The moral of the story is that polls show Hillary Clinton would win in an epic landslide against any Republican in 2012, and I believe an even more epic landslide against Sarah Palin or Nikki Haley in 2016, because Clinton has qualifications and experience far out of their league, and because:
Hillary Clinton fights for American workers and American women while Palin and Haley side against them on the great issues.
Hillary Clinton stands for equality and fairness while Palin and Haley represent the interests of elites who profit from unfairness and inequality.
This piece originally appeared in The Guardian. — Ed.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners, than cry with the saints. — Billy Joel, "Only the Good Die Young"
So sing South Carolina Republicans as Newt Gingrich rises like a phoenix, yet again, in the conservative state — with a stunning upset in last night's GOP primary.
While it is uncommon for divorced men to send flowers to an ex-wife, Newt owes the former Mrs. Gingrich a big "thank you" after her strategically timed interview with ABC, intended to ruin his candidacy, backfired. A dozen roses, as well, to CNN debate moderator John King for presenting the opportunity for Newt to take the media to task for leading with the tawdry and intensely private, in a scorching takedown at Thursday night's debate that's been running as a replay loop on television, and becoming an Internet sensation.
Oddly, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign began issuing missives during the South Carolina CNN debate last night listing a number of items regarding fellow candidate Newt Gingrich apparently pointing to the former Speaker's "grandiose" notions about himself and his place in American politics and history. This, after Rick Santorum did his best to slam Gingrich on a perceived negative personality trait (Newt's ego) in what, to this viewer, was one of the lowest blows I've ever witnessed in political theater. But because Santorum is a self-described Christian, he gets a pass. Of course, the former senator from Pennsylvania who lost his seat in a shellacking and sees that as a stepping stone to the presidency would have us believe he has an average-sized ego and eats humble pie at every meal.
NOTE: The following first appeared in The Guardian on Jan. 4, 2012. — Ed.
A woman has to be twice as good as a man, to go half as far. – Fannie Hurst, American writer, 1889-1968
Still true, though less so today than just a mere decade or two ago. That said, a woman launching a serious bid for the US presidency is still a rarity. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann proved both sides of that double-edge gender sword in her bid for the Republican presidential nomination – a bid she has now ended.
Like former Republican vice-presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and former First Lady, US Senator and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Michele Bachmann was both helped and hindered by her gender at various points along the campaign trail. I suppose this is an improvement over the days when a woman attempting to make serious inroads in any field dominated by men, including national politics, was only hurt by her gender. Being a woman seemed more an affliction than merely a trait shared by slightly more than 50 percent of the population.
Ron Paul surging in Iowa, just as we learn Kim Jong Il is dead and his 20-something-year-old son is taking over as the heir to the crazy dictator, is unnerving. The first thing the son, Kim Jong Un, does on Monday morning to make his mark and give us a clue who he is and what he's about, is to test-fire a short-range missile. North Korea then, with a straight face, claims it was routine and completely unrelated to the death of their dictator and the need to flex a military muscle or two. This, just weeks after we learn North Korea is now in possession of mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) that can constantly be on the move so that they aren't easily detected or tracked. North Korea has nukes and can strike before Ron Paul even has the chance to take his head out of the sand.
While allegations of sexual harassment and payoffs swirl around GOP presidential primary candidate Herman Cain, the endgame might hinge on how one views the man.
If GOP voters see him as a victim in the mold of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, smeared by thinly sourced, unproven charges fueled by raw politics, then he might survive and live to fight on in the race. However, if they view him as a latter-day Bill Clinton harassing the likes of Paula Jones and settling out of court in order to make her "go away," then Cain is toast.
Since when is dating a black man a "fetish"? Such is the claim by Sarah Palin's Alaska critics, according the sleazy, skeevy, creepy, stalker Joe McGinniss in his sleazy, skeevy, creepy, stalker book on Sarah Palin.
While moving in right next door to the Palins in Wasilla, Alaska, in order to spy on them and gather gossip around town for his trashy book, McGinniss reports that critics of Palin claim that while working as a sports reporter she dated a star athlete who later became an NBA player. He is African-American. Therefore, the claim was that the then-unmarried Sarah Palin had a "fetish" for black guys.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has entered the race for the Republican nomination for president with high marks, applause and just the right amount of irritated and fearful grumbling from Obama's ever-shrinking left-wing cheerleading squad of "mean girls" (and guys). With his first debate appearance looming, the question for Republicans, Obama Democrats (not to be confused with Democrats who are disappointed with Obama and turned off by left-wingers' nasty name-calling of the Tea Party and Republicans) and the media is: Will Perry's debate performances hold up to scrutiny? Will the man match or exceed the hype?
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) just hopped on television to claim that Republicans have been in charge of Washington for 210 days and still haven't created jobs. In case there are one or two Americans who still don't understand why Democrats lost last November and gave Pelosi a well-deserved boot out of her post, she provided a fine reminder today, shining a bright spotlight on her massive failures and penchant for misrepresenting reality.
Democrats held the House (with Pelosi in charge), Senate and White House for two years and did nothing to create jobs. Republicans now hold only the House and Pelosi is blaming them for not creating jobs. Wow — the chutzpah is amazing. The bitterness palatable.
The fact that congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann gets migraine headaches should have no bearing on her candidacy. There's something else going on, however, just under the surface. The "concern" from both the left and the right over Bachmann's health seems more like a dog whistle on the whole gender issue. What's next? Investigating whether she can lead when suffering from PMS?
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