped on her by the press since Iowa, and voters in their revulsion responded back in New Hampshire.

   No reason to expect this would not be the case from the right. Limbaugh, Coulter, Hanity and the usual authoritarian chorus won’t be able to control themselves and then before you know it, another Clinton in the Oval Office.

   When will you even learn?

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 1412 hrs




6. She’s the scariest person in politics.

   You know, if Hillary is the nominee I expect her to draw a lot of support from people that personally dislike her, simply because she can make a credible case that she is not a chronic fuck-up. Thanks to the Bush years, any conservative is severely hamstrung in that regard. I find that tragic, but also amusing. Maybe lock step support of policy decisions isn’t the holy grail of political ideology after all.

   Joseph Goebbels could not sell the big lie like Hillary Clinton can.

   We are in agreement that Goebbels pales in comparison to some of the current players.

   Pretty fast invocation of Godwin’s Law, perhaps a record.

   To the Fred-heads, I’ve been rooting for him. If Hillary does get the nomination I expect her to do a lot of downticket damage. I’ve been rooting for Fred because I think that one way to limit that would be for Hillary to put it away early, and I think she’d eat Fred for breakfast.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 1416 hrs




7. Lots of conjecture there Keith.

   Its your opinion, thats fine, but I would think there are many many more reasons for the results in Iowa.

   I watched a lot of talking heads on the news this morning. Tim Russert among others…  None of them gave the same reason you did…

   Then again…  Perhaps you are more plugged in than all those professional pundits.   

   You really think a person can be hated into office?  That’s some pretty crazy logic if you ask me.

   But you’ve figured out what all the television pundits couldn’t. I guess you just know better than anyone else.  I stand in awe.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 1422 hrs




8. Pretty fast invocation of Godwin’s Law, perhaps a record.

   equally as fast as i expected someone would cite it.

   Though I wouldn’t disagree with you

   We are in agreement that Goebbels pales in comparison to some of the current players.

   Politics as a whole is downright scary.  The candidates mastery of spin.  The facades of sincerity.  The style over substance.  It is truly “the big show”.  Every moment rehearsed, every answer planned in advance.  Hand-picked audiences, planted questions.

   Fair and Balanced news outlets that exclude viable candidates from a debate.

   An entire media industry that screens, filters, digests, and then spoon feeds a conclusion to viewers so that they need not think.

   To see what is going on is quite scary…  In both parties…

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 1435 hrs




9. Hillary literally reaped from the invective that was heaped on her by the press since Iowa, and voters in their revulsion responded back in New Hampshire.

   Interesting characterization there.  Evidently you believe Hillary should have been exempt from the Monday morning quarterbacking that any candidate would get after going from being the premptive favorite in Iowa for scores of months to coming in 3rd.

   Invective you call it.  Pretty revealing.  As for the conservative commentators, they havent said anything about Hillary that they havent been saying since her hijinks as first lady.

   I beleive that Clinton is more suited temperamentally than the other Democrats but what scares me is the boatload of warmed over 60’s radical socialism she will bring with her.  And if the attacks she coordinated on Bills bimbos and enemies are any indication, she is going to settle some scores if she becomes POTUS, probably starting with siccing the IRS on them.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 1830 hrs




10. Don’t be paranoid guys, though as in the 90’s you all will over react about Hillary about bringing back the “socialism of 60’s” though you forget voters by now how have had a belly full of Reaganomics. They’re getting wise, and worse when the howling chorus reaches earsplitting if she get she gets the nod she will walk to the White House.

    I’m talking here, in regards to New Hampshire, the way the press this weekend punched her around, with the crying incident only playing off of the Tai Chi. Amongst your so-called liberal media Chris Matthews was among the worst.

    Here is a comment from one voter (http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/063135.php) that might have been typical:

    I almost wonder if more Dems didn’t vote for Hillary to counter the BS media narrative about rejecting the Clintons once and for all. I say this as someone who has given 1500 bucks to Obama, gone to several of his events out here in CA, met him, and plan to vote for him. Part of me, however, was so pissed about this media narrative about Hillary and the Clintons in general that I had in the back of my mind that I would consider voting for her just to piss the media off. That’s not going to happen now as it appears we have a real race, but still . . . do you see what I am saying? I mean this whole weekend we see people like Andrea Mitchell and Chris Matthews salivating over how the Democrats “rejected the Clintons” and want to puke. I am for Obama not because I am against Clinton (either one), but because I am for Obama. That’s it. I think he is the best of the big 3 dem candidates. Would I be happy to vote for Hillary or Edwards in the general? Hell yeah. Did I think Bill Clinton was a great President? Yes. And I think Hillary would probably be pretty good too. This whole media narrative sickened me.

    To tell you the truth I lean Obama but it would have been me, I might have voted for Hillary for that reason.

    Like I said gentlemen. Be careful.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 2138 hrs




11. a comment from one voter

    that might have been typical:

    lol…

    Anecdotes.  They make great foundations for hypothesis don’t they?

    Part of me, however, was so pissed about this media narrative about Hillary and the Clintons in general that I had in the back of my mind that I would consider voting for her just to piss the media off

    I have to be honest.  Never in my entire life have I voted for anyone for any other reason than who I thought was the best choice available.

    Here we have a democrat that’s willing to throw his vote around like a 3-year old having a temper-tantrum just to “show that media”

    Wow… that’s principled… 

    To tell you the truth I lean Obama but it would have been me, I might have voted for Hillary for that reason.

    If that’s what you vote means to you… An opportunity to express your ‘pissed-off-ness’ with the media…  Bravo man.. Bravo… 

    Like I said gentlemen. Be careful.

