And Then There Were Two

(5:43 EST --Completely re-written for coherence)

Given the MSM's quadrennial confiscation of America's electoral process, The BAG offers you the first axiomatic image of Campaign '08.  The photo, accompanying Sunday's NYT  snap-shot of Clinton's entrance, and effect, on the Democratic race, has everything pretty much figured out.

The message?  First, that Richardson, Edwards, Dodd, Kucinich, Vilsack, Biden, Clark, Kerry, Sharpton and Gore needn't bother.  Second, that in the only fight that really matters (did I mention the article title? -- Clinton Enters ’08 Field, Fueling Race for Money), Hillary (in the silver and pearls) nails down the bling-bling.

... So, any predictions on 2012?

(image: Evan Vucci/Associated Press. published: January 21, 2007. nyt.com)

Comments

[tina]

Conversation over the dinner table with my fundamentalist Christian family last night (something I can rarely stomach, but they had guests):

"Bill does it, and Hillary does it too, she just hasn't been caught yet. I'm sure she's as big a louse as he is".

"All Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims. That Obama person is one of them".

That folks, is all you need to know about the rural heartland mentality. They don't care what the truth is. They think that Bush's proposal to tax health insurance is actually going to get them more money back on their taxes, and they don't see the larger impact it will have in terms of gutting health care for the middle class by forcing employers to reduce benefits. As long as they can get $50 more back on their tax return, THEY DO NOT CARE.

They are living from paycheck to paycheck. They go to Wal Mart once a week to buy supplies and they make the minimum possible credit payments, mostly on mortgages and credit cards. That's all they can do. They cannot imagine anything else any more, because they are concentrating so hard on how to keep their economic balancing act going. They know they are one minor emergency away from foreclosure on their meagre assets. Yet they continue to want to think of themselves as a priviledged class.

People become radicalized when in this state of uncertainity and fear, and this group of people--and they are a huge group nationwide and they all vote--have radicalized by turning to religion and adopting a classic fascistic/authoritarian mindset. They are paranoid and hate the government but somehow think Bush is on their side and in opposition to the government. My sister keeps a framed picture of Bush next to her children's photos.

I was almost punched in the face by my brother last night for suggesting he was not, perhaps, literally protected by an angel when he got involved in a minor car wreck. His wife intervened and he instead started slamming his fist down furiously on the dining room table. My mother then started shrieking about how God had performed a miracle because she lost her Bible while on a "mission trip" but later found it in her suitcase. She had gone to an orphanage in Nairobi and seen children dying of AIDS, children with nothing, with no future, she saw them with her own eyes, and YET she sincerely believes that there is a God who does literal miracles and chooses to do them to restore the luggage of white middle class American church ladies, but not to save even one life of a child in an African orphanage. That's her God, that's what she worships.

In other words, these people are on the edge emotionally, project blame for their problems onto others, and act out their rage/frustration. They are superstitious in ways it is hard to imagine, and additonally they have a moral/ethical screw loose somewhere.

Yeah and they all have guns, too. Lotsa guns. Don't even talk about trying to take away their guns. They insist that Miami has become "the safest place in the world since Jeb Bush was elected governor".

Think they will ever vote for a Clinton/Obama ticket?

The Democrats could get their vote by offering them a $100 bill and a ban on abortion, maybe--if the candidate offering same is a white male.

Yeah, I know you are thinking right now, who needs the vote of these loons? Just remember they elected Bush twice. The Democrats need to realize they are driven by very real fears, and they need to find a way to address these fears while offering an alternative to their panicked, hate-filled lives, something that actually appeals to them. People like my family members have no imagination any more, if someone could fire that up by offering some kind of hope, a vision they could understand that could not be derided as "socialism", they might stop voting against their own self-interest, which is what they are doing now.

Don't ask me how to do that, if I knew how I'd be doing it. All I know is they will vote for a Hitler/Stalin ticket before they will vote for Clinton/Obama; Clinton is too well known and Obama is not known well enough. That is not to dismiss the gender/race issue, which is very real for them.

Democrats they respect: Gen. Wesley Clark and Jim Webb--both almost solely on their military associations. They are looking for someone like that to follow right now, someone who comes across as "tough". Edwards looks enough like a televangelist that they might warm up to him.

True, we will not sway all red staters that way, but we do need to sway some of them to win the White House in 08. Some of the more thoughtful ones might jump over to the Dems if the candidate is right. For this, Clinton and Obama are wrong.

Just my two cents.

[gil]

re: Study in contrast

Last night, FOX News's Brian Wilson commented on the major color among lady's outfits, to know: purple. Brit Hume interjected that, after asking her earlier in the day, Pelosi had intended to wear a 'sea foam green' outfit, but then spilled chocolate on it, hence the sea-foam jacket.

[KansasKowboy]

I have always liked Hillary and I have always thought that she would make a good President. But I never thought her to be "electable". After all the Republicans have been "swiftboating" Hillary way before we even knew what "swiftboating" was. I thought that the GOP and the GOP radio talk show guys and gals have given Hillary so much crap over the years that they made her unelectable. But just recently I feel different about that. The GOP, Bush and the conservative rats on the radio have all lost credibility. So now I think Hillary is truly electable. What do you think of Obama for Vice President?

[tina]

KansasKowboy--see my post above.

[truthseeker]

tina: finger on the pulse. The recent poll on the news today showed Hillary with something like 94% recognition factor, highest of all. But likeability factor was way down to 50-something%, which means she has a LOT to overcome. And that's just what people say in public, privacy of voting booth is something else. I hate to say it but Hillary and/or Obama in any combination will loose the dems the election. And this from someone who voted for BOTH McGovern and Eugene McCarthy!

[lowly grunt]

Tina, your two cents are pure gold. You have nailed it. Perfect 10.

[PTate in FR]

Tina, I agree 100% with all you have said in this thread. People are thinking that 2008 is a sweep and it isn't, not by long shot.

Nice picture of Clinton & Obama though. Clinton seem wise, Obama a fresh face.