Craig Crawford swears that the campaign has already started for 2008, much earlier than ever before. O.K. Maybe. But if I were advising the Democrats, I would say this: Do not worry about 2008; be seriously concerned about the 2006 elections. You must not lose any House or Senate seats for if you do, you will have no chance of winning the presidency in 2008. And, even if you should win the the presidential election in 2008, no good will come of it for your party. Be concerned with your party, not with who the candidate for president should be. The Republicans, by being concerned with party victories in 2006, are playing very smart politics that will have lasting consequences. The Demos still seem not to get it. Hillary Clinton’s contribution to this debate (along with John Kerry and other Demos) is to urge that Election Day be made a federal holiday to encourage voting. She also pushed for legislation that would allow all ex-felons to vote. This will not solve your party’s problems, Hillary. Peter Beinart’s advice to the Demos about their rhetoric is more serious, but they are not listening to him, or, they know they can’t do it. If the Demos don’t get their act together, politics will become boring.
UPDATE: A bad omen for Hillary’s prospects. Llloyd Grove reports on a speech given by David Geffen:
Friends no more? I hope Sen. Hillary Clinton isn’t counting on help from Hollywood mogul David Geffen in her possible run for the White House in 2008. Geffen, a generous supporter and pal of Bill Clinton when he was President, trashed Hillary’s prospects last night during a Q&A at the 92nd St. Y. "She can’t win, and she’s an incredibly polarizing figure," the billionaire Democrat told his audience. "And ambition is just not a good enough reason." Geffen’s dis was met with hearty applause. (Thanks to Drudge)
Beinart pointed out accurately that conservatives opposed Turkish, French, and UN participation in the occupation of Iraq because the Iraqis might distrust their motives, but omits the preponderant reason, which is that conservatives most certainly distrusted their motives.
I can’t get over the fact politicians frequently want Election Day to be declared a Federal Holiday, in order to encourage voting.
This is really a disguised attempt at a bribe of union workers, specifically AFSCME, by giving them another holiday.
If politicians want to make it easier to vote, how about holding elections on week-ends, as is done in many other countries? Following the recent election last November, in which record numbers of voters, alive and deceased, participated, it is obvious those who wanted to participate managed to do so.
Look at Wisconsin and Washington state, as well as East St. Louis, for examples of places where voters probably voted more than once. In my state of Florida, we have many registered voters who probably also voted in NY and NJ.
Good! Keep Hillary away from my White House . . .