Tony Blankley has some thoughts on why we shouldn’t take too much comfort from the most recent polls on Hillary:
“The polls that show half the country saying they won’t vote for Hillary should be discounted. At the election, the choice will not be Hillary or not Hillary – it will be Hillary or someone else. And that is what the campaign is about.
“Moreover, Hillary’s strengths are not yet as appreciated as they will be. Don’t get me wrong, personally I find her and her candidacy detestable as the worst form of unprincipled, ruthless, nihilistic, mud-throwing demagogic politics.
“But, for the Democratic Party electorate (and some independents and soft Republicans) her apparent strengths will become more persuasive. Currently she suffers by the media’s focus on her lack of spontaneity, charm or pleasant voice – particularly when compared with Mr. Obama and, to some extent, Mr. Edwards.
“But charm is not the only path to the American voter. Richard Milhous Nixon won more national elections than any politician in our history (two vice-presidents, three presidential nominations and two presidencies – three if you count the stolen 1960 election against Kennedy). He didn’t have any charm – but he was smart, shrewd, highly political, hardworking and ruthless.
“Sometimes the voters are looking for what they think is competence rather than a love affair.
“That is why I sometimes use the name Hillary Milhous Clinton for the junior Senator from New York. It is only partially meant to be negative. But it is meant to be a warning to my fellow Republicans.”