Stephen Kruiser: The Mouth Of America

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Wake Up And Smell The Pantsuit

The official publication of the Democratic National Committee, which many people still refer to as The New York Times, has an interesting little article in it today about congressional Democrats pondering the true import of Madame Hillary winning the nomination.

Some freshman (freshperson?) members of the House won close elections last year based on a platform that consisted of little more than "I don't like George W. Bush!" That paucity of plans and ideals has translated into a year of subterranean approval numbers. Now these same Democrats are getting ready to hit the campaign trail again and realizing that the Mrs. might be, at best, problematic for them if she's the heir to the throne nominee next year.

The Bush-Clinton-Bush-(maybe) Clinton White House volley has had almost twenty years to wear on the American people now. True, it's produced some historical political theater but the biggest byproduct of the dueling dynasties has been animosity. Democrats now fear that having Mrs. Madame head up the ticket might mobilize the GOP base in way that pales in comparison to the labor union browbeating of Democratic voters.

The Democrats got fat and happy last year by linking vulnerable Republican candidates to President Bush. They know intimately how well that tactic works when a polarizing figure is the party's standard bearer. They'll try to do the same next year but the GOP candidates have already been working hard to distance themselves from the president.

So the Democrats will try to link GOP candidates to George W. Bush and the Republicans will piggyback Her Missuship onto their opponents. The difference will be the fact that the president will be home and, no doubt, relishing the fact that he doesn't have to go through this crap again while the Madame will be out there every day, regaling the common folk with her robotic charm.
That's enough to make anyone sweat.

Cross posted at Real Clear Politics (Vote for it!)