I listen to liberal talk radio every day. I love it. This morning, the hosts and callers were debating the pros and cons of a Clinton '08 presidential run. I love Hillary, but I think an important lesson of the last election is that this country is split pretty much down the middle. 50-50. So for any candidate to win, they must suck voters from the other side to their side. And as much as I love Hillary, I know that she doesn't suck.
How do I know? Well, I have my very own "Center for the Study of Republican Minds". I also call it "My Parent's House". While George Bush blew hard enough to keep my dad from voting for him, John Kerry didn't suck hard enough to get that vote. It went to the Libertarian candidate. But my dad isn't typical of most republican voters. He's all about gun control and fiscal responsibility. My mother is a very typical woman republican. The only way to get her to vote for a democrat is to run Jimmy Carter. A Southern church-goer. They both agree, they would have voted for John Edwards if he had been the presidential nominee. But never, in a million years, not even if the republicans run a baby-eater, will they vote for Hillary. And these are people who are open to being sucked.
So, to liberals who think we should run Hillary, that she's the best candidate, that we're just being cowardly not to turn her out, I say, she is great, and good, and she would make a great president. But she won't, because she cannot get elected. Not in 2008, and maybe not ever. For now, we need to be focusing on 2006, on getting more of the good guys into congress. Having a democratically controlled congress will give us the opportunity to show what we will do, given the power. Which will make it easier for any of our potential presidential candidates to get elected. When the time comes, we should select a candidate from the large group of people who have a real chance of taking the White House. Which, unfortunately, does not include anyone who has already lived there.
