Hillary Clinton is in: Now it Begins

     It was the worst kept secret in the Free World, but it's now official, Hillary is running. I personally couldn't be happier. I was a Hillary man going back to the 90s and was for her in 2008 initially-before I became an Obamabot even. 

    She was all they talked about on CNN yesterday, and sometimes it feels like they go crazy dissecting her in ways that a male candidate wouldn't face. There is a lot of talk about her personality and how she should present herself. 

    Here is what a friendly voice-a female writer at Talking Points Memo-thinks:

   "So now it’s official: Hillary Clinton is running for president. Unlike last time around, there are no viable candidates to run against her in the primary, which means, for better or worse, she’s what Democratic voters have to look forward to. The only question is what kind of campaign she’s going to run this time around, and whether she will build on her momentum or second guess her campaign into the ground."

     "It’s hard not to be apprehensive about a Clinton campaign. The 2008 primaries were lost by Clinton just as much as they were won by Obama. As her husband did in 1992, Clinton chased the older white voter so hard she ended up alienating a lot of younger people and people of color. But while that might have been a viable campaign strategy in the early 1990s, Clinton discovered, the 21st century is a much different landscape. Younger voters and people of color turned out in droves to support Obama, who felt like a major change of pace from politics as usual. And so the “inevitable” candidacy of Hillary Clinton went down in flames."

    "Has she learned her lessons from losing to Obama? Some early signs are good. Clinton has hired Robby Mook as her campaign manager, and he has the low-drama, data-driven style that defined the Obama campaign in both 2008 and 2012. And while Republican candidates are clawing at each other, Clinton has been able to strike the above-it-all pose that has served Obama well in the past."

    "The big issue, which is doubly unavoidable with Republicans doubling down on their war on women, is Clinton’s gender. Clinton is vying to be the first female president and can’t afford, like the fictional Selina Meyer on Veep, to simply say, “I can’t identify myself as a woman. People can’t know that.” Instead, Clinton seems to be making womanhood a central part of her campaign, by doing things like the “No Ceilings” report, which had the Clinton Foundation partnering with the Gates Foundation to address the status of women worldwide."

     "It’s a smart move, and not just because it will get out the female vote. By making women’s issues central to her campaign, Clinton will be turning what is largely perceived as her greatest weakness—her gender—into an asset, making it a lot harder for her opponents to try to undermine her through sexist swipes. The big question is, however, what kind of woman she is going to try to be?"

     "The Hillary Clinton of 2008 tried to be your mom, notably wearing unflattering clothes in pastel colors. The strategy, no doubt designed to make her seem less threatening, backfired because it just made Obama seem even cooler in comparison. The contrast was epitomized by twin websites that went viral during the campaign, one called Hillary Clinton Is Mom Jeans and the other titled Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle."

     "But after Clinton became Secretary of the State, she got a complete makeover, becoming whatTina Fey and Amy Poehler wanted her to be: the bitch who got things done. This Hillary Clinton, who was more fond of black pant suits than pastel sweaters, was wildly popular. This time around, the viral website was Texts From Hillary, which portrayed Clinton as a badass mofo who wore sunglasses all the time and had no time for your nonsense. Her approval ratings soared, and though they have inevitably declined as she has made it clear she is, in fact, running for president, they remain higher than any of contenders on either side of the aisle."

     "The hope, of course, is that Clinton sees that people just like her better when she’s being the HBIC instead of trying to pretend she’s a soccer mom handing out cookies. This should seem obvious, but there’s always a strong possibility that, in a misguided effort to reach older and whiter and more male voters, the Clinton campaign will panic, puts Clinton in a sweater set and encourages her to talk about her grandbaby more. That strategy will feel safe because it’s been done before, even if it didn't work."

     "But if Clinton is smart, she’ll put on those sunglasses and that black pantsuit and be the ladyboss we all wish we had: tough, smart, but compassionate. Soccer mom Hillary is too thirsty and it turns voters off. But ass-kicking Hillary makes people swoon. Hopefully, the campaign will pay heed to this difference."

     http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/will-2016-give-us-badass-hillary-or-soccer-mom-hillary

     Yes, as it wasn't a long piece I quoted the whole thing. I do agree that Hillary seemed to have figured out a way to be 'likable enough' during her term as Obama's Secretary of State. That is one big difference for her this time: as the writer Amanda Marcotte points out she is more popular than any of the other contenders on either side-though who are the other contenders in the Democratic party exactly?

   I do agree with Marcotte about the issue of getting white voters. There is no reason for her to knock herself out in this regard. It may well be an ugly fact of American society even now that there are a sizable amount of white folks who find her more acceptable than Obama solely because she is white and he is black. 

   Still, as a party demographics are working in the Democrats' favor. There's no reason to chase the Bubba vote as his vote is diminishing as a share of the electoral pie in any case. If she can attract a few more white voters, fine. It shouldn't be an overwhelming priority though. 

   She must make sure that going after older, whiter voters, doesn't dimisish enthusiasm among the kids and voters of color. What worked in 1992 is not the same as what works today. The Democratic party at present has to be happy if it gets over 40 percent of the white vote. Obama didn't actually do any worse with white voters than John Kerry did. 

   In any case, this is not the key to victory and hopefully her campaign understands that. 

   I do have great hope though that 2016 will be her year. I think electing a woman will be great for the country-obviously I believe she's qualified and that's what matters most- and that, yes, in a sense I do feel it's her turn and she's earned it and it will drive Republicans crazy for another Clinton to be President. Still, they've already had 2 Bushes so you can't make the case to vote against her for that reason. 

   Meanwhile, a rather absurd bit of reasoning by Bill Kristol, who says that if the Democrats nominate Hillary, that means the Republicans should nominate Dick Cheney. All I can say, is yes please. I mean he's only the most unpopular politician to have ever lived. 

   When the Republicans wanted to meet with him at the Senate a few years ago they wouldn't allow any pictures to be taken. 

   http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bill-kristol-dick-cheney-president

   I'm all for it.