Okay, I gotta say it; here's MY "problem" with Hillary...

[Atman]

Everything that comes out of her mouth sounds as if it could have been taped three weeks ago. She sounds so...so...scripted. Lighten up, Hill.

BTW...this is not meant to diminish my other problem with Hillary; her polarizing, caustic persona which causes so many possible converts to draw lines in the sand.

.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. squeezed the words right out of my pursed lips.

plus, having met her, I really don't like her.

[dogday]

2. If you see the MM movie "Sicko"

you are going to learn some more about Hillary that is not good....

[mmonk]

3. I don't think her persona is that caustic

as it is she has been talked about as some ultimate democratic party disaster by the right (even though they never give specifics and their followers obey and say they could never vote for her but they never give the reasons). For me, not answering the question from Tweety about Scooter and a possible pardon and pretending the question isn't an important issue pretty much seals the fact I won't vote for her in any circumstance. But that's a reason I can give vs. the rightwing who just follow orders and dislike who they are told to.

[elocs]

4. I don't like the thing she has in common with many politicians--having a finger in the air

to gauge which way the wind is blowing to tell them what position to take. I put that attitude in contrast with my own Senator Feingold who stood against everyone, including his own party, to cast the lone vote against the Patriot Act.

[SoFlaJet]

5. Here's MY problem with her

I just don't like her for some reason-I think it was after Kerry's botched joke and how she jumped right out there condemning him-after that...

[Hissyspit]

7. That one stuck in my craw, too. The biggest issue for me, not mentioned in OP - voting for IWR.

But I will support her should she receive the nomination, as I will anyone else should they receive it. We cannot stand another Republican administration.

[napi21]

6. Everyone is free to have their own opinion. I have very carefully watched the debates

and all the Dem candidates when they have been on TV somewhere. I happen to think the debates are a bit of a better indicator of the candidate than the stump speeches, and IMO Hillary responded to the question better than any of the others did.

To be blantently honest, the only reason I wouldn't vote for her is because I've lived a long time in the South, and many, many, southerners would simply NEVER vote for a woman! And YES, they feel the same way about voting for any black person too! I don't mean Atlanta, that's quite Democraticatic. I'm talking about the millions of other folks, outside of the city. It's not only Ga. either. I've lived in Ga, SC, TX, and PA, and my sons have lived in MS, AL, WA, and CA. They're not only still fighting the civil war in the South, they still follow the Santorum phylosophy that women shouldn't work outside the home, and they should always remain a few steps behind their husbands!

[Clark2008]

8. I can agree with you on most of these points.

However, I don't see us as still fighting the Civil War. That subject gets talked about far more frequently on this message board than I ever hear from my neighbors and friends.

And, I don't think that the sexism and racism is confined to the South. It's all over.

[noamnety]

10. The reason you won't vote for a woman or black person

is that those other people are bigoted and won't vote for one?

[TahitiNut]

20. There *IS* a way to read that which is charitable - and not quite so "worst case".

Try this ...
"I won't be voting for her in the primary because it risks losing the General Election too much - since too many just wouldn't vote for her."

(It's this kind of reasoning tha makes me glad to be a liberal independent.)

[napi21]

29. OK, let me put it THIS WAY. Two weeks ago I was having a

cinversation with a fellow liberal here in Ga. and after a lot of griping about Shrub and how bad he and all the Pubs have been for the US he said "How damn stupid can the Dems be? They finally have an election that they CAN'T LOSE and who are they promoting as the fromt runners? A woman and some black guy!"

This guy is not prejudiced against either that I know of, but he also recognizes that the Dems could be throwing the entire election away because there is still so much prejudice in the US in all the different States and for many different reasons. Some are just plain bigots. Some can't accept the idea of a woman in authority. Some probably both reasons apply.

I don't want to take ANY RISKS on having to suffer through another 4 years of a Pub administration, and I think both Clinton & Obama are a risk.

[noamnety]

30. I'm not a fan of enabling bigots

First, it's offensive because I'm female, and you just said YOU would not vote for me if I were running, based on me being female. I'm sure you can see why that is personally offensive to me, as is a blanket sort of statement from you to the democratic party: don't let women and blacks run for office. (Not exactly an edict, just a post on a forum, but that's the tone of it.)

Second, it's offensive in the same way that Don't Ask Don't Tell is offensive. It says we should follow the will of the bigots, rather than taking a stand against them.

[napi21]

31. I'm a female too! I don't look at it as me enabling a bigot.

I HATE the idea that so many people still look at females as being inept, but it's still a reality.

I have no idea how old you are, but I enter the work force in 1961. I had to fight for every damn thing I got as a female. The only way I knew how to do that was become one of the guys! Yep, that's what I did. A lot of women today don't realize what it was like. You had to be twice as good as the guys to get a promotion! It finally took congress to pass laws to make discrimination because of gender illegal!

After all these years, it Still exists! It's now inside the homes and minds instead of being so blatant in the workplace, but it's still there!

I'm simply not willing to risk the 08 election to try to prove a point.

