Is Hillary Clinton's star fading?
- From: jose <josefsoplar@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:48:51 -0700
Is Hillary Clinton's star fading?
Sunday, Sep 30, 2007
By David Sanders
The aura of inevitability surrounding Hillary Clinton's White House
candidacy isn't as bright as it once was. The vivid carrot-colored
pant suit she sported while debating her Democratic opponents at
Dartmouth College on Wednesday shined brighter than her candidacy,
which has lost a bit of its luster as potential vulnerabilities have
surfaced.
Campaigns are narratives. They tell a story and, to a certain extent,
Clinton has been able to direct her narrative by keeping Democrats
focused on her electability. The danger that arises when a candidate
rides that one-legged stool is that it is easy to topple.
She hasn't fallen yet, but as the campaign wears on she will have to
provide Democrats with more than she has provided so far. If not, she
may find herself struggling to balance as her opponents and the press
begin pushing and shoving.
Case in point.
A private memo leaked to The Washington Post, which came from
Democratic pollster Celinda Lake's firm, indicated that recent polling
of "31 swing congressional districts" revealed that Clinton's
polarizing persona could cost her the 2008 election and could hurt
other Democrats who might appear with her on the ballot.
The memo provided details that seem to challenge one of the major
prevailing assumptions from this early campaign. It indicated that
Democrats faced a "sobering picture" that George W. Bush's abysmal
ratings are not a guarantee that Democrats will take the White House.
The advantage that Democrats enjoyed over Republicans in the generic
ballot melted away when pollsters began naming specific candidates.
In fact, Clinton and Barack Obama, her closest Democratic rival, trail
Republican Rudy Giuliani in the districts polled by Lake Research. The
news wasn't only that voters see Clinton as polarizing, but that Obama
suffers from a "soft" image. When reporters asked Lake's firm to
comment on the memo, it wouldn't. The firm said the poll wasn't leaked
by them.
Other news surfaced this week that was not good for Clinton, but this
had more to do with her husband. The Wall Street Journal had a piece
detailing former President Bill Clinton's involvement in a "messy"
investment deal involving his personal aide Douglas Band, Yucaipa
Cos., an investment firm Clinton has served as "a partner and senior
advisor," and Raffaello Follieri, a glitzy 20-something Italian
businessman who likes to turn his personal contacts into cash.
The scheme that earned the Journal's focus was an apparent real estate
deal where Follieri would purchase property from the Catholic Church,
redevelop it and sell it for a hefty profit. Follieri used his
contacts to get to Clinton and convinced the former president and his
investment firm to invest up to $100 million in his "church-property
venture."
The young Italian made use of his relationship with Clinton by
convincing some of the past president's supporters to take a position
in his investment scheme. Things went south when it became apparent
that things were not as Follieri has indicated. He is now the target
of litigation. The lawsuit claims that he misappropriated "at least
$1.3 million" while financing a "lavish lifestyle that included a
Manhattan penthouse, five-star meals and private jets for Mr. Follieri
and his girlfriend, actress Anne Hathaway."
The story in no way points to any involvement from Sen. Clinton;
however, it does underline some of the problems she will face as she
tries to take partial credit for the "wonderful" things that her
husband has done. She won't be able to take the good and leave the
bad. His record, as well as hers, will quickly become the focus of
this campaign and when it does; her one-legged stool may go a bit
wobbly.
-------
David Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in
Little Rock and is a host of the Arkansas Education Television
Network's "Unconventional Wisdom." His e-mail address is
DavidJSanders@xxxxxxxx
Copyright © Arkansas News Bureau, 2003 - 2006
Broom Hillary running for president is really
Bubba running for a third term. Two terms
was more than enough of that draft dodging
pervert.
.
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