    I’ll give you my opinion…

    I think a few pansy democrats think they can hustle some ‘theory’ out there that negativity expressed towards the clintons is helping them… with some wild-haired logic that its going to scare republicans from criticizing them or something.

    Which will be as about as effective at squelching criticism of the clintons as mothers’ warnings to their sons that masterbation would make them go blind kept them from doing it.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 09, 2008 at 2237 hrs




12. Well I’m sorry pilot for getting between you and the opinion you love.

    Your idea that you’re going to get lathered up over Hillary all this summer if she gets the nod is your right, just like it was Captain Ahab’s right to lash himself to his big white obsession and ride it down to the bottom.

    Ride captain ride. Don’t let me stop you. If it feels good, do it! Please.

    I mean it’s not you are voting against your self interest or anything?

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 0216 hrs




13. By the way, I forgot to mention that yesterday and today it was mentioned on Morning Joe that Scarborough’s mother—a life long conservative Republican—was repulsed by the “ganging up” on Hillary Clinton, especially by the press. Andrea Mitchell this morning—who had joined in on the Hillary knifing last weekend—talked about how the Boston and NY tabs along with other media went all nuts on the Senator.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 0728 hrs




14. I don’t know if anyone listens to Bob and Brian on the radio.

    They had a hilarious piece they put together yesterday.

    They had Hillary’s cafe-cry performance with some REALLY cheezy soap-opera violin music dubbed over the top.

    It was so spot on!

    She starts to talk and then as soon as she starts to feign emotion the violins chime in. 

    Actually I heard that Hillary was offered a spot on Days of our Lives after her performance!

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 1040 hrs




15. By the way, I forgot to mention that yesterday and today it was mentioned on Morning Joe that Scarborough’s mother

    Wow… That changes everything… I’ve seen the light…

    You know, my girlfriend’s dog’s veterinarian’s tarot card reader thought it was a little over the top too.  Upon hearing that my opinion was swayed also.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 1043 hrs




16. Well, once again pilot you’ve proven why Hillary getting to the White House would not be a good thing. She’s smart, competent, connect, has vision. But it’s bone-headed snarky crap (what else can you call it?) like in #15 that we would have to deal with all the time.

    Enjoy your life under a Democrat, and it will be a Democrat, starting a year and 11 days from now.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 1105 hrs




17. Oh found it!  They must have pulled it off of You-Tube

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDkWdJ7OXtY

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 1117 hrs




18. I am prepared to get ripped a new one for this but here goes…

    I am no Clinton fan, but I do think that whole crying thing was sincere.  Somewhere deep down in every candidates brain, below all the focus group info, under all the polling data there is a conviction that they are doing the right thing and will be the best candidate.  Bill was good at tapping into that conviction and he seems to have taught his wife the trick.  For better or worse exposing that conviction plays really well with voters.  Especially when it is a woman appealling to another woman.

    It is really interesting to see how the dynamics of the race have changed with a woman running.  The differences between the sexes are undeniable.  Acknowledgment of these differences can be played as being sexist, but I don’t see it that way.  If any of the male candidate became weepy their candidacy would end before the first tear hit the floor.  Hillary cries and suddenly she is inevitable again.  I find it fascinating.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 1256 hrs




19. I am prepared to get ripped a new one for this but here goes…

    Well I hope this doesn’t come off as ripping, because I’ll admit that I can’t be “sure” it wasn’t genuine.

    When I first saw a clip of it, they only showed the ‘2nd’ voice crack (the first voice crack, was when she puts her hand on her chin)  To me that (the first one) looked (and sounded fake and forced and scripted)

    I won’t pretend to say that I know for CERTAIN that she was faking it.  Its my opinion that she was based upon everything I know about her and hearing and watching the full context.

    And as far as a ‘real’ cry.  Actors and actresses have taught themselves how to cry ‘for real’. 

    Given how these campaigns are run.  Given the spin doctors behind the candidates.  Given the hand-picked audiences, Given the pre-screened questions and scripted answers.

    I find it had to believe (impossible to believe) that anything that happens in an event like that is not scripted and planned.

    These candidates are NEVER asked a question they don’t know is coming in this kind of format. 

    I believe that Hillary had an emotional moment.  But I also believe that she planned to have that emotional moment.

    And as she had that emotional moment she was just spot on, didn’t miss a step rolling right into her talking points. 

    Somewhere deep down in every candidates brain, below all the focus group info, under all the polling data there is a conviction that they are doing the right thing and will be the best candidate.  Bill was good at tapping into that conviction and he seems to have taught his wife the trick.

    As I mentioned earlier, actors and actresses have learned how to make themselves cry, and make themselves emotional.  Its not hard once you know the technique.  You take yourself mentally to something that will stir your emotions (some event in the past, some fear you have etc).  Do I think Hillary cried because she is SO upset about the direction this country is going? No.

    I think she planned to, when this question or a similar question was asked, get emotional.  With all the media and polls showing her candidacy on the rocks, it probably wasn’t hard to get to ‘that place’ in her head that would make her emotional.  (although watching the video it took the second voice crack for it to be real) All she had to do was think about where she was, and that her candidacy was on the rocks, she was going to lose New Hampshire and be good as dead in the primary.  Her life-long dream crushed.  That’ll bring a genuine tear. 

    Just my opinion formed by all we know about these ultra-micro-managed campaigns and campaign events.

    It is really interesting to see how the dynamics of the race have changed with a woman running.

    I agree… Its fascinating…

    So much talk about the first woman president… So much talk about the first black president…

    I think it drowns out the issue based topics on the news.  Less time to talk about foreign policy positions because we are talking about crying and glass ceilings and such.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on January 10, 2008 at 1340 hrs