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Can Clinton lose?
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In such a closely contested primary race, it’s hard to say who will emerge as the Democratic nominee. In the event Barack Obama is hailed the victor, however, Peggy Noonan wonders, “Can Mrs. Clinton Lose?”:
If Hillary Clinton loses, does she know how to lose? What will that be, if she loses? Will she just say, “I concede” and go on vacation at a friend’s house on an island, and then go back to the Senate and wait?
Is it possible she could be so normal? Politicians lose battles, it’s part of what they do, win and lose. But she does not know how to lose. Can she lose with grace? But she does grace the way George W. Bush does nuance.
Noonan continues with this question: “We know she is smart. Is she wise? If it comes to it, down the road, can she give a nice speech, thank her supporters, wish Barack Obama well, and vow to campaign for him?”
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A matter of life
And of course buried in this question is the key challenge to the Democrats this election year.
I will assume that Obama momentum continues, in which case Hillary’s claim to the nominations becomes progressively weaker over time. Will she have the grace to approach this challenge wisely?
Tough question, but we may get some insight after Chesapeake Tuesday.
But compared to the open internecine strife in the Republican party, this challenge is a cakewalk.
[If she loses] “Will she just say, “I concede” and go…”
Yes.
“If it comes to it, down the road, can she give a nice speech, thank her supporters, wish Barack Obama well, and vow to campaign for him?”
Yes.
These questions are rather irrelevant. Of course she will accept what she cannot change, if it comes. Of course she will support the winner in public statements. They all do. Politically, Obama will pursue the same policies that Clinton is for. Personally, she will not foolishly alienate all the voters who may make Obama their choice. She wants a future.
Peggy Noonan can be insightful, but she can get too caught up in various nuances, personality qwerks and image aspects of various candidates–and this is a waste of her writing space. Better to focus on policy, experience, ideology or other things that should matter more.
“Can Clinton lose.”
Yes.
I have to agree with Joel Mark.
She lost before with her Hillarycare in the early 90s. She survived that. She’d survive this, too.
If she does lose this nomination, let it be a lesson to all of us — don’t assume anything. One of the things I’m learning in all this is that we’re making assumptions based on the past and some of the base rules have changed. I think the entire election is up in the air. I don’t think either side can predict what’s going to happen come November.
Since she is campaigning against Obama, she is a racist.
And since he’s campaigning against her, he’s a sexist.
She knows how to lose. She was married to a sexual predator loser and she lost out to many other women for his affections. I would guess that losing your man to another woman, many times, is much harder to accept than losing the nomination. At least she wouln’t have to worry about her husbamnd being set loose in the Lincoln bedroom.
Llama, what you say is unquestionably accurate but did it absolutely have to be said??
Can Peggy Noonan stop nursing her obsession with Hillary Clinton? Can Peggy stop pegging Other People’s Weaknesses?
#6 Sawgunner,
The question was Can Clinton Lose or Lose well with grace.
My answer was yes and I stated why she can. She will also be as graceful as she always is, in public, when she comes out to stand by her man.
I assert this is the only thing we know about Hillery for sure that could possibly be used o support the notion that yes she can lose and lose well. Not saying why this might be so would be less than honest.
The Clintons know not how to go into that good night. They were stumping the day that President bush occupied the White House. Usually, the former president steps aside.
I’m reminded of JFK on Nixon, “No class.”
How can you lose destiny?
I wouldn’t write off Hillary just yet, Peggy. Susan Estrich, who knows her way around politics, says today in a column linked to by Drudge, just what I’ve been saying on here for weeks: a whole lot of white people who tell pollsters they’re going to vote for Obama, and even tell exit polls they voted for Obama, don’t actually vote for Obama. She says that people are forgetting that with all the hoopla over Obamamania, but they shouldn’t, and Hillary is by no means in big trouble. Further, she says, as I do, that if this is a big problem among Democrats, just hink how big a problem it will be among the general electorate come November.
Here’s the link.
http://snipurl.com/1zgoo
Since the only reason Hillary sought her U.S. Senate in the first place was so she could try to capture the Presidency, it will be interesting to see what she does when she loses.
Because she is going to lose, either to Obama or to McCain.
Good one, Chas!!!
I’m with Night Train on this one.
Hillary is a long way from being dead. She still has her super delegates in the hole ready to give her the nomination if n4eed be and she will probably get the Florida and Michigan delegates she won seated too - over Obama objections.
Plus people who get in her way, have way of ending up dead. You could ask Vince Foster about that if he were alive. I think this was what 50 Cent was talking about when he said that Obama could end up dead
Night Train
How can you say a former governor of Virginia was rejected for the senate because of raceism?
I didn’t say that, Chas. Susan Estrich did. She calls it racism because she’s a liberal, but it’s not. It’s merely human nature to prefer a candidate from your own race. But it’s real, no matter what you call it, and it spells disaster for the Dems if Obama gets the nod.
I don’t see her handling defeat graciously. I hope to get the opportunity to see how she handles defeat in the very near future.
Eyg, that comment, “No class.” sums up the Clintons nicely. But just think, Hillary already has all the White House silverware. Will she bring it back if she wins???
KRM,
“I hope to get the opportunity to see how she handles defeat in the very near future.”
You and me both!
I do think Hillary can lose, but she won’t go down without a fight. The Clintons will fight on the convention floor. Once the final decision is made, however, she’ll buck up. The question is will KRM and I buck up if she’s the nominee. I’ll need a stiff one or some xanax or something if that happens.
I remember the Vince Foster thing, but I don’t know that we should become conspiracy theorists the way the Dems do. Not that there wasn’t something odd there, but without proof, I don’t want to go there. What I really want to know is what Sandy Berger put in his socks.
I beleive She will go kicking and screaming to the courts complaining voter fraud or disinfrancement or anything else her lawyers can think of.
Can Clinton lose?
We can only hope.
Hey, RDean and I see eye to eye on something!
Anytime a Clinton loses, America wins.