So far, I still think Hillary is the best qualified candidate on either side, but I can't take the chance that the bigots outnumber the total voters and some AH Pub wins the damn election.

[jedicord]

13. Eggzactly. In general, men here in the South...

get very put off by strong women. They scare the bejeezus out of them.

I know, I'm a strong woman living in Texas.

[HardRocker05]

16. when you get to know these men and their 'culture,' it's not hard to see how slavery of blacks and v

virtual slavery of women came into existance and continued for so long.

[King Coal]

25. Hell, you scare me and I don't even live in Texas.

:hi:

[HardRocker05]

17. you're kidding, right? i mean about yourself, not the other southerners. nt

[ixion]

9. It's ironic, beause I liked Hillary when she first came to the WH w/ Bill

over the years, however, she would say things that would really rub me the wrong way, and take positions that I felt were pandering and counter-productive.

When she ran for the Senate and won, I had high hopes that she would be a voice of reason on the Senate. Imagine my surprise when she was nothing of the kind.

Nope, sorry. Hillary is not the kind of person we need in the WH at this time, IMO.

[Captain Hilts]

11. Yes, that often is true. But other times, not. But true more often than it should be. nt

[senseandsensibility]

12. I thought she was pretty loose today in the live Union forum

They're showing clips on Hardball, and during some parts she didn't seem scripted at all. She was actually (gasp) funny. I am not a Hillary fan, either.

[elfin]

14. Yes - plus MY problem with her

is that I am SO tired of the hate machine. Yes, it will kick in with any of our candidates --- but it will go into overdrive with her, causing a loss in '08 -- because fear and smear plus the money it brings in will still work. Especially against either Romney or Thompson who have some sort of strange "appeal" - especially since they are NOT HILARRY.

She is an excellent Senator and could achieve a national agenda with real leadership - taking over from Ted when that sad day comes.

She has yet to find her "voice" due to calibrated calculations.

What is her TRUE motivation for running? Edwards has poverty and regret for Iraq vote - Richardson has Energy plus international diplomacy experience , Obama has the nebulous "turn the page" plus charisma --- what is Hillary's? Revenge?

Yes, I will vote for her if she wins the nomination --- but will not contribute monetarily or as a volunteer as I have done with other candidates.

[Hamlette]

21. how can the right wing go into overdrive? We've heard it all before

it's not like they'll come up with anything new (purple heart bandaids anyone?).

I am NOT a Hillary fan but it is not because of what the right will do to her. I remember some man in the street interviews during Clinton's impeachment and people were saying "I'm not a Clinton fan but I do not think he is being treated fairly." Might happen again if all they can dig up is the same old crap.

I also don't buy the "sticking by your man" won't play well. Hell, I don't know a woman who hasn't "stuck by her man" through adultry or other crap (likewise men sticking with women). And when you consider 50% of Americans have committed adultry I just don't see how it hurts.

And I'll be damned if they are going to decide who I vote for just because they are mean bastards. I'll sick Emanuel on them. Or Bill.....

Now, picking a Celine Dion song? Yuck.

[HardRocker05]

15. yes, she is scripted, but her persona is not caustic, etc. that is RW projection at work. during th

the clinton years, the right wingers projected every imagined evil of liberalism onto bill and hill. they became the 'personification' of liberal evil, and hillary the most so, because wingers maintain a special hatred for the liberal, feminist agenda for women to 'swich places' with men, and have women dominating men, rather than the reverse, as they believe god and nature intended it.

[TahitiNut]

18. If she's the nominee, the DNC will have a huge GOTV problem, imho.

I think muddled America would either say "what's the use?" or "she'll probably win but I'm not wasting the gas."

Big GOTV problem. Big.

[lutefisk]

23. Ironically, Gore's the only one voters will "waste gas" for, imho.nt

[durrrty libby]

19. "her polarizing, caustic persona" media words

Just goes to show how easy it is to lead people my the nose

[GeorgeGist]

22. Sure glad you got ...

that problem solved.

[King Coal]

24. BINGO DEL RINGO!!!!

[MN ChimpH8R]

26. My problems with her are different

One, she's a corporatist and we don't need another corporatist as POTUS;
Two, I'm sick to death of dynastic politics. If HRC wins the nomination that will mean that a Bush or a Clinton has been on eight consecutive national tickets. Enough is e-freaking-nough.
Three, she was wrong on the war and won't face the issue the way Edwards has;
Four, she has pandered too much on too many issues.

If it's HRC, I may hold my nose and vote for her, but if Bloomberg is available as an alternative, I will give him a long look.

[Individualist]

27. Biggest problem with Hillary: She's DLC.

[Melynn]

28. We've had twenty years of either Clinton or Bush being President

Now, I know that sadly we have more Bush than Clinton but if Hillary gets elected in '08 then it means that we have either Bush or Clinton as President for 24 years and maybe 28 years. And if Jeb runs in 2012, well, you get the picture. That's a long time for two families to hold power for that long. I think that it is time for someone else. I have nothing against Hillary, let's just get some fresh people in office.